The state of retail in Minnesota and around the country is a huge question-mark.  The obvious effect of the ongoing COVID restrictions has delivered an unwelcome shock to the operations of even the very best brick and mortar retailers. Nobody can say with confidence when the cloud of uncertainty around COVID and the restrictions on

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, most employers were reluctant to allow employees to work from home on a continuous basis.  Many companies prohibited all teleworking or allowed employees only to work remotely when recovering from an illness or when required as a reasonable accommodation.  When COVID-19 hit, many employees began working remotely and it appears that

Many construction contracts now contain arbitration clauses.  Arbitration can be an effective dispute resolution process, but how the clauses operate in practice can raise challenges.  This is especially true when intertwined with mediation requirements and mechanic liens under state law.  The scenario below illustrates how the seeming conflicts could be resolved.

Assume a contractor under

For mechanic lien claimants having “priority” is a charmed state. Priority refers to the ordering of claims against a piece of real estate. Claims with first priority get paid first from the proceeds of a sale or foreclosure.  Being “junior” can mean no payday at all.

Minnesota, like most states, has its own rules for

Last week I moderated an online forum in which three recognized experts in various segments of the real estate industry shared their respective crystal balls as we close out 2020 and look ahead to 2021. The panelists included Tim Elam, Managing Director, Scannell Properties, James Freytag, SVP, CBRE, and Gretchen Camp, Principal, ESG. Each panelist

Walk anywhere in the five and a half million square feet that make up Mall of America and you will find signs of COVID…literally signs that help keep guests safe as they visit and shop the country’s largest retail destination.  Sanitation stations are a few feet apart in every hallway.  Masks are required and

Like most things in 2020, the multifamily housing market is in a state of flux. Recently, I had the opportunity to moderate the Bisnow webinar, Twin Cities Deep Dive: Multifamily Update. The panelists included Brent Webb, Development Manager, Mortenson, Christian Osmundson, Director of Development, Alatus, and Josh Brandsted, President of Greco Properties. These leaders