It's Going to Be a Green Year
January 29, 2009
Clean energy is a top priority for the Obama administration and the new Congress. The President's campaign pledges and post-election comments posit clean energy as a key element for advancing the nation's economic recovery, fostering energy independence, addressing climate change, and reinvigorating American leadership in innovation and manufacturing.
Renewable Energy Leasing Opportunities
January 29, 2009
Lately there has been increased interest in the use of sale-leasebacks as a financing mechanism for solar projects. While most of the activity to date has involved solar projects, there is no reason that sale-leasebacks could not be used to finance other types of renewable energy or other energy projects eligible for investment tax credits under Section 48, such as fuel cells, geothermal or certain combined heat and power facilities, as well as integrated gasification combined cycle and other advanced coal-based generation projects under Section 48A or gasification projects under Section 48B.
The Most Crucial Commercial Lease Cases
January 28, 2009
The first part of this article, which appeared in the December 2008 Issue, discussed cases that address the preference for stability over sense, mitigation and interpretation of leases. The cases in Part Two herein address enforcement and violations.
In the Spotlight: Commercial Landlord Protections in Difficult Economic Times
January 28, 2009
Today, landlords are particularly worried about tenant bankruptcies. True, this has always been a concern for commercial landlords, but previously their focus may have centered on smaller, start-up businesses rather than the large anchor tenants that are currently seen knocking on the bankruptcy court's door.
Don't Give Rent Relief Without Any Strings Attached
January 28, 2009
There are several different types of rent relief, ranging from an all inclusive "gross" rent, to a temporary reduction in base rent, or converting the economic terms of the lease from fixed rent payments to a "percent in lieu" deal, where the tenant's rental obligation is based on a percentage of gross sales generated at the premises. This article describes the options.
New Contracts in Kansas Can No Longer Contain Commonly Used Liability Indemnity Provisions
December 29, 2008
The 2008 Kansas Legislature passed a statute that declares void as against Kansas public policy long-standing contract risk-allocation provisions in many commercial contracts ' including franchise and dealership contracts. The story begins in 2004, when the legislature enacted a prohibition against liability indemnity provisions in construction contracts.
Protecting Interests If Another Company Files for Bankruptcy
December 22, 2008
As the Boy Scouts say: "Be Prepared." And in today's economic climate, that means prepare in advance ' when a contract is entered into ' to protect yourself in case the other entertainment-industry party declares bankruptcy. This requires a basic understanding of the extraordinary protections and rights that are afforded to debtors in a bankruptcy, particularly the right to void unperfected security interests and to terminate executory contracts. So forewarned is forearmed.
Fair Value Accounting: Insights and Issues
December 19, 2008
This article examines the accounting principles and the framework underlying fair value measurements and clarifies the difference between mark-to-market accounting and fair value accounting. The article then examines the application of fair value accounting in inactive or illiquid markets, and in doing so, raises certain thematic issues that have surfaced in regard to this topic.
