Editor’s note: The COURT REPORT is RISMedia’s weekly look at current and upcoming lawsuits, investigations and other legal developments around real estate.

Howard Hanna strikes a settlement deal

One of the last remaining brokerages involved in the Gibson case, Howard Hanna, reached a settlement deal May 2.

Pending final approval from a judge, the agreement and terms of settlement were not immediately available.

Following Howard Hanna’s recusal request for Judge Stephen R. Bough, who is overseeing the case, the judge refused to step down despite acknowledging campaign contributions both sides’ attorneys had made to his wife.

Tennessee-based Crye-Leike is the last brokerage defendant in the case. Judge Bough has expressed reservations about two previous settlement deals, from eXp and Weichert. Berkshire Hathaway Energy, the parent company of HomeServices, is also a defendant in the case.

Defendant dismissed from eXp sexual assault case

Emily Keenan, Defendant David Golden’s girlfriend, has been dismissed from a lawsuit in which a former eXp agent claims she was drugged and assaulted by two eXp recruiters—Golden and Michael Bjorkman. 

Plaintiff Anya Roberts alleges that during a conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Feb. 8, 2020, Keenan drugged and sexually assaulted her.

Due to the statute of limitations, personal jurisdiction and venue, Arizona-resident Keenan was dismissed from the case.

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