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Illinois
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August 07, 2024
Shuttered Firm Partner Pulls $9.5M Fee Fight Out Of Arbitration
An Illinois appeals court has reversed the transfer to partial arbitration of a suit accusing a personal injury firm name partner of defrauding the other name partner by collecting $9.5 million in fees shortly before the firm's dissolution, saying the firm's operating agreement with an arbitration clause was superseded by the dissolution agreement.
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August 07, 2024
Delta Dental Can't Get Antitrust Standard Decided Early
An Illinois federal judge denied a bid from Delta Dental to have the court decide what legal standard should apply to claims that it violated antitrust law through a $13 billion scheme to restrict competition before ruling on a class certification motion.
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August 07, 2024
'The Eggs Are Fresh From A Farm': Kroger Fries False Ad Suit
Kroger defeated a proposed class action accusing it of misleading customers into thinking its "farm fresh eggs" came from free-roaming hens on grassy fields, despite coming from caged hens, after an Illinois federal judge said Wednesday the term "means precisely what it says: the eggs are fresh from a farm."
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August 07, 2024
7th Circ. Says Atty Inadequacy ID'ed Too Late In Asylum Case
The Seventh Circuit on Tuesday refused to reopen a Mexican family's asylum proceedings despite finding that the family's attorney cost them their case by arriving unprepared at their immigration hearing, saying the family should have flagged the lawyer's ineffectiveness earlier.
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August 07, 2024
7th Circ. Keeps 3M PFAS Pollution Suit In State Court
The Seventh Circuit on Wednesday rejected 3M's bid to send back to federal court a lawsuit brought by the state of Illinois alleging that the company polluted local waters with toxic "forever chemicals," saying a federal government contractor defense would be "wholly irrelevant" to the state's case.
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August 07, 2024
Thompson Coburn Adds Willkie Benefits Atty
Thompson Coburn LLP has brought on an employee benefits litigator from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP as a partner in Chicago, picking up a lawyer with over two decades of experience advising and representing employers, plan administrators and fiduciaries.
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August 07, 2024
Split 7th Circ. Axes Forced Labor Suit Against Salvation Army
A group of former participants in the Salvation Army's rehabilitation programs didn't show how the work they performed for the organization represented forced labor, a split Seventh Circuit panel ruled, keeping an Illinois federal court's decision tossing their suit.
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August 07, 2024
Jury Deadlocks In Third Illinois Zantac Cancer Trial
An Illinois state judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in a man's lawsuit claiming Boehringer Ingelheim's over-the-counter Zantac caused him to develop prostate cancer, after a jury signaled it could not reach a unanimous verdict.
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August 07, 2024
GrubHub Must Face Restaurants' TM Infringement Suit
Grubhub Inc. must face a proposed class action brought against it in Illinois federal court for allegedly using restaurants' trademarks without permission and listing them on its food delivery app without their consent, even though most of the lead plaintiffs have not registered the marks at issue.
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August 06, 2024
7th Circ. Axes Broker's Win In Buccaneers Deal Coverage Suit
The Seventh Circuit on Tuesday reversed an Indiana federal court's finding that an insurance broker didn't need to indemnify Axis Insurance Co. for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' voluntary settlement with a player, ruling that the insurers' contract clearly calls for Axis to be indemnified.
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August 06, 2024
Lensa AI App Creator Shakes Ill. Biometric Privacy Suit
An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday tossed a proposed class action accusing the developer of a popular "magic avatar" app of unlawfully harvesting biometric data to fuel its service, finding that the plaintiff had failed to show that his information was included in the massive database relied on by the company.
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August 06, 2024
7th Circ. Rejects Lion Air Families' Bid For Boeing Jury Trial
The Seventh Circuit ruled Tuesday that a more-than-century-old law governing fatal accidents on the high seas does not allow two remaining victims' estates suing Boeing over 2018's Lion Air crash to demand a jury trial.
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August 06, 2024
4 Takeaways From Landmark Google Search Ruling
A landmark ruling in D.C. federal court Monday found that Google illegally maintains its search engine monopoly, and experts say the case could have broad implications for the company as well as the wider internet and shows how existing antitrust laws can apply to modern technology.
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August 06, 2024
Ill. Jury Hits Cop With $22.5M Wrongful Conviction Verdict
An Illinois federal jury awarded $22.5 million on Monday to the estate of a man who served 22 years in prison for a 1995 arson-murder he was later acquitted of committing.
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August 06, 2024
7th Circ. Upholds Bitcoin Fraudster's 8-Year Sentence
The Seventh Circuit on Monday rejected the resentencing bid of a Nigerian man serving eight years in prison for carrying out an $8 million bitcoin fraud scheme, saying a lower court properly considered that he tried but failed to steal more than $51 million in crafting the appropriate sentencing range for his type of crime.
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August 06, 2024
Home Depot Hired Cops To Target Migrants, Suit Says
A union representing Latino workers sued the city of Chicago and Home Depot in Illinois federal court Tuesday, alleging that city police officers moonlighting as store security subjected migrants seeking day labor work near the home improvement store to excessive force and racist insults in violation of their civil rights.
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August 06, 2024
Jones Day Slams Ex-Client's Bid To Exit $2M Fee Fight
Jones Day wants to prevent former client Soverain Software LLC from exiting a decade-long spat over $2 million in unpaid legal fees, telling an Illinois state court that Soverain's bid to bring the litigation to a close "is a house of cards that collapses with the slightest breeze."
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August 06, 2024
Frigidaire Dishwasher Defect Suit Tossed For Lack Of Proof
An Illinois federal judge has thrown out claims from seven plaintiffs alleging that Frigidaire-brand dishwashers made by Electrolux Home Products Inc. are defective, saying none of them have put forth proof that any design defect exists, let alone that the company had a duty to warn them of it.
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August 05, 2024
Manufacturer Can't Get Coverage For BIPA Class Action
An Illinois federal judge awarded a win to an insurer Monday in a suit over coverage of underlying Biometric Information Privacy Act litigation, finding a contractual exclusion prevented coverage for a machine and plastics manufacturer accused of failing to secure employee data.
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August 05, 2024
NC Cigarette Co. Challenges $11M In Denied Drawback Claims
A North Carolina-based cigarette distributor is challenging a decision by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in which its request for more than $11 million in drawback duties on cigarette imports was denied, saying the refund claims were timely filed.
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August 05, 2024
BCBS Asks 9th Circ. To Undo Trans Patients' Win In Bias Suit
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois urged the Ninth Circuit to reverse summary judgment in favor of trans patients who argued its exclusions for gender-affirming treatments violated the Affordable Care Act's anti-discrimination mandate, arguing Friday it is a third-party administrator that didn't design the exclusion nor exercised any control over it.
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August 05, 2024
GSK Wins Second Ill. Trial On Zantac Cancer Claims
A Chicago jury held Monday that GlaxoSmithKline is not liable for a woman's colorectal cancer, handing the drugmaker a second straight trial victory in hundreds of Illinois suits targeting Zantac heartburn medication and its generic counterparts.
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August 05, 2024
BIPA Reform Becomes Law, But Damages Concerns Persist
The Illinois Legislature heeded a call from the state's Supreme Court to shield business from potentially ruinous damages under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, but lawyers say the new protections can still leave large employers facing hefty verdicts.
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August 05, 2024
Hillrom's 'Intrusive' Funding Probe Needs To Stop, Rival Says
Hospital bed maker Linet has urged an Illinois federal court to block Hill-Rom Holdings Inc.'s "increasingly intrusive" bid for litigation funding documents in its antitrust suit targeting allegedly anticompetitive supply agreements, arguing that the records are off limits because they're irrelevant and legally protected.
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August 05, 2024
7th Circ. Backs Insurer's Win In Family's Autism Claims Fight
The Seventh Circuit on Monday affirmed a win for a Wisconsin health insurer in a family's dispute over coverage for autism therapies, finding that the insurer's denials of speech therapy to treat autism for a minor child were valid under a policy exclusion for treatments that weren't evidence-based.
Expert Analysis
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Unpacking The Circuit Split Over A Federal Atty Fee Rule
Federal circuit courts that have addressed Rule 41(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are split as to whether attorney fees are included as part of the costs of a previously dismissed action, so practitioners aiming to recover or avoid fees should tailor arguments to the appropriate court, says Joseph Myles and Lionel Lavenue at Finnegan.
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After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1
The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.
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Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers
BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.
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Series
Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.
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How Associates Can Build A Professional Image
As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.
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5 Steps To Navigating State Laws On Healthcare Transactions
As more states pass legislation requiring healthcare-transaction notice, private equity investors and other deal parties should evaluate the new laws and consider ways to mitigate their effects, say Carol Loepere and Nicole Aiken-Shaban at Reed Smith.
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Firms Must Rethink How They Train New Lawyers In AI Age
As law firms begin to use generative artificial intelligence to complete lower-level legal tasks, they’ll need to consider new ways to train summer associates and early-career attorneys, keeping in mind the five stages of skill acquisition, says Liisa Thomas at Sheppard Mullin.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Always Be Closing
When a lawyer presents their case with the right propulsive structure throughout trial, there is little need for further argument after the close of evidence — and in fact, rehashing it all may test jurors’ patience — so attorneys should consider other strategies for closing arguments, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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Series
Playing Chess Makes Me A Better Lawyer
There are many ways that chess skills translate directly into lawyer skills, but for me, the bigger career lessons go beyond the direct parallels — playing chess has shown me the value of seeing gradual improvement in and focusing deep concentration on a nonwork endeavor, says attorney Steven Fink.
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Updated Federal Rules Can Improve Product Liability MDLs
The recent amendment of a federal evidence rule regarding expert testimony and the proposal of a civil rule on managing early discovery in multidistrict legislation hold great promise for promoting the uniform and efficient processes that high-stakes product liability cases particularly need, say Alan Klein and William Heaston at Duane Morris.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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Live Nation May Shake It Off In A Long Game With The DOJ
Don't expect a swift resolution in the U.S. Department of Justice's case against Live Nation, but a long litigation, with the company likely to represent itself as the creator of a competitive ecosystem, and the government faced with explaining how the ticketing giant formed under its watch, say Thomas Kliebhan and Taylor Hixon at GRSM50.
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How Federal And State Microfiber Pollution Policy Is Evolving
Growing efforts to address synthetic microfiber pollution may create compliance and litigation issues for businesses in the textile and apparel industries, so companies should track developing federal and state legislation and regulation in this space, and should consider associated greenwashing risks, says Arie Feltman-Frank at Jenner & Block.
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.