Illinois

  • July 12, 2024

    Real Estate Recap: Mall Makeovers, Military Land, Fundraising

    Catch up on this week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority, including one Big Four retail leader's take on mall potential, the U.S. Treasury's increasing scrutiny of land deals with national security concerns, and a midyear look at private real estate fundraising trends.

  • July 12, 2024

    Zimmer Biomet Owes Despite Expired Patents, 7th Circ. Says

    Zimmer Biomet Holdings shouldn't have stopped paying royalties on knee replacement devices it developed using an orthopedic surgeon's various patents after those patents expired, the Seventh Circuit said Friday, backing a lower court's decision affirming an arbitration ruling in favor of the surgeon's estate.

  • July 12, 2024

    Wayfair Says Contractor On 1st Megastore Stiffed Vendors

    Online retailer Wayfair LLC says the company it hired to oversee the build-out of its first "large-format" brick and mortar location failed to pay multiple subcontractors on the project, forcing Wayfair to pay the subcontractors directly to ensure that the store opened on time, according to a complaint filed Friday.

  • July 12, 2024

    Polsinelli Hires Longtime Daspin & Aument IP Atty In Chicago

    Polsinelli PC has hired a Daspin & Aument LLP attorney in Chicago as an intellectual property litigation practice shareholder, after he spent almost 17 years with the firm, according to an announcement Thursday.

  • July 12, 2024

    Ex-Greenberg Traurig Atty Joins Holland & Knight As Partner

    A former Greenberg Traurig LLP shareholder recently joined Holland & Knight LLP's private wealth services group as a partner in its Chicago office, where he can use his experience as a certified public accountant to help navigate estate and trust administration matters.

  • July 12, 2024

    Biggest Illinois Decisions Of 2024: A Midyear Report

    State and federal courts have handed down rulings so far this year that limited the reach of a federal bribery law commonly used to prosecute Illinois corruption, laid out a framework to challenge so-called mootness fees and clarified the scope of Illinois defamation and antitrust law. Here's a look at some of the biggest Illinois decisions in the first half of 2024.

  • July 11, 2024

    Kroger Asks To Delay At Least Part Of FTC Challenge

    Kroger and Albertsons are asking an administrative law judge from the Federal Trade Commission to pause the evidentiary portion of the agency's in-house case against the supermarket giants' merger, saying the companies are facing too many overlapping cases in different venues to adequately prepare and present their case.

  • July 11, 2024

    Customers Want Domino's Kept In BIPA Voiceprint Suit

    Domino's Pizza customers told an Illinois federal judge Wednesday that the chain's corporate parent should face their lawsuit over the state's biometric privacy law, saying Domino's can't shield itself given the "unusually high degree of control" it has over the subsidiaries that ultimately own the restaurants they ordered from.

  • July 11, 2024

    7th Circ. Revives CFPB's Lender Redlining Suit

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should be allowed to pursue claims that a mortgage lender illegally disparaged majority-Black neighborhoods, the Seventh Circuit said Thursday, finding the agency was empowered to enforce violations against prospective borrowers.

  • July 11, 2024

    Vidal Says Late Response Isn't An 'Abandonment' Of IPR

    The head of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has thrown out a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision that issued a loss to an owner of a patent covering a portable backup charger, sending the case back to the board.

  • July 11, 2024

    Ex-Northwestern Coach Accuses University Of Defamation

    The former offensive coordinator of Northwestern University's football team has sued the university, its president and its athletic director, claiming they portrayed him and the rest of the football staff in a false light when they fired head coach Pat Fitzgerald amid a hazing scandal and defamed him after he wore a T-shirt supporting the coach to practice.

  • July 11, 2024

    GM's $50M Faulty Fuel Pump Deal Gets Early OK

    A Michigan federal judge on Thursday indicated he would give the initial approval to a $50 million settlement to end class claims that General Motors LLC sold trucks with faulty fuel pumps, clearing the way for GM to drop a Sixth Circuit appeal. 

  • July 11, 2024

    Biden Floats $2B To Drive US Auto Industry's EV Pivot

    The Biden administration on Thursday unveiled its latest initiative to bolster domestic automotive production by offering nearly $2 billion in grants to convert 11 auto manufacturing and assembly facilities that have been shuttered or are at risk of closing to build electric vehicles and related components.

  • July 10, 2024

    MGM's Suit Against Mich. Tax For Ill. Riverboat Sale Tossed

    A Michigan subsidiary of MGM failed a requirement to request an alternative apportionment method before going to court in its challenge of a corporate income tax assessed on gains from its sale of an interest in a riverboat casino, the state Court of Claims ruled.

  • July 10, 2024

    7th Circ. Won't Renew Honeywell DEI Video White Bias Suit

    The Seventh Circuit refused Wednesday to revive a former Honeywell engineer's claims he was unlawfully fired after he declined to watch a diversity, equity and inclusion training film that he claimed vilified white people, ruling he was only making assumptions since he never watched the video.

  • July 10, 2024

    Keurig Dr. Pepper Sent Mass Anti-Union Texts, Workers Say

    Keurig Dr. Pepper has been accused in Illinois state court of sending mass anti-union text messages to the personal cellphone numbers of its factory workers, in violation of their privacy.

  • July 10, 2024

    Chevron's End Won't Affect Cubs Sale Tax Suit, 7th Circ. Told

    An anti-abuse rule the IRS is using to push for taxes on gains from Tribune Media Co.'s sale of the Chicago Cubs is not threatened by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning the Chevron deference doctrine, an attorney for the IRS told the Seventh Circuit on Wednesday.

  • July 10, 2024

    Ex-Ill. Senator Gets 3½ Years For Misusing Campaign Funds

    Former Illinois state Sen. William "Sam" McCann has been sentenced to 42 months in prison following his post-trial admission to spending campaign funds on personal items such as trucks and recreational vehicles.

  • July 09, 2024

    DC Circ. Dings NLRB's Analysis In Pot Co.'s Certification Fight

    The National Labor Relations Board must explain why it applied one legal test over another when analyzing whether a union representation election at a Chicago cannabis dispensary was fair, the D.C. Circuit said Tuesday, sending the dispensary's challenge to union certification back to the board.

  • July 09, 2024

    Cannabis Co. Stiiizy Should Face Delta-8 Suit, Court Told

    A California purveyor of delta-8-infused vapes shouldn't be allowed to escape consumer claims that its products contain levels of THC above the legal limits, the plaintiffs behind a proposed class action have argued, saying the company has attempted to do too much business in Illinois to evade personal jurisdiction.

  • July 09, 2024

    Chicken Buyers' Cost-Saving Deal With Producers Approved

    An Illinois federal judge granted final approval Tuesday to settlements direct chicken buyers struck with producers that beat their price-fixing claims at summary judgment or trial, saving them about $1 million in costs they could have otherwise owed the companies.

  • July 09, 2024

    $2.4 Million Crate & Barrel BIPA Deal Gets Final OK

    A Cook County judge on Tuesday gave his final signoff to a $2.4 million deal ending litigation accusing Crate & Barrel of violating Illinois' biometric privacy law by requiring employees at its stores to scan their fingerprints to track their time worked without first securing their written, informed permission.

  • July 09, 2024

    Alston & Bird Brings In Sidley Trio To Launch New Offices

    Alston & Bird LLP announced on Tuesday that it has opened two new offices in Chicago and Century City with the addition of three lateral partners from Sidley Austin LLP, a move the firm said will strengthen its corporate, healthcare and real estate practices.

  • July 09, 2024

    Medical Office Manager Gets 5 Years For Tax, Mail Fraud

    The former office manager of an Illinois medical practice was sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution — most of it to his former employer — after admitting to filing a false tax return and stealing from the practice.

  • July 09, 2024

    'ComEd Four' To Renew Acquittal Bid After Bribery Ruling

    An Illinois federal judge effectively pushed the next ruling in the criminal case against former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore and her three co-defendants to at least winter, as the defendants vowed to renew their acquittal bid in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling finding that federal bribery law doesn't criminalize rewards given after an official act.

Expert Analysis

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Illinois Trump Tower Ruling Illuminates Insurance 'Occurrence'

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    In Continental Casualty v. 401 North Wabash Venture, an Illinois appellate court found that Trump Tower was not entitled to insurance coverage for operating its HVAC system without a permit, helping to further define a widely litigated general liability insurance issue — what constitutes an "occurrence," say Robert Tugander and Greg Mann at Rivkin Radler.

  • Young Thug Case Spotlights Debate Over Lyric Admissibility

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    A Georgia court’s recent ruling, allowing prosecutors to use some of rapper Young Thug’s lyrics in his conspiracy trial, captures the ongoing debate about whether rap lyrics are admissible, with courts often stretching the boundaries of the federal evidence rules, say Amy Buice at Smith Gambrell and Emily Ward at Continuum Legal Group.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Employers Should Review Training Repayment Tactics

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    State and federal examination of employee training repayment agreements has intensified, and with the potential for this tool to soon be severely limited, employers should review their options, including pivoting to other retention strategies, says Aaron Vance at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • AI's Baked-In Bias: What To Watch Out For

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    The federal AI executive order is a direct acknowledgment of the perils of inherent bias in artificial intelligence systems, and highlights the need for legal professionals to thoroughly vet AI systems, including data and sources, algorithms and AI training methods, and more, say Jonathan Hummel and Jonathan Talcott at Ballard Spahr.

  • Cos.' Trade Secret Measures Must Adjust To Remote-Work Era

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    Several recent cases demonstrate that companies need to reevaluate and adjust their trade secret protection strategies in this new age of remote work, says Stephanie Riley at Womble Bond.

  • Safe-Harbor Period Change Could Hinder TCPA Compliance

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    A proposed rule change under consideration by the Federal Communications Commission would require businesses to honor do-not-call requests within 24 hours of receipt for calls and texts that are subject to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and companies have already called it unreasonable, say Aaron Weiss and Danny Enjamio at Carlton Fields.

  • Opinion

    Courts Shouldn't Credit Allegations From Short-Seller Reports

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    Securities class actions against public companies can extend for years and lead to significant settlements, so courts should not allow such cases with allegations wholly reliant on reports by short-sellers, who have an economic interest in seeing a company's stock price decline, to proceed past the motion to dismiss stage, says Richard Zelichov at DLA Piper.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • Why 7th Circ. Libel Ruling Is Crucial For The Media

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    As more defamation plaintiffs attorneys argue that allowing a published statement to remain online after additional evidence of falsity emerges equates to actual malice, the Seventh Circuit's recent National Police Association v. Gannett opinion should be lauded by the media and online publishers as a favorable decision, say attorneys at Vedder Price.

  • Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes

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    Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.

  • Compliance Primer: Foreign Investment In US Real Property

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    The rise in foreign investment in U.S. real property, especially agricultural land, has led to increased national security concerns, meaning it’s important to understand reporting requirements under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act and state-level statutes, and to monitor legislative proposals that could create more stringent reporting and review processes, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

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