Illinois

  • June 05, 2024

    7th Circ. Affirms Toss Of Mexican National's Widow Petition

    The Seventh Circuit upheld U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' decision to deny a Mexican woman's bid for a visa as the widow of a U.S. citizen, saying the agency properly faulted her for misrepresenting her continued relationship with her ex-husband.

  • June 04, 2024

    Mitch McConnell Slams 7th Circ. Nom's 'Sheer Incompetence'

    Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tore into Seventh Circuit nominee U.S. District Judge Nancy L. Maldonado on the Senate floor Tuesday, criticizing her case backlog and saying that she has distinguished herself "with sheer incompetence."

  • June 04, 2024

    7th Circ. Lambasts Lawyer's 'Twilight Zone' Font

    A Seventh Circuit panel criticized an attorney's use of the typeface used in the "Twilight Zone" logo, urging lawyers to use more conventional fonts recommended in the court's handbook that won't "wear out judicial eyes," though the attorney told Law360 he's unlikely to change. 

  • June 04, 2024

    Airlines Seek Shield From Chicago's New Paid Sick Leave Law

    The trade group representing the largest U.S. airlines alleged in a federal lawsuit Tuesday that Chicago's new paid sick leave law cannot be enforced against airlines because it interferes with flight crew staffing and scheduling in violation of federal law and collective bargaining agreements.

  • June 04, 2024

    Franchise Co. Faces Sanctions For 'Frivolous' 7th Circ. Appeal

    The Seventh Circuit has upheld a district court's order that restaurant franchise company Sun Holdings Inc. must pay insurer American Zurich a roughly $1.1 million arbitration award plus interest and attorney fees in a dispute over a workers' compensation policy, and ordered Sun Holdings to show cause for why further sanctions aren't warranted for a "frivolous appeal."

  • June 04, 2024

    Mondelez, BCLP Must Face Negligence Claims Over 2023 Breach

    An Illinois federal judge has trimmed the majority of claims in proposed data privacy class actions brought by Mondelez workers against their employer and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP stemming from a 2023 data breach, although the company and law firm couldn't shake the cases entirely. 

  • June 03, 2024

    Burford-Sysco Plaintiff Swap Stays Nixed In Price-Fixing Case

    A Minnesota federal judge refused Monday to let a unit of legal investment firm Burford Capital substitute for Sysco Corp. as plaintiff in sprawling price-fixing lawsuits against pork and beef producers, agreeing with a magistrate judge's conclusions that allowing a litigation funder to dictate antitrust settlements "could have a detrimental impact."

  • June 03, 2024

    Chicago Restaurant Biz Can Fix Testimony Without Sanctions

    A Cook County judge on Monday refused to order the management group behind celebrated Chicago eatery Maple & Ash to produce thousands of documents that it claims are subject to attorney-client privilege as a sanction for misstating when an engagement letter was signed in sworn testimony, saying the issue was concerning but deeming the relief sought inappropriate.

  • June 03, 2024

    Restaurants Fight Bid-Rigging Release In $75M Chicken Deals

    Boston Market, Golden Corral and other restaurants have urged an Illinois federal judge to reject a class of chicken buyers' attempt to lock in $75 million in price-fixing settlements, continuing their fight to preserve a bid-rigging claim they argue should not be released.

  • June 03, 2024

    FERC Tells Justices Not To Review Rule Passed By Deadlock

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Friday urged the U.S. Supreme Court not to disturb a Third Circuit decision upholding an electricity market rule change that took effect despite a commissioner deadlock, arguing the lower court got it right and that any market upheaval concerns are unfounded.

  • June 03, 2024

    'Unflappable' Chicago DOJ Appeals Chief Joins Federal Bench

    The top appellate lawyer for federal prosecutors in Chicago, now a newly confirmed federal judge, has an overriding sense of public duty and a deep knowledge of Seventh Circuit case law that will set her up for success on the bench, former colleagues told Law360. 

  • June 03, 2024

    3 Firms Rep As Waste Management Inks $7.2B Stericycle Buy

    Waste Management Inc. has agreed to buy medical waste company Stericycle at an enterprise value of about $7.2 billion, inclusive of approximately $1.4 billion of debt, the companies said in a statement Monday. 

  • June 03, 2024

    Paul Hastings Adds 11-Partner King & Spalding Finance Team

    Continuing its hiring in the finance and restructuring space, Paul Hastings LLP announced Monday that it is bringing on a team of 11 partners from King & Spalding LLP, including the co-head of the global finance and restructuring practice.

  • May 31, 2024

    Online Lenders Invoked Calif. Tribe As Usury Cover, Suit Says

    Two online lenders that purport to be run by a Native American tribe in California face claims they violated both federal law barring racketeering and Illinois consumer financial protection laws by lending to the state's residents at excessive rates.

  • May 31, 2024

    Subaru Drivers Reach Class Deal Over Defective Fuel Pumps

    A group of Subaru of America Inc. drivers asked a New Jersey federal judge Thursday to greenlight a settlement resolving proposed class claims that they bought or leased cars containing defective fuel pumps, saying the deal would provide "concrete, real-world benefits" via reimbursements and extended warranties.

  • May 31, 2024

    Real Estate Recap: Courthouse Facelifts, Appraisal Bias

    Catch up on this week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including how federal money will refresh seven courthouses around the country and what Freddie Mac's former multifamily appraisal chief thinks about appraisal bias and market distress.

  • May 31, 2024

    Vape Co. Can't Toss Breeze Smoke's Claims In IP Row

    An Illinois federal judge has rejected vape pen maker Midwest Goods' bid to throw out counterclaims that it infringed competitor Breeze Smoke's trade dress and a design patent, while also denying a bid from Breeze Smoke for a preliminary injunction.

  • May 31, 2024

    DOL's Fund Mismanagement Suit Stayed For 7th Circ. Appeal

    An Illinois federal judge pressed pause on a suit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor against the trustees of a union life insurance fund, saying she'll let two former trustees' appeal of an injunction she issued in the case play out before she resumes adjudicating.

  • May 31, 2024

    Edelson Calls Coach's Attack On Abuse Suit 'Meritless'

    Edelson PC is urging a Cook County judge to toss a lawsuit from youth volleyball coach Rick Butler and his volleyball club looking to hold the firm liable for lodging allegedly "bogus" sex-abuse claims against the coach, calling it a "meritless" attempt to rehash their failed federal sanctions bid.

  • May 31, 2024

    Kroger's $6M BIPA Deal With 6K Workers Gets Final OK

    An Illinois federal judge granted final approval to a class of about 6,000 Food4Less employees on their $6 million settlement resolving claims Kroger Co. subsidiary Ralphs unlawfully stored and used their biometric data after requiring them to scan their fingerprints to clock in and out of their shifts. 

  • May 31, 2024

    Illinois Strengthens Atty Ethics Rules For Harassment, Bias

    The Illinois Supreme Court has announced that the state's professional conduct rules for attorneys have been amended to deem the act of engaging in harassment or discrimination as professional misconduct, and not just in the event a court or administrative agency finds that a lawyer violated a law prohibiting such actions.

  • May 30, 2024

    Veradigm Execs Sued Over Company's Nasdaq Delisting

    Current and former members of healthcare technology company Veradigm Inc.'s top brass were sued in Illinois federal court by shareholders alleging that the company suffered stock drops following a string of financial reporting blunders starting in 2021, which caused it to overstate roughly $40 million in revenue before facing a delisting notice from Nasdaq.

  • May 30, 2024

    Travelers Loses Dismissal Bid In BIPA Coverage Dispute

    A New York federal judge declined to trim a software company's lawsuit seeking coverage from a Travelers unit for underlying claims that the company violated the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act, finding the company's declaratory relief and bad faith claims were not duplicative of a breach of contract claim.

  • May 30, 2024

    Ex-Chicago Mayor Dodges Atty's Lawsuit Over Zoom Tirade

    An Illinois judge tossed a lawsuit brought by a former in-house attorney for the Chicago Park District accusing former Mayor Lori Lightfoot of unleashing a profane tirade laced with crude, insulting and defamatory comments during a Zoom call.

  • May 30, 2024

    Ill. Made 'Big Concession' In 3M PFAS Suit, 7th Circ. Judge Says

    A Seventh Circuit judge observed Thursday that the state of Illinois made a "big concession" in its suit accusing 3M of polluting local waters with toxic "forever chemicals" when the state said 3M could avoid liability if Illinois can't prove contamination came exclusively from a particular facility.

Expert Analysis

  • Insurance Considerations For Cos. Assessing New AI Risks

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    Because no two businesses will have the same artificial intelligence risk profile, they should consider four broad risk categories as a baseline for taking a proactive approach to guarding against AI-related exposures, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Ill. Temp Labor Rules: No Clear Road Map For Compliance

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    While the delay of a particularly thorny provision of the Illinois temporary worker law will provide some short-term relief, staffing agencies and their clients will still need to scramble to plan compliance with the myriad vague requirements imposed by the other amendments to the act, say Alexis Dominguez and Alissa Griffin at Neal Gerber.

  • Series

    Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.

  • Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.

  • Opinion

    Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave

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    To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.

  • Series

    Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

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    Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

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    The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • An Overview Of Circuit Courts' Interlocutory Motion Standards

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    The Federal Arbitration Act allows litigants to file an immediate appeal from an order declining to enforce an arbitration agreement, but the circuit courts differ on the specific requirements for the underlying order as well as which motion must be filed, as demonstrated in several 2023 decisions, says Kristen Mueller at Mueller Law.

  • 3 Rulings Illustrate Infringement Hurdles For Hip-Hop Plaintiffs

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    Three district court decisions dismissing hip-hop copyright claims recently came down in quick succession, indicating that plaintiffs face significant hurdles when they premise claims on the use of words, phrases and themes that are common in the genre, say Benjamin Halperin and Shiara Robinson at Cowan DeBaets.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • DC Ruling Provides Support For Builders Risk Claim Recovery

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    To deny coverage for builders risk claims, insurers have been increasingly relying on two arguments, both of which have been invalidated in the recent U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia decision, South Capitol Bridgebuilders v. Lexington, say Greg Podolak and Cheryl Kozdrey at Saxe Doernberger.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

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