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Illinois
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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May 30, 2024
Chicago Kiosk Salesman Gets 1 Year For Filing False Returns
An electronic-sweepstakes kiosk salesman from Chicago was sentenced to a year in prison for filing false tax returns that included more than $500,000 in inflated business expenses, according to Illinois federal court documents.
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May 30, 2024
Divided FTC Won't Delay Kroger-Albertsons In-House Case
The Federal Trade Commission's three Democrats refused Wednesday to delay the agency in-house challenge to Kroger's $24.6 billion purchase of Albertsons, blaming the grocery giants for their scheduling challenges and drawing a sharp dissent from the FTC's two Republicans.
Expert Analysis
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Opinion
Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats
Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.
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How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies
Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.
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AGs' Distaste For Food Bill May Signal Other State Issues
States' recent opposition to a proposed federal law that would block them from regulating out-of-state agricultural production could affect issues beyond this narrow debate, such as the balance of state and federal regulatory power, reproductive rights post-Dobbs, and energy production and water use, say Christopher Allen and Stephen Cobb at Cozen O'Connor.
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Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial
Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.
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Insurance Rulings Continue Expansion Of Appraisal's Ambit
Two recent Illinois insurance cases allowing property damage appraisers to determine causation — Wysoczan v. Cambridge in federal court and Shelter v. Morrow in state appellate court — perpetuate a judicial trend that will result in a slower, more expensive and cumbersome appraisal process that resembles litigation, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.
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2nd Circ. OT Ruling Guides On Pay For Off-The-Clock Work
While the Second Circuit’s recent holding in Perry v. City of New York reiterated that the Fair Labor Standards Act obligates employers to pay overtime for off-the-clock work, it recognized circumstances, such as an employee’s failure to report, that allow an employer to disclaim the knowledge element that triggers this obligation, say Robert Whitman and Kyle Winnick at Seyfarth.
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Autonomous Vehicles Must Navigate Patchwork Of State Regs
With only modest action by the federal government on the autonomous vehicle regulatory front in 2023, states and localities remain the predominant source of new regulations affecting AVs — but the result is a mix of rules that both help and hinder AV development and adoption, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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Federal Policies Keeping Autonomous Vehicles In Slow Lane
In the first installment of this two-part article, attorneys at Faegre Drinker examine recent federal regulations and programs related to autonomous vehicles — and how the federal government's failure to implement a more comprehensive AV regulatory scheme may be slowing the progress of the industry.
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The Case For Culture Assessments In Sports Programs
As hazing allegations against collegiate sports teams and subsequent lawsuits become more prevalent, culture assessments can be implemented as a critical tool to mitigate risks including hazing, lack of gender equity and racism in athletic programs, say attorneys at Squire Patton.
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5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
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Greenwashing And 'Greenhushing': Lessons For Fashion Cos.
While fashion companies continue to pursue improvements in the environmental impacts of the clothing they produce, they might be wise to note how businesses in other industries have attracted litigation over alleged greenwashing, and consider playing down environmental claims — a phenomenon known as "greenhushing," says Christopher Cole at Katten.
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Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees
The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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Why There's No End In Sight For BIPA Litigation
As the law governing the Biometric Information Privacy Act remains underdeveloped, courts have struggled with applying BIPA consistently, and have suggested the Illinois Legislature must make the effort to provide guidance, though there seems to be no appetite to do so from the state body, say Joseph Kish and Erica Bury at Segal McCambridge.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.