Illinois

  • October 23, 2024

    No More Coverage For Paper Co.'s Pollution Claim, Panel Says

    A WestRock Co. subsidiary that owned a Montana paper mill later identified as a Superfund site isn't entitled to additional coverage from its AIG insurer, an Illinois state appeals court ruled, saying two pollution conditions on the property were related and subject to a single $5 million limit of liability.

  • October 23, 2024

    EPA Can't Restart Crafting Smog Rule, DC Circ. Told

    A group of Democratic-led state governments is telling the D.C. Circuit that the Clean Air Act doesn't mandate reconsideration of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2023 "Good Neighbor" emissions regulation as two steel manufacturers say.

  • October 23, 2024

    Law Firm Accuses Ex-Paralegal Of 'Sabotage' In Bears Case

    An Illinois law firm has accused one of its former paralegals of attempting to stiff the firm for work it did settling his discrimination suit against the Chicago Bears, alleging that the erstwhile employee declined to file key paperwork and deleted critical files.

  • October 22, 2024

    11th Circ. Signals Fla. Gun Ban Turns On 'Age Of Majority'

    Whether the full Eleventh Circuit will strike down or uphold Florida's firearms sales ban to anyone under 21 appeared to hinge Tuesday on whether the court adopts modern notions of when adulthood begins or prior beliefs understood as "18-year-old Johnny on his way to the militia," circa 1789.

  • October 22, 2024

    Ex-Aldi Exec Gets 2 Yrs In Construction Bid-Rigging Plot

    A former Aldi executive was sentenced to two years in prison in Illinois federal court after copping to manipulating the bidding system for construction projects in return for millions of dollars in illegal kickbacks, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday.

  • October 22, 2024

    Ill. Temp Worker Fight Restarts Over Amended Statute

    An Illinois federal judge agreed on Monday to reopen a federal benefits lawsuit challenging an Illinois law that mandates benefits for long-term temporary workers so a group of staffing agencies and the state can relitigate injunction issues under amended statutory language.

  • October 22, 2024

    Appliance Co., Customers Agree To End Stove Pollutant Row

    Luxury kitchen appliance maker Sub-Zero Group Inc. and the customers behind a proposed class action have agreed to drop the litigation, bringing to an end claims the company sold them gas stoves that emit "health-harming" pollutants.

  • October 22, 2024

    Madigan Ally's Favors Were '100% Legal,' Not Bribes, Jury Told

    Counsel for an ex-lobbyist standing trial on public corruption charges alongside former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan told an Illinois federal jury Tuesday that the government is treating legal lobbying activity as bribery, and that his client did "100% legal favors" for Madigan to establish trust and maintain access to the powerful politician.

  • October 22, 2024

    The 2024 Prestige Leaders

    Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.

  • October 22, 2024

    How Law Firms Get And Keep Elite Status

    For decades, a handful of New York-based law firms thoroughly dominated the national consciousness when it came to power, profitability and prestige. But in today's legal market, increased movement of partners and clients from one firm to the next has begun to shake things up and create opportunities for go-getters to ascend the ranks.

  • October 22, 2024

    Grassley Probes Delayed Charges For Threat To Trump Judge

    U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is seeking answers as to why it took the U.S. Department of Justice four months to indict an Illinois man for allegedly threatening to kidnap and murder the Florida federal judge who handled Donald Trump's classified documents case.

  • October 21, 2024

    Target Wants Sanctions For 'Bogus' BIPA Suit

    An Illinois federal judge should sanction a group of Target customers and their lawyers for pursuing a facial recognition privacy case even though the plaintiffs had seen evidence their legal theory was "bogus," the retail giant says.

  • October 21, 2024

    John Deere's Tractor Brake Recall Is Also Defective, Suit Says

    John Deere sold utility tractors with a brake defect that can cause them to crash, and the company's recent recall doesn't guarantee a permanent fix but rather appears to simply "replace defective systems with even more defective systems," according to a proposed class action in South Carolina federal court.

  • October 21, 2024

    Madigan Part Of 'Corruption At The Highest Levels,' Jury Told

    Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his loyal right hand Michael McClain engaged in an eight-year "campaign of bribery," leveraging his public office and leadership roles to steer business to Madigan's property tax law firm, enrich his allies with do-nothing jobs and maintain his considerable political power, prosecutors told an Illinois federal jury Monday.

  • October 21, 2024

    2nd Circ. Won't Revive $500M Plunge Suit Against Wells Fargo

    The Second Circuit on Monday refused to revive a proposed class action accusing Wells Fargo of causing a Chicago fund manager to lose at least $500 million by wrongfully forcing the liquidation of its mutual fund and other investments, finding that the district court was correct in dismissing the suit entirely.

  • October 21, 2024

    Kroger Beats Class Cert. Bid In Pain Patch False Ad Suit

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday denied class certification to consumers who sued Kroger over lidocaine patches they asserted could not stay on long enough to provide up to eight hours of relief as advertised, saying neither of two proposed class representatives purchased the allegedly misleading patches.

  • October 21, 2024

    ID Service Can't Avoid Roblox Player's BIPA Claims

    A minor who uploaded a selfie to register an account with Roblox can pursue biometric privacy claims against the company that provides identify verification services to the game platform, an Illinois federal judge said Monday.

  • October 21, 2024

    Judge Cites University Ties To Bow Out Of Aid-Fixing Suit

    An Illinois federal judge has recused herself from a proposed antitrust class action against 40 private colleges, reasoning that she has a relationship with one of the university defendants.

  • October 18, 2024

    Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attys From 74 Firms

    The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2024 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.

  • October 18, 2024

    Walmart Scores Quick Appeal In FTC's Money Transfer Suit

    An Illinois federal judge refused Friday to reconsider a prior decision trimming the Federal Trade Commission's suit alleging Walmart facilitated fraud through its money transfer services, while allowing Walmart to seek interlocutory review regarding the FTC's litigating authority. 

  • October 18, 2024

    Judge Slams 'Lazy Lawyering' In Amazon Biometric Data Suit

    The judge overseeing a proposed biometric privacy class action against Amazon Web Services Inc. in Delaware federal court chastised the plaintiffs' counsel for identically repleading a previously dismissed claim, calling the move "lazy lawyering" and warning of potential ramifications for "lying to the court."

  • October 18, 2024

    Ill. Justices Find Broad COVID Immunity For Health Facilities

    The Illinois Supreme Court on Friday read broad immunity into an emergency order that immunized healthcare facilities aiding the state's COVID-19 response, saying the order shields those facilities from ordinary negligence claims during that time, not just ones directly relating to their pandemic care.

  • October 18, 2024

    False Ad Suit Trimmed Over 'Non-Drowsy' Albertsons Meds

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday refused to strike class claims that Albertsons markets and sells cough medicine labeled as "non-drowsy" that does in fact cause drowsiness, but threw out breach of warranty claims because the lead plaintiff failed to give the company adequate notice before filing suit.

  • October 18, 2024

    Judge Tosses Ex-Cushman & Wakefield GC's Defamation Suit

    An Illinois federal judge on Friday threw out a defamation lawsuit brought by the former general counsel of real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield over a Law.com article written about his departure, which he claimed made it seem like he had been fired for his job performance.

  • October 18, 2024

    AGs Slam 4th Circ. Bid To Restore NC Abortion Drug Limits

    In a joint amicus brief to the Fourth Circuit, a coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia has said the abortion drug mifepristone is a part of women's reproductive healthcare, assailing the "needless" limits that states including North Carolina have sought to impose on the drug's access.

Expert Analysis

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

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    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Justices' Criminal Law Decisions: The Term In Review

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    Each of the 11 criminal decisions issued in the U.S. Supreme Court’s recently concluded term is independently important, but taken together, they reveal trends in the court’s broader approach to criminal law, presenting both pitfalls and opportunities for defendants and their counsel, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • How To Comply With Chicago's New Paid Leave Ordinance

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    Chicago's new Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance went into effect earlier this month, so employers subject to the new rules should update leave policies, train supervisors and deliver notice as they seek compliance, say Alison Crane and Sarah Gasperini at Jackson Lewis.

  • 7th Circ. Motorola Ruling Raises Stakes Of DTSA Litigation

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    The Seventh Circuit’s recent ruling in Motorola v. Hytera gives plaintiffs a powerful tool to recover damages, greatly increasing the incentive to bring Defend Trade Secrets Act claims against defendants with large global sales because those sales could generate large settlements, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Opinion

    Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism

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    As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.

  • A Look At State AGs Supermarket Antitrust Enforcement Push

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    The ongoing antitrust intervention by state attorneys general in the proposed Kroger and Albertsons merger suggests that states are straying from a Federal Trade Commission follow-on strategy in the supermarket space, which involved joining federal investigations or lawsuits and settling for the same divestment remedies, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Series

    Serving In The National Guard Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My ongoing military experience as a judge advocate general in the National Guard has shaped me as a person and a lawyer, teaching me the importance of embracing confidence, balance and teamwork in both my Army and civilian roles, says Danielle Aymond at Baker Donelson.

  • A Midyear Forecast: Tailwinds Expected For Atty Hourly Rates

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    Hourly rates for partners, associates and support staff continued to rise in the first half of this year, and this growth shows no signs of slowing for the rest of 2024 and into next year, driven in part by the return of mergers and acquisitions and the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, says Chuck Chandler at Valeo Partners.

  • 7th Circ Joins Trend Of No CGL Coverage For Structural Flaws

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    The Seventh Circuit, which recently held potential structural instability did not count as property damage under a construction company's commercial general liability policy, joins a growing consensus that faulty work does not implicate coverage without tangible and present damage to the project, say Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty, and Elan Kandel and James Talbert at Bailey Cavalieri.

  • Opinion

    States Should Loosen Law Firm Ownership Restrictions

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    Despite growing buzz, normalized nonlawyer ownership of law firms is a distant prospect, so the legal community should focus first on liberalizing state restrictions on attorney and firm purchases of practices, which would bolster succession planning and improve access to justice, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • Navigating The Extent Of SEC Cybersecurity Breach Authority

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's broad reading of its authority under Section 13(b)(2)(B) of the Securities Exchange Act in the R.R. Donnelley and SolarWinds actions has ramifications for companies dealing with cybersecurity breaches, but it remains to be seen whether the commission's use of the provision will withstand judicial scrutiny, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • 7th Circ. Exclusion Ruling Will Narrow BIPA Coverage

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    The Seventh Circuit's recent decision in Thermoflex Waukegan v. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, holding that the access or disclosure exclusion applies to insurance claims brought under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, departs from the majority rule and opens the door to insurers more firmly denying coverage under general liability policies, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Solving Puzzles Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Tackling daily puzzles — like Wordle, KenKen and Connections — has bolstered my intellectual property litigation practice by helping me to exercise different mental skills, acknowledge minor but important details, and build and reinforce good habits, says Roy Wepner at Kaplan Breyer.

  • Texas Ethics Opinion Flags Hazards Of Unauthorized Practice

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    The Texas Professional Ethics Committee's recently issued proposed opinion finding that in-house counsel providing legal services to the company's clients constitutes the unauthorized practice of law is a valuable clarification given that a UPL violation — a misdemeanor in most states — carries high stakes, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

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    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

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