Stories by Jessica Karmasek on Cook County Record

California, City of St. Louis Circuit Court, New York City’s asbestos court and Philadelphia round out the American Tort Reform Association’s top five this year.

Chicago’s federal courts again were a busy place for employers facing lawsuits in 2016, according to court data and a survey published by one of the nation’s top employment and labor law firms. However, the survey from Chicago-based Seyfarth Shaw LLP found Chicago’s courts are still outpaced by courts in New York and California in some categories, perhaps most notably the number of class action certifications.

A company that has been frequently targeted by asbestos attorneys now wants the lawsuits it filed in June against two separate firms to be heard before a single judge.

The average number of companies targeted by some of the biggest asbestos firms in their lawsuits is in the triple-figures, according to recent statistics, forcing some, especially those in claims management, to question the strategy of plaintiffs’ lawyers.

ROCKFORD - A Chicago plaintiffs firm has filed a class action lawsuit against a telecommunications company it previously contracted with, arguing it charged the law firm “unlawful and unconscionable” termination fees.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with nearly 30 states in granting a stay of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan.

Defunct boiler manufacturer Oakfabco, formerly known as Kewanee Boiler Corporation, has filed for bankruptcy -- the second time in less than 30 years -- and is looking to establish a trust for the asbestos claims that have crippled it, including the 3,400 active cases it is currently facing.