John Breslin News
Mandatory e-filing in place in all but three counties in Illinois, Cook live this month
Mandatory court e-filing for all civil cases is operational in all but three Illinois counties, according to a representative of the company charged with introducing the system.
Chicago ordinance could make employers give 2 weeks notice before changing employee schedules
Plans to introduce a new ordinance requiring employers in Chicago to give their workers advance notice of changes in schedule appear to have stalled, according to an employment law attorney.
Federal judge OKs female Cook County employees' lawsuits over harassment by inmates
A federal judge ruled that various lawsuits claiming officials have failed to curb rampant abuse of female employees visiting Cook County Jail will remain largely intact, according to an opinion filed June 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Federal judge: Ex-Yankees OF can press lawsuit in Cook County court vs White Sox over knee injury
A former outfielder for the New York Yankees, whose career was threatened by a season-ending knee injury after one inning at Chicago's Guaranteed Rate Field, can continue his negligence action against the Chicago White Sox in Cook County court after a Chicago federal judge ruled federal court was not the correct venue to hear the case.
Deceptive practices class action to proceed against All Web Leads, with up to 2 million class members
A federal judge has given the nod to allow a group of plaintiffs to move forward with a class action lawsuit, potentially involving 2 million additional plaintiffs, claiming a web company that generates "leads" for the insurance industry used deceptive practices to lure customers.
IL, other high tax states, seeking ways around deduction cap; IRS warns it decides proper deductions
In the wake of the new nationwide tax law, states, including Illinois, which are setting up workarounds to state and local tax deducation caps, have been warned by the Internal Revenue Service that federal law controls deductions.
Judge: Non-competes can be too broad; Lawyer: Employers should take note
A Chicago federal judge has struck down a non-compete clause because it was too broad to enforce, and an employment attorney in Chicago says the decision should catch the eye of companies and employees alike.
SCOTUS says auto service advisors are exempt from fed OT rules, but lawyer warns state law may differ
Following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that auto service advisers are exempt from federal overtime pay rules, an Illinois attorney is advising dealerships in Illinois to be careful about requirements under state law.
Court weighs if IL home rule powers allowing stricter employer rules also can extend to local right-to-work
A federal appeals panel is mulling over the thorny issue of whether Illinois "home rule" municipalities, already empowered to impose a host of labor and employment-related regulations on businesses, should also be allowed to buck the state government and create local right-to-work zones within their boundaries.
Record $35M settlement for woman hit, dragged by truck in Chicago in 2015
A week into a trial against a trucking firm blamed for an accident that left a young woman permanently disabled, the woman, who was struck by a truck and dragged 60 feet in Chicago, will receive $35 million from a settlement to end her legal action, reportedly an Illinois record for an accident involving a pedestrian.
Seventh Circuit ruling brings clarity for employers dealing with potential employee mental health issues
Dealing with an employee exhibiting mental health problems remains a thorny issue despite a federal appeals court's recent ruling denying a disability discrimination claim against an Illinois state agency.
Georgia will soon decide controversial 'lawsuit lending' topic
DUBLIN, Ga. (Legal Newsline) – Questions over the future of litigation funding remain in Georgia as the state Supreme Court prepares to decide the issue and another case continues to move through a federal court in the state.
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Crowded field of Atty Gen candidates place differing emphasis on priorities for state's top law office
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's sudden announcement earlier this year declining to seek another term has led to an avalanche of candidates announcing intentions to run on the Democratic side, while Republican Erika Harold remains unchallenged in seeking her party's nomination.
Cook County officials bank on legally imperiled beverage tax to balance county budget
As a Cook County judge prepares to rule later this week on whether the county should be allowed to begin collecting its so-called sweetened beverage tax, county officials say the county has banked much of its budget hopes for the coming year on the $17 million a month in revenue they expect the tax will pour into county coffers.
Dominos, takeout restaurants fight potentially onerous FDA Obamacare calorie counting rule
Takeout restaurants, where the majority of the orders are placed online or over the phone, are making a last push to stop a new regulation that requires all calorie counts to be listed on store menus.
Pension payments likely to continue even in case of Illinois government shutdown
What could happen with pension payments in the aftermath of a government shutdown is the “law school hypothetical from hell,” said one labor lawyer in the wake of the Illinois attorney general's legal play to break the budget impasse.