The Cook County Record News
Judge OKs $56M fees for lawyers that led big chicken price-fixing lawsuit vs Tyson, Pilgrim's Pride, other producers
More than 20 law firms logged 100,000 hours since 2016 to reach $170M in settlements, so they are entitled to roughly one-third of the total fund after expenses, a Chicago federal judge said
Class action: Subaru DriverFocus system improperly scans driver's faces, eyes
A new class action lawsuit has accused Subaru of violating Illinois' biometrics privacy law by failing to notify drivers and get their consent before scanning their faces and eyes using its DriverFocus anti-distracted driving system
Cook County judge suspended from hearing cases after charged with DUI in traffic crash
Hinsdale Police filed a DUI complaint against Associate Judge Mohammed Ghouse on Nov. 23
Judge denies injunction request from NorthShore workers seeking religious exemption from COVID vax mandate
Availability of damages if litigation is successful means no need to preserve status quo during proceedings
Judge nixes bid from Griffith Foods to toss Willowbrook EtO suits; Hundreds of identical lawsuits filed since
More than 460 lawsuits have been filed in Cook County court against Griffith Foods since a judge refused Griffith's attempt to dismiss claims asserting they should be liable for ethylene oxide emissions from the former Sterigenics medical sterilization plant in Willowbrook
Protecting Confidential Information & Preserving the Attorney-Client Privilege in Litigation on December 2, 2021
Protecting Confidential Information & Preserving the Attorney-Client Privilege in Litigation on December 2, 2021.
FoxFire: Pritzker admin engaged in legal 'gymnastics' in bid to close out challenge to last year's indoor dining ban
Gov. JB Pritzker continues to fight in court against a Geneva restaurant owner, who is seeking a court order declaring Pritzker violated the law in issuing a pandemic-related indoor dining ban last fall
2021 ERISA Litigation: What You Need to Know on December 2, 2021
2021 ERISA Litigation: What You Need to Know on December 2, 2021.
Steven Meier a Panelist for Strafford Webinar "Using Delaware Statutory Trusts in Real Estate Investments: Opportunities and Legal Risks" on December 1, 2021
Steven Meier a Panelist for Strafford Webinar "Using Delaware Statutory Trusts in Real Estate Investments: Opportunities and Legal Risks" on December 1, 2021.
Charting a New Course: Labor and Employment Under the Biden Administration on December 1, 2021
Charting a New Course: Labor and Employment Under the Biden Administration on December 1, 2021.
IL High Court says juror's tie to Advocate Medical no reason for removal from medical negligence trial
The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled it was proper for a Cook County judge to keep a juror seated in a malpractice suit trial against Advocate Medical Group, saying even though the juror had a business tie to Advocate, the link was too distant to influence the juror.
McDonald's Chicago franchisee hit with class action over worker fingerprint scans
An Illinois woman is suing Brittlan II, LLC, which owns and operates several McDonald's restaurants, alleging that the company violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).
Dems: Legislative maps drawn using politics, not race, so no need to alter maps just to boost Black, Latino districts
Illinois' top Democratic lawmakers asked a panel of federal judges to ignore 'remedial maps' filed by Latino and Black advocacy organizations, with Republican lawmakers, even though the challengers' maps appear to significantly boost the number of majority-minority legislative districts.
Judge says Chicago city workers have no constitutional right to spurn vaccinations
A federal judge has explained he recently refused to block the governor and Chicago mayor from forcing COVID-19 vaccinations upon city workers, saying the workers' evidence against the value of vaccines was "slim" and the city's evidence in favor was "substantial."
Issues in Higher Education | Pregnancy Discrimination: Legal Requirements and Practical Guidance on November 30, 2021
Issues in Higher Education | Pregnancy Discrimination: Legal Requirements and Practical Guidance on November 30, 2021.
Illinois pension shortfall surpasses $500 billion, average debt burden now $110,000 per household
Illinois just reached an alarming milestone: each Illinois household is now on the hook for, on average, $110,000 in government-worker retirement debts. That figure is the result of dividing Illinois’ $530 billion in state and local retirement shortfalls among the state’s 4.9 million households. In 2019, the burden was $90,000 per household.
Law firms entitled to $930K for making sure Cook Clerk Yarbrough's office complies with federal hiring oversight
Judge rules Chicago law firms instrumental in appointment of compliance administrator, and the fees are needed to sanction Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough for fighting against the effort to tighten scrutiny on her past and current government hiring practices.
DePodesta and Fayne Named to Crain’s 2021 Notable Gen X Leaders in Law List
DePodesta and Fayne Named to Crain’s 2021 Notable Gen X Leaders in Law List.
Locke Lord's Jennifer Kenedy, Michael Renetzky and Steve Whitmer Chosen as Crain's Chicago Business 2021 Notable Gen X Leaders in Law Honorees
Locke Lord's Jennifer Kenedy, Michael Renetzky and Steve Whitmer Chosen as Crain's Chicago Business 2021 Notable Gen X Leaders in Law Honorees.
Unions sue Amtrak over COVID vax mandate; Rail workers continue vax court fight vs UP, Norfolk Southern
The unions representing Amtrak workers have sued the national passenger rail carrier, asserting, as they have in similar actions vs freight carriers Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern, that the rail companies don't have the power under federal law to simply force union workers to get vaccinated or face termination