U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Recent News About U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
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Chicago Joe's Tea Room group asks court to strike down IL law barring Broadview strip club
A group of investors have renewed their long-running legal fight win the chance to open a strip club in suburban Broadview, now asking a federal judge for permission to directly challenge the constitutionality of an 11-year-old state law the would-be club operators contend effectively bans all adult entertainment establishments from opening anywhere in the town. -
Judge won't let class action proceed vs American Air over cancelled reservations for not early enough check-ins
A federal judge has granted American Airlines’ request to reject a class action complaint accusing it of violating contracts by canceling reservations for passengers who don’t check in an hour before their scheduled departure. -
Class action: Ticketmaster double dips on ticket sale fees, encouraging online ticket resale scalping
Ticketmaster is facing a federal class action complaint over a practice that allegedly incentivizes online scalpers. -
Judge nixes $17.5M deal in collection calls class action vs Ocwen, says attorney fees too high
Saying lawyers for the plaintiffs need to “drastically” reduce their $5.8 million fee request to make it "conceivable" to win his approval, a federal judge has rejected a $17.5 million settlement intended to end a class action lawsuit against debt collector Ocwen Loan Servicing over claims the company violated federal law when it called millions of debtors. -
Too soon to sanction plaintiff attorneys for 'false statements' in Yellow Cab bankruptcy dispute, judge says
A Chicago federal judge has cut several defendants from a suit filed by a federal bankruptcy trustee, which alleged the company that succeeded Yellow Cab drove Yellow Cab into the ground to avoid paying creditors. The judge, however, refused to sanction the trustee’s attorneys for allegedly making false claims, saying it’s too early in proceedings to address that allegation. -
Appeals judges: Lincolnshire, other towns can't create right-to-work zones, despite home rule powers
Saying to find otherwise would create “catastrophic” consequences for labor law in Illinois and across the country, a federal appeals panel has backed a federal judge’s decision to toss an attempt by a northwest suburban village to use its home rule powers to create a local right-to-work zone within its borders. -
Federal judge rules UGG is a brand name, not a generic boot style
Deckers Outdoor Corp., owner of the popular UGG brand, succeeded in a legal quest to prevent an Australian company from calling the sheepskin boots it sells in the U.S. “ugg boots,” as the judge said that term cannot be considered generic for those kinds of boots. -
Judge: Lawyers must justify fee requests for investor suits withdrawn vs Akorn over proxy disclosures
A federal judge says a group of lawyers must demonstrate why they should be allowed to collect more than $300,000 in attorney fees for their work representing clients who withdrew a potential class action against generic drug manufacturer Akorn Inc. over its attempted sale to German pharmaceutical company Fresenius. -
Judge: Federal court not right place for homeowner's tax assessment discrimination claims vs Cook assessor
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a former Chicago Heights homeowner, who claimed he and other homeowners in poor and minority neighborhoods in Cook County were forced to pay more than they should in property taxes because, he said, Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios inflated the taxable value of homes in those neighborhoods. -
Judge: Not enough proof Pur Luv treats caused dog injuries, deaths to let class action vs Sergeants march on
A federal judge has declined to allow a class action lawsuit to move forward, which places blame for dog deaths and injuries on Sergeant’s Pur Luv treats, saying plaintiffs did not present enough evidence showing the treats are unsafe. -
Third strike: Judge tosses racketeering suit vs Seyfarth Shaw, Northern Trust over tax shelters
Prominent Chicago law firm Seyfarth Shaw, financial services company Northern Trust, and others have sidestepped a racketeering claim brought by a financial services provider who claimed he was misled into investing in an illegal tax shelter that eventually cost him more than $10 million in back taxes, fees, interest and penalties. -
Judge parks Bobb Auto Group's RICO, conspiracy suit vs ex-employees, accountants
CHICAGO – A group of former car dealership employees had a lawsuit against them dismissed at court. -
Appeals court: Office Depot commission policies don't negate obligation to pay workers within month
Businesses who employ commissioned sales representatives may need to reevaluate their policies for paying commissions, after appeals judges said company policies don't trump Illinois law requiring employers to promptly pay commissioned sales reps. -
Federal appeals court won’t review its decision to toss $3M verdict v. GSK; Plaintiff: ‘Dangerous precedent’
A Chicago federal appellate court has refused to reexamine its decision last month that reversed a $3 million verdict against drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, on grounds the company was not responsible for the labeling of the generic version of its product Paxil, despite plaintiff’s urging a rehearing was needed, because she said the appeals panel set a “dangerous precedent.” -
Judge: IL Film Office's work to boost IL film industry didn't favor Cinespace over Chicago Studio City
A federal judge has rejected an attempt by a Chicago film and TV studio to sue the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the former director of the llinois Film Office for allegedly favoring a larger, newer competitor in doling out state assistance. -
Judge lets Cook Sheriff's Merit Board leave lawsuit over alleged anti-African American jobs discrimination
A Chicago federal judge has, for now, blocked four African American men from pressing discrimination claims against the panel responsible for reviewing hiring and firing decisions at the Cook County Sheriff's Office, saying the men lacked standing to continue their suit alleging the Cook County Sheriff's Merit Board engaged in a pattern of discrimination when the sheriff's office declined their applications to become Cook County correctional officers. The lawsuit against the Cook County Sheriff, however, continues. -
Federal judge undoes potential class action deal to end litigation over 2014 Neiman Marcus data breach
A federal judge has sided with objectors who want to undo a class action settlement involving a five-year-old Neiman Marcus data breach, saying the leading plaintiffs do not adequately represent the entire group. -
Judge: Plaintiffs' lawyers could face sanction for ignoring key precedent in debt collection case
Saying a plaintiff’s attorneys' actions stood as an “egregious violation” of conduct rules, potentially punishable by sanction, a Chicago federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against a collection agency, which alleged the agency tried to mislead a debtor with an allegedly bogus offer to settle their debt by a certain date. -
$10M lawsuit: Aurora Health cut real estate firm from buyback deal worth millions; Aurora: No contract breach
The largest health care system in Wisconsin is asking a federal judge to toss a commercial real estate agency’s $10 million lawsuit over claims the health system allegedly cut it out of a potentially lucrative deal. -
Ex-Cook Sheriff's deputy loses bid to use Merit Board controversy to boost lawsuit over termination
A federal judge has taken down a fired Cook County Sheriff's deputy's attempt to use controversy surrounding the sheriff's Merit Board to keep alive his lawsuit over his termination.