News from July 2023
Time Well Spent: 10 Years of Wage & Hour Wisdom and What’s on the Way on August 2, 2023
A lot has happened in the 10 years since our national Wage and Hour Litigation Practice Group wrote ALM’s authoritative Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation treatise.
BFKN Awarded dotCOMM Platinum Awards for Website Redesign & Top Legal Website
BFKN is honored to have received a 2023 dotCOMM Platinum Award, the organization’s highest honor, for its Law Firm Website Redesign as well as a Platinum Award for Website (Legal).
Fuller's Car Wash hit by lawsuit from three hurt in Hinsdale sub shop crash; Family of boy killed yet to file suit
Lawsuit was filed on July 25, same day as funeral of 14-year-old boy who was struck and killed in same incident. The boy's family were not included in lawsuit, and have yet to file suit
Judge says Dior can't recover legal fees from defeated plaintiffs over online face scan class action
Christian Dior argued class action was a doomed suit filed in bad faith under Illinois' biometrics privacy law, simply to try to force fashion designer into a settlement
IL appeals panel ends lawsuit in which Pritzker accused of helping friend defraud state
A state appeals court in Springfield says Attorney General Raoul within his power to pull plug on suit, despite political implications against Gov. JB Prtizker
Class action accuses State Farm of wrongly sharing people's health information with company building risk database
The lawsuit asserts State Farm and Insurance Services Office have violated federal health privacy law and privacy rights under the Illinois state constitution.
Judge tosses lawsuit challenging Illinois' vote-by-mail law's 2 week ballot counting window
Rep. Bost, other plaintiffs, alleged 14-day window for counting mailed ballots violates Constitution and federal law
Clark Hill Attorneys Named 2023 Leading Lawyers
Eighty-six Clark Hill attorneys have been named 2023 Leading Lawyers, a distinction earned by fewer than five percent of all lawyers licensed to practice in Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri. Selected lawyers have been recognized by their peers as being among the top lawyers in the nation.
New class action accuses Harvey of issuing bogus building code violation tickets
The lawsuit from American Kitchen Delights asserts Harvey's contracted building inspectors have issued citations to them and potentially other businesses for infractions of a plumbing code the city has not adopted
IL pregnancy center law unconstitutional attempt to stifle speech of abortion opponents: Lawsuit
The law empowers Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, a staunch supporter of unlimited abortion rights, to use a state consumer fraud law to investigate, prosecute and potentially fine and shut down pro-life pregnancy centers if Raoul believes they are spreading "misinformation" about abortion
Appeals court: IL Supreme Court must rein in lawmakers' abuse of legislative process
A Springfield appeals panel has called on Illinois' highest court to do more than just 'bluster' and follow through on threats to police state lawmakers who rely on prior leniency from the state Supreme Court to all but ignore constitutional rules governing how laws must be passed
Lawsuit funders say they should be able to take Sysco's place in suing chicken producers, despite objections
Poultry producers have said the new venture backed by litigation financing giant Burford is improperly trying to take over claims from Sysco simply to protect their $140M investment in a lawsuit Sysco had already attempted to settle
Reed Smith represents Elevate Services on a senior secured term loan facility with Runway Growth Finance
Global law firm Reed Smith has advised Elevate Services, Inc. on a senior secured term loan facility with Runway Growth Finance LLC, a provider of growth loans to companies seeking an alternative to raising equity.
IL Supreme Court: Man who pleaded guilty to murder should get innocence certificate, because confession coerced
State vacated conviction in 2015; Lower courts had denied petition for certificate
Judge: CPS can't shut down, take over Urban Prep until at least early 2025
A Cook County judge has ruled Chicago Public Schools' attempt to seize control at the successful, but controversy-plagued Urban Prep Academies charter high schools violated a state moratorium on public school closures until Chicago can elect and seat a new Board of Education in January 2025
Shreve Speaks to National Law Journal on Transatlantic Data Privacy Protection
Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Governance Chair James Shreve shared his insight with the National Law Journal on a new Data Privacy Framework agreed to by the European Commission this month.
Recent Trends in Insider Trading on July 27, 2023
Partner Jim Lundy will co-lead a CLE-accredited seminar about recent headline cases on insider trading charges and the protocols firms should have in place to manage MNPI risk.
Appeals panel says Mettawa didn't violate neighbors' constitutional rights when it annexed, rezoned Grainger HQ
A state appeals panel said the Lake County village of Mettawa acted within the constitution and its own ordinances, and did not violate the due process rights of a neighboring landowner when it added Grainger's land to its boundaries.
Property owners sue ADM for injecting CO2 below their land as part of 'carbon capture' project
Decatur couple alleges company trespassed becase they are not entitled to pump liquified CO2 under their property
Reed Smith advises Wind Point Partners portfolio company D&H United on its acquisition of Tanknology, Inc.
Global law firm Reed Smith announced that it has advised D&H United, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners and a leading provider of mission-critical maintenance, testing and inspection services for fueling stations and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with financing the acquisition of Tanknology, Inc. Tanknology is the global leader in environmental compliance testing, inspection and fuel quality solutions.