News from May 2023
3 broadcasters to pay $48M to settle class action over TV advertising rates conspiracy claims
CBS, Fox, Cox agree to help with ongoing claims against industry counterparts
Using Pronouns: IL courts may need to balance person's rights to respect, 'proper pronouns' vs free speech, religious rights of others
A special Illinois Supreme Court subcommittee is exploring potential recommendations for future rules governing how to use pronouns and gendered terminology in court. No challenges against such rules have yet been brought, but future challenges may yet arise under the First Amendment or civil rights laws
Judge: DoorDash can't pry into Chicago city records, communications to ensure City Hall is actually driving lawsuit over fees
A federal judge denied DoorDash's request to force the city to turn over communications and other records with the law firm of Cohen Milstein, to determine who is actually directing the city's lawsuit vs DoorDash over its fee structure. The firm has a contingency agreement with the city, meaning they could claim a big chunk of the city's proceeds
Using Pronouns: Illinois courts consider changing rules to govern how judges, attorneys must handle people's pronouns
New court rules building on the work of a special subcommittee could create more risk of repercussions for those working in Illinois' courts for referring to people using pronouns other than those they have chosen
Amundsen Davis LLC announces Amundsen Davis Welcomes Attorney Zhuo (Rachel) Zhou to Chicago Office
Attorney Zhuo (Rachel) Zhou has joined our firm's Business Litigation Service Group in our Chicago office.
Greenberg Traurig announces Greenberg Traurig Represents Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated in Acquisition of Four Mexican Resorts
Attorneys at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP advised Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated in its first expansion outside of the United States with the acquisition of four, beachfront properties in Mexico from Royal Resorts.
Lawsuits incoming? Supreme Court rules 'home equity theft' tax sales unconstitutional, could spur action vs IL counties
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled counties and investors can't just pocket potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sale of properties over relatively much smaller unpaid property taxes. States, like Illinois, and counties, like Cook County, are being warned that changes must be made or lawsuits will follow
Chicago caterer can't bring eavesdropping class action vs insurer over recorded call
Appeals panel said Mid-Century Insurance didn't violate state eavesdropping law when it called the caterer's attorney, in response to the company's request for insurance funds to cover losses from state-ordered Covid shutdowns
Judge: Ill. Supreme Court's biometrics decision doesn't apply to class action over yearbook photos
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - A Chicago federal judge won't second-guess herself for tossing a proposed class action lawsuit that accused Ancestry.com of violating the Illinois Right of Publicity Act.
IL lawmakers OK law to force Illinoisans who wish to challenge state laws, official actions to only file suit in Chicago or Springfield
The law would restrict lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of state laws and actions by Gov. JB Pritzker and other state officers to courts in Cook County and Sangamon County. It could yet, in turn, also be challenged as unconstitutional, critics say
IL Supreme Court: Property buyers are subject to pre-existing annexation agreements, even if they only buy a portion of the land
The decision from the Illinois Supreme Court overturned a ruling from a DeKalb County judge
Judge: People who suffered no harm from alleged contaminated Similac, other baby formula can't sue Abbott Labs
A Chicago federal judge has tossed a swath of class action lawsuits against Abbott Labs over alleged contamination in Similac and other baby formulas
Appeals panel: Hospital can't be sued for providing care to baby for two weeks at direction of woman who cut her mother's womb
The father of the now deceased baby had sought to sue Advocate Health for intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging they didn't do enough to verify the woman who had killed the pregnant mother to take the baby actually was the child's mother
Another Chicago judge has little patience for 'wrecking ball' class action food lawyer
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - A Chicago federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit brought by a prolific class action lawyer who was recently termed "a wrecking ball" by a colleague on the bench.
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP hosts Fifth Annual Chicago Diversity, Equity & Inclusion CLE Program on May 25, 2023
You’re invited to the Fifth Annual Chicago Diversity, Equity & Inclusion CLE Program presented by Faegre Drinker’s Chicago Diversity Collective.
Supreme Court: Lower courts should not have kept S. IL doctor from being added as defendant in medmal case
6-0 opinion notes low bar in medical malpractice actions to shift from respondent to defendant
Judge says AWS can't be sued under IL biometrics law simply because another company uses its Rekognition software
A federal judge dismissed a class action vs AWS after determining plaintiffs need to do more than show AWS provided Rekognition to temp hiring app Wonolo, which used face scans to verify identities of job applicants
Moviemaker Ancel says spat over control of horror film led to alleged false sex assault, professional incompetence claims
Film producer Jordan Ancel says in a new lawsuit that "Better Call Saul" actor Jenninfer (Karum) Goodman and others defamed him with false personal and professional accusations in retaliation for losing creative control of new film "The Unseen," smearing his reputation and harming his career in the process
IL Supreme Court: No public access to Chicago ticket databases; Will allow govt to hide troves of public info, others warn
A freelance journalist had sought information on column and row headings from city vehicle citation management system, but the Illinois Supreme Court said state FOIA law doesn't require city to release it. While seemingly 'narrow,' the decision has 'vast' implications for public access to government info, transparency advocates said
IL gives up defending likely unconstitutional, politically motivated limits on judicial campaign contributions
A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction, forbidding state officials from enforcing laws enacted in 2021 forbidding out-of-state judicial campaign donations and limiting individual donations to $500,000. Critics said the laws were enacted to give Democrats a money edge in state Supreme Court races