News from September 2023
Holland & Knight Continues Growth of Real Estate Practice with Addition of Aaron O'Donnell and Abigail Flanagan in Chicago
Holland & Knight has bolstered its nationally recognized Real Estate Practice Group with the addition of Partners Aaron O'Donnell and Abigail "Abby" Flanagan in Chicago.
Goers to Serve as Coach for Chicago-Kent College of Law Moot Court
Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP Associate Mary J. Goers will serve as a coach for Team Chicago-Kent College of Law at the 2023 Judge Thomas Tang and Dr. Pearl Tang Moot Court Regional Competition on October 13-14.
Appeals panel tosses $18M verdict vs shipping broker; Trucker who struck teen in 2016 didn't work for them
A state appeals panel says a Cook County judge was wrong to allow a verdict against Alliance Shippers to stand when the evidence was clear the broker couldn't be considered the employer or agent of a truck driver who struck and severely injured a 17-year-old on the side of I-394 near Sauk Village
Martín Montes Awarded 2023 Latino Lawyer Of The Year By HLAI
Barnes & Thornburg partner Martín Montes has been named the 2023 Latino Lawyer of the Year by HLAI serving the Hispanic lawyers of Illinois for his service and significant contributions to improving the quality of the legal profession and the administration of justice.
Morgan Lewis Partners Elizabeth Herrington and Sharon Perley Masling Named National Law Journal 2023 Trailblazers
Morgan Lewis partners Elizabeth Herrington and Sharon Perley Masling have been named 2023 Trailblazers in the Class Action/Mass Tort Litigation and Employment & Discrimination Law categories, respectively, by The National Law Journal.
Lawsuit: Advocate Health allegedly violated Illinois genetic privacy law by asking workers for medical history
A class action lawsuit accuses Advocate, one of the largest operators of hospitals in Illinois, of violating a state genetic information privacy law by requiring job applicants to divulge family medical history.
Judge: Lawsuits vs Smith & Wesson over Highland Park massacre belong in Lake County, not federal court
A federal judge rejected Smith & Wesson's claims the lawsuits vs the gun maker represent an attempt by anti-gun activists to sidestep federal law and restrict Second Amendment rights
Will Congress Create a Statutory Framework for Digital Asset Regulation? on September 28, 2023
Will the 118th Congress succeed in creating a statutory framework for effective regulation of cryptocurrencies?
BFKN’s New Website Wins Web Excellence Awards
BFKN is honored to have received a 2023 Web Excellence Award in its website category.
Same IL man, Ohio-based lawyers use IL biometrics law to sue Zoosk, Zengo over face scans
The lawsuits, filed separately in Cook County Circuit Court, accuse the operators of the Zoosk dating service app and the Zengo cryptocurrency app of both improperly scanning the facial images of users contained in photos uploaded to the apps to verify the users' identities at sign up
IL Supreme Court: Family OK to sue nursing home for injuries suffered by woman before death, despite arbitration clause
6-0 ruling by state high court declared the arbitration clause that would have governed claims by the woman does not apply to the same claims brought by her family, because the arbitration clause expired when the woman died.
Webinar: Assessing Supplier Diversity Risks in the Post-Students for Fair Admissions Landscape on September 27, 2023
The issue of diversity and inclusion programs remains top of mind for many organizations, and rightly so. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down race-based decision making in the college and university admissions context, many organizations are assessing the impact of that ruling on diversity programs, including those that apply to vendors and suppliers.
Reed Smith appoints new office managing partners in three offices
Global law firm Reed Smith announced leadership changes in three U.S. offices, naming new office managing partners in Austin, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Key Legal Issues Keeping In-House Counsel Up at Night on September 27, 2023
Network for a CLE seminar on key legal issues keeping in-house counsel up at night.
Fake ID detector vendor Tokenworks, cannabis dispensary Pharmacann targed in new biometrics suit
The lawsuit asserts Verilife branded dispensaries used IDentiFake-branded tech from Tokenworks to improperly scan and collect customers' facial scans when checking IDs of those purchasing cannabis products
Lawsuit accuses financial services provider Enova of violating Illinois genetic privacy laws
Online financial services provider Enova has become one of the most recent targets of a class action lawsuit accusing the company of violating an Illinois genetic information privacy law by requiring job applicants to divulge personal and family medical history.
Appeals panel: Airbnb can't use arbitration agreement to escape lawsuit from man who lost a leg at a friend's party
In a 2-1 ruling, the judges ruled a man should be able to sue Airbnb despite holding a user account that included a mandatory arbitration clause, because the agreement only applies to the people directly renting a property during the time they rented
Navigating Regulatory Compliance and Corporate Governance for Hospital Joint Ventures on September 26, 2023
Hospital joint ventures can produce powerful new capabilities and efficiencies, paving the way for affordable, high-quality care.
Duane Morris Named to Crain’s Chicago Business "Best Places to Work" List for Eighth Year
Crain’s Chicago Business has named Duane Morris’ Chicago office a 2023 “Best Place to Work.” Previously, the Chicago office was named to the 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017 “Best Places to Work” lists, and in 2016, was named a “Best Place to Work for Women Over 35.”
Examining Expanding Roles of Special Masters and Court-Appointed Experts and Technical Advisors in Mass-Tort MDLs on September 28-29, 2023
Blank Rome partner Deborah Greenspan will serve as a panelist at the Rabiej Litigation Law Center’s MDL Bench-Bar Leadership Conference, being held September 28 and 29, 2023, at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in Chicago, Illinois.