Month: July 2019
Insurance Policy Doesn’t Pay for Death Involving Autoerotic Asphyxiation
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a death resulting from an intentionally self-inflicted injury was excluded from coverage under its insurance policy. A man had strangled himself while performing autoerotic asphyxiation, the act of intentionally cutting off oxygen to the brain for sexual pleasure. A medical examiner had determined the cause
Cryptocurrency: Easy to Conceal, Hard to Value
Cryptocurrencies have often been described as “the new offshore account” because it is too expensive and time consuming to trace. Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, are anonymous and decentralized, and although they are a popular form of investment, they are also a tool for those attempting to hide assets. Every time a Bitcoin is exchanged the
New Act Raises Age of Buying/Selling Tobacco Products to 21
On July 1, Illinois officially raised the legal age for purchasing tobacco and nicotine from 18 to 21. Back in April, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed HB345, also known as “Tobacco 21,” into law, making Illinois the 11th state to adopt the statewide law, and the first state in the Midwest to do so. Tobacco 21
Illinois Condominium Buyers Beware
A recent Illinois Supreme Court decision eliminates consumer protection for homeowners seeking a financial remedy against subcontractors for defective construction that could potentially have ripple effects throughout Illinois. The Court found in Sienna Court Condo Association v. Champion Aluminum Corp. that purchasers of a new home cannot sue a subcontractor that has no contractual relationship
Protect Your Trade Secrets
In 2016, U.S. Congress passed the Defend Trade Secrets Act (“DTSA”), which created a body of federal trade secret laws that almost mirrored the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (“UTSA”). The DTSA and UTSA govern trade secret protection in nearly every state and federal jurisdiction in the United States, and allow an owner of a trade