Author: Rock Fusco Connelly LLC
United States Supreme Court Revisits Final Judgment Rule
During virtually every legal proceeding, in the back of the mind for every litigant and attorney, there looms a single word that is either loved or hated: appeal. Simply put, an appeal is a review of a lower court’s decision or decisions by appellate judges. However, not every decision warrants an appeal. Without delving into
Sports Betting Coming to Illinois?
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court took arguments in a case that will determine whether New Jersey will be allowed to offer betting on professional and college sports. One study has predicted that a chain reaction of sports betting legislation will take effect if the Supreme Court rules in New Jersey’s favor. The study,
Illinois Trying to Bring Back Collaborative Law
Collaborative law, or collaborative practice, is a process of voluntary dispute resolution that allows parties to settle without resorting to litigation. The practice has been used for about thirty years, and although it is most often used in family law disputes, it can also be helpful with probate issues or small business disputes. Starting January
Employee’s Threats Trigger Employer Liability
In Illinois, as a general rule, one person has no duty to prevent the criminal acts of another. There are exceptions however, such as an employer’s duty to act reasonably when hiring, supervising, and retaining its employees. An employer can be liable if it knew, or should have known, an employee was unfit for the
Non-Compete Agreements and the Illinois Freedom to Work Act
One of the more commonly litigated aspects of the employer-employee relationship is the non-compete agreement. The Illinois Attorney General seems to be cracking down on employers that may be taking advantage of low-wage employees by signing illegal non-compete agreements (even if they are doing so unknowingly), especially in the context of the new Illinois Freedom
Ban on Salary History Inquiries
Illinois employers may soon be prohibited from inquiring about the salary history of prospective job candidates during interviews. Two significant changes in the law drive this notion. First, the Illinois House of Representatives has overridden the Governor’s veto of legislation that would prohibit inquiries into job candidates’ salary histories, among other things. The bill is
Overseas Data May Soon Be Subject to Search
The United States Supreme Court has decided to hear a landmark internet privacy case that will determine whether the U.S. government can demand user-data stored by tech companies abroad, U.S. v. Microsoft. In 2013, federal investigators obtained a warrant for emails and identifying information stored in a Microsoft Outlook account believed to be used for
New Contractor / Sub-contractor Laws
Recently, Illinois passed two laws that have implications that will affect many contractors and their payments to subcontractors. The first new law deals directly with Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) mobilization payments. A mobilization payment is an advance payment made for the preparatory work and operations necessary to move personnel, equipment, and supplies to a
Oral Agreements Regarding Bonuses Upheld
Let’s take a hypothetical scenario. You were promoted last year and have spent countless long days at the office since then orchestrating a multibillion dollar sale. You expect a handsome bonus as the head of this sale, consistent with what you understood your predecessors to have received. Finally, after just over a year of hard
Illinois Privacy and Cybersecurity Issues
Cybersecurity risks continue to pose threats to an individual’s privacy, as demonstrated by at least two privacy-related hot topic issues in Illinois. The first is the recent Equifax data breach, and the second is the uptick in volume of litigation surrounding the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. First, Equifax disclosed that its data had been