Firm News

In August, Governor Rauner vetoed legislation that would have applied many workplace anti-discrimination requirements to businesses with only one or more employees. The current law applies these anti-discrimination requirements to businesses with 15 or more employees, which is the same requirement applied federally as well. A new Illinois law requires the Illinois State Toll Highway […]

A white manager who alleged he was denied a bonus because he fired a black subordinate employee had his civil rights suit greenlit last month in Illinois federal court. The manager and the employee had a tumultuous history together that included the employee previously being fired twice for missing work and failing to follow work […]

Businesses located on Chicago’s South and West Sides will soon receive another round of grants from a program that sets aside millions in fees from the City’s flourishing downtown building development.  The program, called the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund (“Fund”), was started in 2016 by Mayor Emmanuel.  As part of the program, Emmanuel first expanded the […]

While normally associated with large publicly-traded businesses, instituting a board of directors could significantly help your private or family-owned business achieve and maintain success. While “fiduciary boards” have a responsibility to protect and act on behalf of the shareholders for publicly-traded businesses, “advisory boards” evaluate business opportunities and provide non-binding advice to management for private-held […]

In a case of first impression, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a complaint asserting that a union’s use of an inflatable rat was an illegal attempt to pressure a third party not do business with the union’s intended target. The use of inflatable rats is notoriously associated with labor union protests, and descends […]

In late July, Governor Rauner signed a bill expanding the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Historic Tax Credit. What was once limited to Aurora, East St. Louis, Elgin, Peoria, and Rockford will now be available statewide to promote employment and economic development. Created in 2012, the program offered a 25% state income tax credit for rehabilitating […]

Running a business is becoming more expensive and complex for owners, and part of the problem is due to the growing number of state and local laws that mandate paid sick time. Despite these complications, more and more U.S. companies are actually offering paid sick leave to employees. In 2017, the U.S. Dept. of Labor […]

A recent federal case in Chicago highlights the importance of drafting specific non-compete clauses that fully comply with Illinois law (or the law of any applicable state).  In order to protect themselves, most business owners require their employees to sign non-compete clauses to prevent client-poaching by former employees. Unfortunately many of those clauses become worthless […]

People often think that bigger or more expensive law firms equal more quality work from the attorneys at those firms.  One recent award to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation represented by a small boutique law firm proves otherwise.  As you may remember, in 2009, Colonial Bank failed, and was scalded by the court for being […]

Earlier this summer, the Supreme Court ruled that public workers do not have to pay union fees if they choose not to join the union, potentially poking a significant hole in the unions’ pockets. The 5-4 decision, which included a vote from recent appointee Justice Neil Gorsuch, reversed the legal precedent set in 1977 that […]