Firm News

A federal judge in Chicago recently allowed a woman’s lawsuit alleging intentional infliction of emotional distress against her employer to move forward, ruling that the claim is not preempted by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.  In Phillips v. Exxon Mobil Corp., Plaintiff’s lawsuit, brought under Illinois law (in federal court due to a federal claim […]

Are e-mails protected by attorney-client privilege when an employee communicates with their personal lawyer via their work-provided email address?  Until recently, the answer seemed to be no, they are not protected by privilege.  Attached to this rule however was the caveat that the company had to circulate a personnel policy explicitly warning that such communications […]

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided that a local Colorado baker is not required to make a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage. Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cake in Denver was sued in Colorado state court after he refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage. The Colorado court ruled that the baker […]

Following one of the country’s most dramatic tax changes in history, hiring your child home for the summer is more appealing than ever. Both your child and your business can receive serious tax advantages should you decide to hire him or her part time. For sole proprietorships, single member LLCs, or husband-wife partnership LLCs, hiring […]

A telecom company’s $100 check offered to a customer who lost service for two weeks prevented him from bringing a class action against the company, an Illinois Appellate Court ruled this month.  The company sent the customer a $100 check to cover the portion of his bill for the period of lost service, which totaled […]

After a shocking upset win by Fritz Kaegi in the Democratic primary for the Cook County Assessor over reigning Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios, in the event Mr. Kaegi wins the general election in November, commercial property owners may see a significant spike in their property taxes.  Mr. Berrios had been criticized for how commercial […]

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent 5-4 ruling in favor of an employer for its employment agreement that prevented class-action lawsuits but required individual arbitration instead, offers all employers shelter from future employee class-actions. This means that when a prospective employee signs their employment contract, they may be unable to bring an action in court and […]

Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago faces a new lawsuit for alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), targeted by a Florida man known for bringing these types of suits. In his three visits to Trump Tower from 2015-2017, alleged ADA violations were spotted in the restrooms in the lobby and the 16th […]

Earlier this month a federal judge in Chicago dismissed a class action lawsuit against the online real estate company, Zillow.  Zillow was accused by Illinois homeowners of violating the Illinois Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act in its promotion and use of the website’s “Zestimate” tool which posted millions of estimates […]

Back in January we reported that the Supreme Court heard arguments on whether New Jersey would be allowed to offer sports gambling. Only a few days ago, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in New Jersey’s favor. Starting immediately, the landmark decision allows each state to legalize sports gambling at its own behest.