Social Benefit Companies Get Bidding Edge for County Contracts
A new ordinance recently passed in Cook County gives preferential bidding rights to companies that County believes will service the public benefit. According to the ordinance, if an eligible social enterprise bids no more than 5% higher than the lowest competing bid, the social enterprise will win the bid. An example of a “social enterprise”
Robo-Call Ruling A Win for Businesses
A recent opinion in a federal appellate case (D.C. Circuit Court) was a huge win for American businesses utilizing automated telephone solicitations. The court unanimously voted against a 2015 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule aimed at limiting auto-dialing devices, but which also would have prohibited calls from any smartphone. That outcome, which certainly would have
Cannabis, a Potential Business Boom on the Horizon in Illinois
You may have noticed when voting last month in the Illinois primary that Illinois is considering legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. In fact, 68% of Cook County voters voted in favor of this advisory, nonbinding referendum on the ballot. It is no secret that the State of Illinois is strapped for cash with nearly
TCPA – Collectors Not Vicariously Liable For Text Messages
In a recent case concerning violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) a federal appellate court affirmed a ruling in favor of payday lenders and lead-generating vendors, holding that these defendants could not be held vicariously liable for the actions of a non-party “publisher” that sent a text message to numerous individuals on behalf
Update on the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act
Recently, an employee filed a complaint in Cook County alleging his employers, Elite Staffing Inc. and Visual Pak Co., collected and stored his fingerprints without his permission. If true, this would be a direct violation of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). As noted in previous newsletters, we have been expecting an increase in
Workers Claim Employer Exposed their Personal Data
In yet another troublesome cybersecurity case, employees in Florida have filed a federal case against their employer for inadvertently disclosing their personal information. The company on the hot seat is Lincare Holdings, Inc., a home health care corporation. A human resources employee at the company allegedly divulged workers’ private information when someone pretending to be
Illinois Nursing Home Hit with BIPA Claims
Here’s an example that the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (“BIPA”) is not an idle threat. An Illinois nursing home was recently hit with a putative class action by employees who claim that daily biometric fingerprint scans violate their privacy rights under the law. The company on the defensive is Oak Park Rehabilitation & Nursing
Data Breaches: The Unfortunate Highlight of 2017
In 2017 data breaches were one of the most harmful threats to businesses. As discussed in previous articles, a data breach is an event where an individual or a business has its sensitive information exposed. This sensitive information is commonly referred to as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and includes not just user names and street
Tax Incentives in the New Tax Cuts & Jobs Act
The new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) provides tax incentives for making investments in low-income communities through Qualified Opportunity Zones. Qualified Opportunity Zones will be designated by nomination of census tracts qualifying as low-income communities as well as tracts that are contiguous with low-income communities. Governors of every state will have the opportunity
Florida Construction Law Statute of Limitations Update
Last summer, Florida Governor Scott signed a new bill into law which made important amendments to the statute of limitations for construction contracts. Under the previous statute, actions based upon the design, planning, or construction of an improvement to real property were required to be commenced within four years of an alleged construction defect. That