Illinois

  • February 10, 2026

    OpenText Used Layoff To Oust Older Exec, Suit Says

    Global software company OpenText laid off a 61-year-old senior account executive under the guise of a reduction in force while retaining younger, less qualified employees and withholding more than $50,000 in earned commissions, a lawsuit filed in Illinois federal court says.

  • February 10, 2026

    Food Slicer Rivals End Patent Case Weeks Before 3rd Trial

    Weber Inc. and Provisur Technologies Inc. have told a federal district court and an appeals court that they were dismissing disputes between them over food slicer patents, ending a fight that saw a $21 million jury verdict thrown out and a second trial end in a mistrial.

  • February 10, 2026

    Kilpatrick Brings On Perkins Coie Trademark Duo In Chicago

    Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP has expanded its trademark, copyright and advertising team with two Perkins Coie LLP attorneys, including the former firmwide trademark, copyright, internet and advertising practice group chair.

  • February 09, 2026

    Afni Faces Class Action Over Alleged Misleading Claim Letters

    Debt collector Afni Inc. has been accused of trying to dupe people into paying "unadjudicated" damage demands by sending auto crash claim letters disguised as collection notices, according to a proposed class action that the Illinois-based company removed to Seattle federal court on Friday.

  • February 09, 2026

    Fifth Third Aided Ex-Mayor's $1.8M Theft, Ill. Village Claims

    Fifth Third Bank knew a former mayor of a Chicago suburb was misappropriating municipal funds but "deliberately refrained" from investigating the misconduct and ultimately helped her misappropriate $1.89 million, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in state court.

  • February 09, 2026

    Demobilization Moots Ill.'s National Guard Suit, Trump Says

    The Trump administration has urged a federal judge to permanently toss Illinois' lawsuit looking to halt any National Guard deployment to the state, arguing the case is moot now that all the troops have been demobilized or withdrawn and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the president can't federalize the guard to aid in immigration enforcement.

  • February 09, 2026

    Ill. Legislation Targets Outside Investments In Legal Sector

    Two bills introduced in the Illinois state Legislature seek to place restrictions on the use of private equity-backed managed service organizations in the legal industry and on any fee-sharing between Illinois lawyers and firms owned by nonlawyers in states like Arizona.

  • February 09, 2026

    States Seek Quick Win On $100K H-1B Fee 'Power-Grab'

    A group of 20 states asked a Massachusetts federal judge for a win in their challenge to the Trump administration's policy imposing a $100,000 fee on certain H-1B visa petitions, arguing the measure unlawfully rewrites Congress' carefully calibrated immigration scheme and exceeds executive authority.

  • February 09, 2026

    Tool Co. Can't Escape Workers' 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

    An Illinois tool manufacturer lost a bid to toss a proposed class action alleging it mismanaged an employee 401(k) plan, after a federal judge held Monday that workers stated a claim under federal benefits law by asserting the company disloyally spent forfeitures on employer-side contributions instead of plan expenses.

  • February 09, 2026

    Ill. Court Says Judge Must Warn Inmate If Recasting Filings

    A man sentenced to 37 years in prison for home invasion and other crimes should have been warned of the consequences of a judge changing his post-judgment relief petition into a post-conviction relief attempt, an Illinois appeals court has said, vacating a lower court's rejection of the man's arguments.

  • February 06, 2026

    Food Logistics Co. Can't Ditch Suit Over Toxic Fruit Pouches

    Parents who allege their child suffered injuries from a fruit purée pouch that allegedly contained unsafe lead levels can pursue claims against the company they say designed the pouch, but strict liability and express warranty cannot be among them, an Illinois federal judge said.

  • February 06, 2026

    Trump Admin, States Reach Agreement In School DEI Fight

    The Trump administration has agreed not to condition federal education funding for state and legal education agencies on what a coalition of nearly 20 states alleged was an incorrect interpretation of law in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion, according to a Friday filing in Massachusetts federal court.

  • February 06, 2026

    Real Estate Recap: Data Center Moratoriums, Fraud Detection

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including the states that may pump the brakes on data center construction and what private real estate lenders should know about fraud risk.

  • February 06, 2026

    Boeing Suits Over S. Korean 737 Crash Merged In Wash. Court

    Seven wrongful death lawsuits against The Boeing Co. over a 737 crash in South Korea that killed 179 people have been consolidated and assigned to a Seattle federal judge under an order Thursday from the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

  • February 06, 2026

    Wintrust Beats Mortgage Loan Racial Bias Suit For Good

    Wintrust Financial Corp. and a mortgage lender subsidiary no longer face a proposed class action accusing them of discriminating against Black homebuyers after an Illinois federal judge found the amended suit doesn't show that the alleged discrimination was intentional or resulted in disparate lending outcomes.

  • February 06, 2026

    Law Firm Sues Over Allianz Unit's 'Inadequate' Defense

    Florida law firm Conrad & Scherer sued its professional liability insurer in Illinois state court, alleging it spent over $5 million in attorney fees and needed to replace counsel because the insurer failed to properly defend it in a defamation case that resulted in a $120 million verdict against its former managing partner.

  • February 05, 2026

    7th Circ. Deems Pilgrim's Price-Fix Settlement Non-Binding

    The Seventh Circuit on Thursday held that Pilgrim's Pride did not definitively settle chicken and other protein price-fixing claims with Sysco via a brief email acceptance and unsigned agreement, ruling that "a barebones email exchange" and unsigned agreement wasn't enough to formally resolve the dispute.

  • February 05, 2026

    Microsoft Teams Illegally Collected Voice Data, Ill. Users Claim

    Microsoft Corp.'s Teams software collects and analyzes users' distinctive "voiceprints" without providing proper notice as required under Illinois law, five state residents alleged in a proposed class action Thursday.

  • February 05, 2026

    Consumers Fight To Keep Frozen Potato Antitrust Suit Alive

    Consumer groups pursuing price-fixing allegations against the nation's leading frozen potato product producers and certain others have urged an Illinois federal judge to let their claims proceed, arguing they've plausibly outlined a "classic antitrust story" that should be allowed to enter the evidence-gathering stage.

  • February 05, 2026

    DOJ Urges Court To Reject Live Nation's View Of Meta Ruling

    Enforcers told a New York federal court to reject Live Nation's interpretation of a ruling in an antitrust case against Meta Platforms, saying that claims against the live entertainment giant do not have to accuse it of charging different venues different prices.

  • February 05, 2026

    Jury Hands DuraSystems $905K In Kitchen Duct Patent Trial

    An Illinois federal jury on Thursday said Van-Packer Co. and Jeremias Inc. owed $905,000 in reasonable royalties for infringing sales, after an earlier finding by the court that they had infringed DuraSystems Barriers Inc.'s patent covering kitchen ducts for preventing fires and dangerous gases.

  • February 05, 2026

    Judge Affirms Health Cos.' Sanctions For Witness Omission

    An Illinois federal judge rejected a "vague and unsupported" bid by a home healthcare company accused of violating federal kickback laws to reconsider sanctions she ordered for failing to disclose witnesses, saying the motion "wastes everyone's time" and scolding the defendants for "impugning the character and professionalism of an able magistrate judge."

  • February 05, 2026

    FERC's Grid Planning Policy Revamp Is Proper, 4th Circ. Told

    Clean energy supporters and blue state officials are backing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's overhaul of its regional transmission planning policy, telling the Fourth Circuit that the agency properly exercised its authority while ensuring states have a seat at the planning table.

  • February 05, 2026

    Red Lobster Wants Worker's Wage Suit Sent To Arbitration

    A Red Lobster worker must pursue her Illinois wage claims in arbitration rather than federal court because she agreed to arbitrate employment disputes when she was rehired, the restaurant chain said Thursday.

  • February 05, 2026

    Nerds And Other Ferrara Candies Allegedly Contain Arsenic

    Ferrara Candy Co. was hit with a proposed class action Wednesday in Illinois federal court over allegations that popular brands of its candy, including Nerds, Trolli gummy candy, Laffy Taffy and Sweet Tarts, contain toxic levels of arsenic.

Expert Analysis

  • DOJ Actions Signal Rising Enforcement Risk For Health Cos.

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's announcement of a new False Claims Act working group, together with the largest healthcare fraud takedown in history, underscore the importance of sophisticated compliance programs that align with the DOJ's data-driven approach, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • Capital One Deal Approval Lights Up Path For Bank M&A

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    The federal banking regulators' recent approval of Capital One's acquisition of Discover signals the agencies' willingness to approve large transactions and a more favorable environment generally for bank mergers under the Trump administration, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • State, Fed Junk Fee Enforcement Shows No Signs Of Slowing

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    The Federal Trade Commission’s potent new rule targeting drip pricing, in addition to the growing patchwork of state consumer protection laws, suggest that enforcement and litigation targeting junk fees will likely continue to expand, says Etia Rottman Frand at Darrow AI.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • Birthright Opinions Reveal Views On Rule 23(b)(2) Relief

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    The justices' multiple opinions in the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 27 decision in the birthright citizenship case, Trump v. CASA, shed light on whether Rule 23(b)(2) could fill the void created by the court's decision to restrict nationwide injunctions, says Benjamin Johns at Shub Johns.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Latest Influencer Marketing Class Actions Pinpoint 5 Themes

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    Several recent deceptive marketing class actions against both brands and influencers attempt to transform arguably routine business practices into a new focus area for consumer complaints, suggesting a coordinated approach to test what could become an increasingly popular area of litigation, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • 3 Cautionary Tales For Cos. Using Facial Recognition Tech

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    Whether a business intends to develop its own facial recognition applications or contract with another company to use such services, three recent case studies should be kept in mind to help lower the risk of litigation or regulatory enforcement, says Adam Nyenhuis at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • How State AG Consumer Finance Enforcement Is Expanding

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau becomes less active, state attorneys general are increasingly shaping the enforcement landscape for consumer financial services — and several areas of focus have recently emerged, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Businesses Need To Know To Avoid VPPA Class Actions

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    Divergent rulings by the Second, Sixth and Seventh Circuits about the scope of the Video Privacy Protection Act have highlighted the difficulty of applying a statute conceived to regulate the now-obsolete brick-and-mortar video store sector in today's internet economy, say attorneys at DTO Law.

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