GlobeSt.com - Chicago

'The Financial Stakes of This Case Are High': 7th Circuit Limits Corporation's Damages for Biometric Privacy Violations

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:00:27 EST

"A plaintiff who alleges thousands of claims under BIPA Section 15 is only 'entitled to, at most, one recovery under' Section 20. We hold that this amendment applies retroactively because it impacts only the statutory damages available to plaintiffs—it does not change BIPA's substantive standards of liability," the federal appellate court said.

Abuse of Qualified Privilege? State Appellate Court Revives Defamation Suit for Mid-Surgery Statement

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:31:39 EST

An Illinois appellate court ruled that summary judgment was improper because questions remain about whether the chief of orthopedic surgery at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago abused qualified immunity privilege about false accusations against another surgeon.

Misleadingly Marketing Claims Move Forward Against Children's Mouth Rinses, Fed. Judge Rules

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:16:41 EST

U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood of the Northern District of Illinois allowed claims to proceed alleging that Colgate%E2%80%91Palmolive and Tom's of Maine labeled and packaged certain fluoride%E2%80%91containing oral%E2%80%91care products in a way that misled parents into believing they were specially formulated for children.

Antitrust Litigation Against Major Brokerages Can Largely Move Forward, Fed. Judge in Chicago Rules

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 10:13:02 EST

Major real estate firms will have to face claims that their commission practices drove up home prices across the nation, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said this week.

Refusal of Reasonable Instruction Disqualifies Chicago-Area Attorney From Benefits, Appellate Court Says

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:01:40 EST

"We have found that the original expectations and deadline were clearly communicated and, therefore, attorney Wolf's instruction was reasonable," the appeals court said.

State Appellate Court Rejects Requested $94K in Attorney Fees in 'Simple Eviction Case'

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:50:56 EST

According to the opinion, the case was way more complicated than it needed to be and dragged on because of "excessive damages based on misguided legal theories" in the initial complaint.

'Arbitrator Exceeded her Authority': Divided 7th Circuit Sides with USAA for Post-Reward Review

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:21:51 EST

The Seventh Circuit split 2-1 on its decision and said the arbitrator's decision to forgo the post-reward review ignored the plain language of the arbitration agreement.

State Appellate Court Denies Attempts to Remove Med Mal From Chicago to Neighboring County

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:18:39 EST

According to data from the 2023 annual report from the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, law division cases for damages over $50,000 had a clearance rate of 33% in Grundy County, while Cook County had a 59.3% clearance rate, the opinion said.

Amazon Must Pay for Mandatory Pre-Shift Duties, State High Court Answers in Certified Question

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:40:03 EST

The panel relied on the plain reading of the state's wage law to clarify that courts cannot introduce federal wage-law limitations where the state legislature did not expressly include them.

7th Circuit Splits on Home-Care Coverage Request in Insurance Policy Dispute

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:17:40 EST

The court's majority rejected arguments that a discretionary provision allowing alternative care could trigger Illinois rules protecting access to home health services, and one judge dissented and argued the court should have certified the issues to the state high court.

The Cost of Running a Red Light: Appellate Court Upholds $2.2M Trucking Accident Verdict

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:36:40 EST

The appellate court upheld the verdict in favor of the plaintiff, Jeffrey Brungart, who was turning left at an intersection when Awwad ran through a red light and struck his vehicle.

7th Circuit Affirms Pollution Exclusions Apply to Legally Permitted Emissions

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:07:13 EST

"The Illinois Supreme Court confirmed our own instinct that 'the emissions fit squarely within the plain and ordinary meaning of "'traditional environmental pollution,"' triggering the pollution exclusion," the federal appeals court held last week.

Focused on Profitability, Katten Posts Record Year With Net Income Up 18.3%

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:59:16 EST

Revenue rose by 5.8% at Katten Muchin Rosenman in 2025, with profits per equity partner growing by 24.5%, boosted by strong demand in financial services and adjacent practices.

'Not Out of the Ordinary in This Circuit': Amazon Must Turn Over Source Code in Biometric Privacy Action

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:49:08 EST

"The request is not out of the ordinary in this circuit, where source code is discoverable as long as adequate protection for such trade secret information is in place," the magistrate wrote.

'This Is Just a Delay': Civil Suit Against Salesforce Stayed in Backpage Sex Trafficking Case

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:23:15 EST

"All I can say is right now, I am sad, but tomorrow I'm going to be mad. When I get mad, I'm going to have my crosshairs set on Salesforce, and they are not going to get away," the plaintiff's attorney told Law.com.

'Growing Chorus of Decisions:' Fed. District Courts Overwhelmingly Rule Against Fintech's Cash Advances Claims

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:48:13 EST

Claims against "earned wage apps" are populating federal district courts and could face a federal appeals court for the first time in 2026.

Here Are the Am Law 200 Firms That Added the Most Attorneys in Illinois

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:27:09 EST

The data was compiled for The American Lawyer's 2026 Laterals Report.