Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
Companies doing business in America are influenced by multiple factors. Not only do they need to keep track of the federal and local laws that vary between states and even cities, but court systems in different locations treat businesses differently.
Every year, the Lawsuit Climate Survey is used to rank states on how fair they are to businesses that get sued. This year, the survey was conducted by Harris, a polling firm, on behalf of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform.
In 2010, Illinois was ranked 45th, out of all 50 states and it’s only gotten worse since then. In 2012, the last time the survey was conducted, Illinois ranked 46th. Now the most recent poll has put us in 48th place, ahead of only Louisiana and West Virginia.
The survey works by taking a national sample of about 1,200 in-house general counsel attorneys, senior litigators, and senior executives at companies with at least $100 million in annual sales who reported having had recent litigation experience in each state.
The areas that brought down Illinois’s ranking included how class action lawsuits were treated, damages, timeliness, the objectiveness and competence of the judges, as well as the fairness of the juries. Courts in Cook and Madison counties ranked especially poorly, getting named among the four worst local jurisdictions in the country.
Illinois is bordered by Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin, which ranked 18th, 42nd, 4th, and 20th, respectively. That’s worth considering because, as businesses expand, they often expand to neighboring regions. Businesses based in Illinois that are looking to expand, certainly have viable options nearby.
For those who do business in Illinois, it’s important to have experienced Chicago business litigation lawyers and business trial attorneys on your side. The attorneys at Lubin Austermuehle have extensive experience in business litigation and resolving business partnership, shareholder and other business disputes. They have handled everything from breach of contract to copyrights and trademarks. Having spent decades building their business in the Midwest, we are very qualified to handle your Illinois business dispute.
If you’d rather avoid the courts altogether, Lubin Austermuehle can help there, too. They have facilitated negotiations between parties and handled cases in arbitration and mediation. The desire to keep the dispute out of court is entirely understandable and Lubin Austermuehle can help you come to an agreement that’s satisfactory for everyone, without going through the hassle of a court battle.
Collectively, we have helped our clients collect millions of dollars, both through settlement negotiations and court battles. We have negotiated dozens of cases that have settled outside of court to the satisfaction of both sides, and we have protected our clients’ copyrights, trademarks and non-compete agreements from infringement through the successful obtainment of injunctions.
At Lubin Austermuehle, we are committed to representing the interests of your business, whether in court or through other means. We have the knowledge and experience to navigate the courts in the Midwest to get you the best possible outcome.
The results of the Lawsuit Climate Survey paint a bleak picture, but it doesn’t have to be that bad. With the right representation, you can get a fair outcome in your business dispute.
Super Lawyers named Illinois business trial attorney Peter Lubin a Super Lawyer in the Categories of Class Action, Business Litigation, and Consumer Rights Litigation. Lubin Austermuehle’s Illinois business trial lawyers have over a quarter of a century of experience in litigating complex class action, trademark and libel suits, consumer rights and many different types of business and commercial litigation disputes. We handle emergency business law suits involving injunctions, and TROS, covenant not to compete, franchise, distributor and dealer wrongful termination and trade secret lawsuits and many different kinds of business disputes involving shareholders, partnerships, closely held businesses and employee breaches of fiduciary duty. We also assist businesses and business owners who are victims of fraud. You can contact us by calling at 630-333-0333. You can also contact us online here.