It was announced on September 11, 2012 that the Internal Revenue Service awarded $104 million to whistleblower Bradley C. Birkenfeld for his role in providing information regarding an illegal offshore banking scheme by his employer, UBS. Not only is this the first major award by the IRS since its whistleblower…
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced its first award under the SEC’s Whistleblower Program on August 21, 2012. The whistleblower will receive nearly $50,000, which represents 30 percent of the amount collected thus far in an SEC enforcement action. The SEC Whistleblower Program, which has been in effect for…
In The Business Store v. Mail Boxes Etc., the District Court for the District of New Jersey considered the effect of a “forum selection clause” in a business dispute between companies from different states, finding that these clauses are not always enforceable. In 2003, Plaintiff The Business Store, Inc., a…
In Classic Business Corporation v. Equilon Enterprises, LLC., the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois explains that while the state’s consumer fraud and deceptive business practice law is an important weapon in combating shady business operations, it is intended to protect private consumers rather than business entities. Plaintiffs,…
In Sanchez v. Valencia Holding Company, LLC., California’s Second District Court of Appeals explains that while a car buyer is generally bound by the terms of a sale contract, Golden State courts will not enforce terms that it deems unconscionable. Gil Sanchez is the lead Plaintiff in a class action…
To transfer or not to transfer, that is often the question in inter-state business litigation where parties come from various states, often far from where the actual dispute takes place. In Shakir Development & Construction, LLC v. Flaherty & Collins Construction, Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Northern District…
“Location, location, location” isn’t just a mantra for real estate agents and house hunters. When it comes to litigation, venue is an important issue to consider for both plaintiffs and defendants alike. In Westwood Apex v. Contreras, the Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit explains an important federal law…
The law firm of Lubin Austermuehle on behalf of a class of Abercrombie & Fitch customers recently obtained certification of a class-action against Abercrombie regarding $25 promotional cards with no expiration date on the face of the cards. Abercrombie will not honor the cards any longer. Customers obtained the cards…
Noncompete agreements in both employment and business sale contexts often raise complex issues for all parties involved. At Lubin Austermuehle, our Chicago business attorneys represent businesses in a wide variety of matters, including noncompete agreement litigation. Our Chicago non-compete agreement lawyers can help stop litigation before it starts by reviewing…
If you have already fallen victim to this scam or other used car frauds or other car frauds our Naperville lemon law and auto fraud lawyers may be able to assist you. Our Naperville auto-fraud attorneys focus on bringing suit for auto-fraud claims. We recently settled a suit involving purchase…