The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) website provides useful information regarding recognizing telephone and telemarketing frauds. A full copy of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is also linked to the site and you can view it here. The FTC website states: Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers If…
In a decision with wide-reaching implications for Chicago land owners and developers, the First District Court of Appeal found March 6 that at least part of the Chicago Landmarks Ordinance was unconstitutionally vague. Hanna v. City of Chicago, No. 1-07-3548 (Ill. 1st Dist. March 6, 2009) is an Illinois real…
Northrop Grumman Corporation agreed April 2 to settle a federal whistleblower lawsuit for $325 million, the New York Times reported. The lawsuit alleged that TRW Inc, a defense contractor that Northrop later acquired, intentionally suppressed evidence that certain electrical parts it manufactured did not work properly, causing the expensive…
Lubin Austermuehle’s auto fraud, lemon law, and consumer fraud trial lawyers were impressed by a recent First District Court of Appeals ruling against the credit arm of General Motors for a wrongful repossession. The court said a trial court was correct to rule that General Motors Acceptance Corporation acted…
Medical testing giant Quest Diagnostics settled a whistleblower lawsuit and a related criminal fine for a total of $302 million, the New York Daily News reported April 16. Quest and a subsidiary, Nichols Institute Diagnostics, were accused of defrauding Medicare by selling medical test kits that they knew did…
In a long-running consumer privacy violation case, the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied damages to a group of homeowners whose mortgage company sold their information to telemarketers. In Mirfasihi v. Fleet Mortgage , No. 07-3402 (7th Cir. Dec. 30, 2008), Fleet Mortgage Company sold information on…
New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo entered into a 50 million dollar settlement with health insurance carriers for alleged deceptive setting of “usual, customary and reasonable and rates” for out of net work health care providers through use of a conflicted rating agency owned by an insurance company. A news…
The United States Supreme Court will soon decide whether the federal government is always considered a party to False Claims Act lawsuits. The court heard oral arguments in United States ex rel. Eisenstein v. City of New York, No. 08-660, on April 21. At issue is the timeline to…
Lubin Austermuehle has an active practice in franchise litigation, especially representing franchisee in disputes with franchisors they believe have not been completely honest. Because we work in this area, our Chicago franchise litigation attorneys were pleased to see a cover story on just that situation in the March/April 2009…
A recent Illinois appeals court ruling caught the eyes of our Naperville business litigation attorneys. On December 22, the Illinois First District Court of Appeal ruled that a trial court was correct in finding no breach of contract between an individual and an investment firm. CFC Investment v. McLean,…