Mortgage loan servicer Quicken Loans Inc. ran afoul of the National Labor Relations Act when it adopted a policy prohibiting its mortgage bankers from using or disclosing personnel information or publicly criticizing the company. That was the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit…
Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
Defamation Suit Filed By Beauty Queen When Crown Taken Away — Chicago’s Top Defamation Libel and Slander Lawyer Near Wheaton and Geneva — Chicago Defamation Lawyers
When a public figure’s reputation is tarnished, their decision regarding whether to give a press conference about the scandal may or may not be paired with a defamation lawsuit. In the case of Genesis Davila, the 24-year-old beauty pageant contestant chose to go with both the lawsuit and the press…
Racial Harassment of Home Owners Civil Suit Settles With Apology and Undisclosed Monetary Payment — Chicago Defamation Libel and Slander Lawyer
With all the hate crimes going on these days, it can be hard sometimes to remember that it’s the 2010s and not the 1960s, but strides have been made and there are laws in place to protect everyone’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of their…
Uber Cannot Escape Price Fixing Class Action Through Arbitration Agreement New York Federal Judge Rules
Most of us are familiar with that little box that pops up every time we visit almost any website. It usually says something about agreeing to the terms of service, which are sometimes listed in the box, while other times there’s a link to a full web page devoted to…
Uber Class Action Settlement Rejected
Despite the high number of lawsuits that get filed these days, actually taking a lawsuit all the way to trial isn’t as common as a lot of TV dramas would have you believe. It’s an expensive and time-consuming process, which means it’s usually a last resort for everyone involved. Most…
Federal Judge Throws Out Libel Suit Against ProPublica Protecting its Right to Expose an Alleged National Security Threat — Chicago Libel Defamation and Slander Lawyer Near Oak Brook
Most large companies have entire departments devoted to handling their public relations and part of their job description includes coming up with ways to counteract negative media attention. Most of those strategies don’t involve filing a defamation lawsuit against the news organization that published the unflattering statements, but that’s exactly…
Illinois Bars Use of Non-Compete Agreements for Low Wage Workers
Non-compete agreements were originally created as a way for businesses to prevent competitors from poaching their employees. If a high-level executive who knows a lot about the company’s trade secrets and/or has established valuable relationships with clients takes those assets to a competitor working just around the corner, the result…
Illinois Court Sets Elements for Retaliatory Discharge Under False Claims Act in Partnership Dispute
A recent case in the Northern District of Illinois, Helfer v. Associated Anesthesiologists of Springfield (2016 WL 183501, addressed what a plaintiff must show to sustain a claim for retaliatory termination under the False Claims Act. Donald H. was an anesthesiologist and partner at Associated Anesthesiologists of Springfield, Ltd. in…
Employees Able to Avoid Fox News Arbitration Clause and Pursue Sex Harassment Litigation
It’s wonderful that the legislation in our country has made so many strides to recognize women’s rights to live and work alongside men without fear of harassment or intimidation. Unfortunately, as has happened with so many other progressive civil rights, what the law says, and what actually happens don’t always…
Court Rejects Claim that Employee Loses Whistle Blower Protection
A federal court in Illinois recently shot down an employer’s claim that having signed a HIPAA “privacy policy” deprived an employee of whistleblower protections. In United States ex rel. Cieszynski et al. v. Lifewatch Services, Inc. (2016 WL 2771798), Matthew C. brought a qui tam action accusing his employer, LifeWatch…