Illinois : Law360 : Legal News & Analysis (2024)

Elite Schools Get OK For $166M More Aid-Fixing Deals

An Illinois federal judge handling student aid-fixing allegations against 17 top universities gave his initial blessing to another $166 million in settlements Wednesday, the day after he ordered three universities to produce documents that could show they handled certain students' admissions differently from others.

Netflix Kanye Doc Didn't Defame Dancing Woman, Judge Says

An Illinois federal judge threw out a lawsuit Tuesday by a woman who claimed a Netflix documentary about Kanye West was defamatory because it had footage of her dancing while intoxicated, ruling that "holding up a mirror isn't defamation," even if it is unflattering.

Global intellectual property law firm Fish & Richardson PC announced on Wednesday that two Chicago-based litigators from Jenner & Block LLP have joined the firm's life sciences team as partners.

Meta Trims BIPA Voiceprint Privacy Suit, For Now

A California federal judge pared some claims from a proposed class action claiming Meta Platforms Inc. violates Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act by unlawfully using voice recordings created by users of its Facebook and Messenger platforms, but allowed the plaintiff to amend claims that the social media giant profited from and improperly stored her data.

Tribes Urge Biden To Break Silence On Pipeline Dispute

Great Lakes tribes are pressing the White House to break its "deeply concerning" silence on a fight to remove an Enbridge Energy Corp. pipeline from tribal lands in northern Wisconsin, saying the U.S. government is sitting on the sidelines as Canada and the energy company try to gut their sovereignty.

Subcontractor Seeks Sanctions In Amazon Warehouse Fight

An electric subcontractor locked in a dispute with a construction company over delayed building of an Amazon warehouse in southern Georgia asked a Peach State federal court to penalize its opponent for "blatant discovery abuses" in the case.

Plastic-Maker Says Insurers Must Cover Worker Death Suit

Ohio-based manufacturer Encore Plastics took Travelers Property Casualty Co. of America and American Guarantee & Liability Insurance Co. to federal court, claiming both companies are violating their policies by refusing to defend or indemnify it in an underlying suit over one of its workers' death in an industrial accident.

DOJ Atty, University Of Chicago Prof Returns To MoloLamken

National boutique firm MoloLamken said Tuesday that legal scholar and University of Chicago law professor Eric Posner will return to the firm after a stint as counsel in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division.

7th Circ. Says Renewed Removal Orders Must Wait On CAT

The 30-day deadline for people with reinstated deportation orders to go to the circuit courts begins once they've completed the agency appeals process, not when U.S. Department of Homeland Security reinstates the removal order, the Seventh Circuit said Tuesday.

Insurer Gets BIPA Coverage Win After Ill. Appeals Court Ruling

An Illinois federal judge granted a win to an insurer in a coverage dispute with a condiment company over biometric privacy litigation, changing course Tuesday in response to a state appeals decision concerning an identical policy exclusion.

FTC Puts Labor Focus In Merger Basket For 1st Time

Higher consumer prices and reduced choice are no longer the only reasons the Federal Trade Commission will challenge mergers after the agency contested Kroger's planned $24.6 billion purchase of Albertsons based in part, for the first time ever, on allegations the deal will reduce competition for employees.

7th Circ. Won't Disrupt Volvo's Veteran Bias Suit Win

The Seventh Circuit refused Tuesday to reinstate a U.S. Army veteran's $7.8 million trial win in her long-running case accusing Volvo of firing her over military-related absences and post-traumatic stress disorder, ruling a lower court reasonably concluded that the verdict was tainted by passion and prejudice.

Veradigm To Acquire ScienceIO, Face Potential Nasdaq Delisting

Healthcare technology company Veradigm announced Tuesday that it would acquire language model startup ScienceIO in a $140 million deal that would help it extract more insights from its data and launch new features across its business.

BNSF Made $75M BIPA Deal After Landmark Award Wiped Out

A class of truck drivers have asked an Illinois federal judge to grant initial approval of a $75 million deal with BNSF Railway Co., after a Chicago federal jury found the railroad violated Illinois' biometric privacy law in 2022 but the initial $228 million judgment was thrown out.

Chicago Board Will Appeal Transfer Tax Referendum Decision

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners will appeal a Cook County Circuit Court decision that barred the city fromcounting any votes cast in the real estate transfer tax referendum in the March 19 primary election, the board announced Tuesday.

7th Circ. Chief Defends Discrimination Rules In GOP Letter Reply

The Seventh Circuit's chief judge has told two Republican senators that the circuit is "committed to ensuring an environment free of discrimination," after the senators wrote to her arguing thatat least three Illinois federal judges issued unethical and illegal standing orders to promote participation by newer, female and minority attorneys.

Ascension Unit Will Pay $2.6M To End Time Clock BIPA Suit

Presence Health Network in Illinois is set to pay $2.6 millionto settle biometric privacy claims from a group of employees who claimed the health system violated their privacy rights by requiring them to scan their fingerprints for timekeeping without first obtaining consent, after a Chicago state judge signed off on the settlement.

Food Co. Gets Inflated ESOP Deal Suit Kicked To Arbitration

An Illinois federal judge said a worker must arbitrate her suit claiming a food manufacturer sold inflated company shares to its employee stock ownership plan, finding the plan's arbitration agreement allows the business to sidestep an exception blocking some federal benefit law claims from out-of-court resolutions.

Ohio Jury Shuts Down Door Co.'s Patent Defense

Federal jurors in Ohio found that the details in some drawings of "door skins" covered by a trio of design patents were somewhat inconsistent, but they were unpersuaded by a major door manufacturerto invalidate those patents just yet.

Vape Wholesaler TM Dispute Booted From Illinois Court

An Illinois federal judge on Monday dismissed a trademark dispute between HS Wholesale Ltd. and HS Global Distribution LLC, saying HS Global doesn't have sufficient contact with the state for the court to have jurisdiction over the claims.

Chicago Can't Count Any Votes In Transfer Tax Referendum

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners may not count any votes that are cast in the real estate transfer tax referendum in the March 19 primary election, a judge for the Circuit Court of Cook County said in an order Monday.

Texas Justices Say $220M Cobalt Deal Is A Loss Under Policy

A $220 million settlement that now-bankrupt Cobalt International Energy Inc. reached with a group of investors constitutes a loss under the energy company's insurance policies, but the agreement is not binding on Cobalt's insurers to establish coverage, the Texas Supreme Court ruled.

Energizer Zaps Most Portable-Charger False Ad Claims

An Illinois federal judge has trimmed the bulk of a proposed class action alleging Energizer Brands misled customers as to the number of times its power banks can charge smartphones, saying further testing is needed to substantiate allegations the chargers don't perform as advertised.

Chicago Cubs Say Private Jet Co. 'Ghosted' Sponsorship

The Chicago Cubs have hit AeroVanti Aviation with a lawsuit in Illinois state court claiming the private jet membership company failed to pay up for a sponsorship agreement and then left the team holding the bag for a promised sweepstakes that eventually forced the Cubs to pay out a $3 million settlement.

Blackwells Calls Out Disney For 'AI Mediocrity' In Proxy Battle

Blackwells Capital ramped up its activist investor campaign against The Walt Disney Co. on Monday, laying out a "strategic plan" that includes calls for the storied entertainment company to rise above its current "technological shortcomings," including its "AI mediocrity."