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Illinois

  • July 24, 2025

    Madigan Confidant Gets 2 Years For Role In ComEd Bribery

    An Illinois federal judge sentenced a lobbyist for Commonwealth Edison to two years in prison Thursday for his role in forging a "crucial connection" between the utility and his longtime friend, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, and acting as Madigan's mouthpiece in a scheme to illegally influence the powerful politician to support ComEd's legislative agenda.

  • July 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Upholds Birthright Citizenship EO Injunction

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday affirmed a lower court's preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump's executive order limiting birthright citizenship in a legal challenge by four states, ruling in a published opinion that Trump's order contradicts the "plain language" of the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause.

  • July 23, 2025

    FTC Wants PE Firm's Medical Device Coating Deal Put On Ice

    Private equity firm GTCR BC Holdings' $627 million merger with Surmodics will bring the previously fierce competition for medical device coatings to a grinding halt, the FTC says, which is all the more reason a federal court should block the deal while an agency challenge plays out.

  • July 23, 2025

    DOE Nixes $4.9B Loan Commitment To Grain Belt Express

    The U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday pulled the plug on its conditional commitment to a $4.9 billion loan guarantee for the first phase of the Grain Belt Express, a transmission line slated to cross parts of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

  • July 23, 2025

    Chicago Defense, Civil Liberties Icon Tom Durkin Dies At 78

    Thomas Durkin, a celebrated criminal and civil rights lawyer, has died after a brief illness with lung cancer at the age of 78. Those who knew him remembered him as a brilliant lawyer who cared deeply for his fellow human beings and battled unwaveringly against what he saw as abuses of power.

  • July 23, 2025

    Feds Seek 15 Months For Lobbyist Over Madigan Scheme

    Federal prosecutors have urged an Illinois federal judge to sentence ex-ComEd lobbyist Jay Doherty to one year and three months in prison for his "critical role" in a scheme to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, whose associates were paid as "subcontractors" under Doherty's lobbying contract with the utility even though they did little to no work.

  • July 23, 2025

    Symbria Workers' $5.9M ESOP Deal Gets Ill. Judge's Final OK

    An Illinois federal judge gave his final blessing Tuesday to a $5.9 million settlement between Argent Trust Co. and a group of Symbria Inc. employees who accused the company of mismanaging their employee stock ownership plan.

  • July 23, 2025

    7th Circ. Revives Part Of Solar Firm's Panama Grid Suit

    The Seventh Circuit on Tuesday largely upheld an Illinois federal judge's ruling that Spanish energy company Avanzalia Solar could not pursue its claims that Goldwind Americas blocked and delayed access to the Panamanian power grid.

  • July 23, 2025

    PE-Backed Consumer Data Giant NIQ Prices $1.1B IPO

    Private equity-backed consumer research services provider NIQ Global Intelligence began trading after pricing its initial public offering at $1.1 billion within its marketed range, one of two new listings to debut Wednesday.

  • July 22, 2025

    Justices Urged To Hear Ill. Freight Broker Negligence Fight

    A man who was injured in an Illinois trucking accident urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to address conflicting court decisions on whether federal law shields freight brokers from state-based negligence and personal injury claims, saying broker and logistics giant C.H. Robinson cannot evade liability.

  • July 22, 2025

    CME E-Trading Was Open Before Data Center, Jury Hears

    Chicago Mercantile Exchange members were using electronic trading connectivity tools alongside nonmembers and paying equal access fees for at least a decade before the exchange opened a data center that some members alleged violated their contractual floor exclusivity and access rights, an Illinois jury heard Tuesday.

  • July 22, 2025

    Power Cos., PJM Back FERC Auction Rerun Decision

    Power producers and PJM Interconnection LLC told the D.C. Circuit Monday the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was right to let PJM rerun an electricity capacity auction with an inflated reliability requirement after the Third Circuit ruled changes to it were retroactive ratemaking.

  • July 22, 2025

    Lathrop GPM Adds Partner To Chicago Office

    Lathrop GPM LLP has added a new Chicago-based partner to its tort, insurance and environmental practice group, the firm announced Monday, saying her practice primarily focuses on defending clients against product liability claims and claims involving exposure to toxic substances and transportation-related injuries.

  • July 22, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Adds State And Local Tax Pro From EY

    Greenberg Traurig is bringing on a former principal in EY's national tax practice as a shareholder in the firm's Chicago office to advise on state and local tax matters.

  • July 22, 2025

    Chicago Federal Courthouse Evacuated Over Man With Knife

    The Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in downtown Chicago was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after a man with a knife entered the courthouse lobby, forcing an hourslong lockdown.

  • July 22, 2025

    Longtime Sidley Global Finance Atty Jumps To Paul Hastings

    Paul Hastings LLP announced Tuesday that it has grown its asset-backed finance platform by bringing on a former Sidley Austin LLP global finance partner in Chicago.

  • July 21, 2025

    Sinclair Stations Clear Up FCC's Kid TV Enforcement

    Sinclair Broadcast Group stations that aired Hot Wheels commercials during a children's Hot Wheels program in violation of Federal Communications Commission rules are settling with the agency after their owner inked a deal allowing the parent company to avoid a $2.6 million fine.

  • July 21, 2025

    Copyright And TM Cases To Watch In The Second Half Of 2025

    The U.S. Supreme Court will evaluate contributory liability in a $1 billion copyright case involving internet service providers, and the Federal Circuit will assess the latest attempted trademark registration testing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's comfort with profanity. Here are the copyright and trademark cases to watch for the rest of the year.

  • July 21, 2025

    Traders' Floor Rights Were 'Essential' In CME Shift, Jury Hears

    Chicago Mercantile Exchange leaders wanted to honor and preserve longtime floor traders' exclusive access rights as they explored demutualization due to electronic trading's unclear future at the time, but discussions never addressed plans for members in the event of a total technological takeover, Illinois jurors heard Monday.

  • July 21, 2025

    Walgreens Accused Of Failing To Provide Meal, Rest Breaks

    Walgreens flouted Washington state law and Seattle's wage theft ordinance by failing to provide employees with meal and rest breaks and then automatically deducting time for breaks that workers never took, a former pharmacy employee said in a proposed class action in federal court.

  • July 21, 2025

    Ex-Judges Call SAP Hypocritical In 'Self-Serving' Fintiv Appeal

    Retired Federal Circuit Judges Randall Rader and Kathleen O'Malley are urging their former court to reject SAP America Inc.'s challenge to how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is implementing new policies, saying the agency is acting within its limits and that SAP is selfishly contradicting arguments it previously made at the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • July 21, 2025

    States Say Noncitizen Benefit Restrictions Are Creating Chaos

    A coalition of 20 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration on Monday for "upending" noncitizens' access to publicly funded programs like Head Start and food banks.

  • July 21, 2025

    Ex-ComEd CEO Gets 2 Years For Burying Madigan Bribes

    The former CEO of Commonwealth Edison and later Exelon Utilities was sentenced to two years in prison Monday for a scheme to pay millions to associates of ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to secure his support for major energy legislation, and for hiding the nature of those payments to circumvent the company's internal accounting controls.

  • July 18, 2025

    Law360 Names 2025's Top Attorneys Under 40

    Law360 is pleased to announce the Rising Stars of 2025, our list of more than 150 attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.

  • July 18, 2025

    Ill. Man Gets New Murder Trial Due To Improper Evidence

    An Illinois state appeals court has reversed a murder conviction for a man for a second time after finding the lower court incorrectly allowed evidence of unrelated crimes to be brought up at trial.

Expert Analysis

  • Retirement Plan Suits Show Value Of Cybersecurity Policies

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    Several data breach class actions that were recently filed against retirement plan administrator The Pension Specialists in Illinois federal court are a reminder that developing and following a good written cybersecurity policy provides a blueprint for compliance and may prevent lawsuits, says Carol Buckmann at Cohen & Buckmann.

  • Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist

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    Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Opinion

    We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment

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    As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • Series

    Performing Stand-Up Comedy Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether I’m delivering a punchline on stage or a closing argument in court, balancing stand-up comedy performances and my legal career has demonstrated that the keys to success in both endeavors include reading the room, landing the right timing and making an impact, says attorney Rebecca Palmer.

  • Unpacking The Illicit E-Cigarette Crackdown By State AGs

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    A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general for nine states and the District of Columbia announced a coordinated effort to curb illicit electronic cigarette sales, illustrating the rising prominence of state attorneys general using consumer protection laws to address issues of national scope, especially when federal efforts prove ineffective, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From SEC To BigLaw

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    As I adjusted to the multifaceted workflow of a BigLaw firm after leaving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, working side by side with new colleagues on complex matters proved the fastest way to build a deep rapport and demonstrate my value, says Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block.

  • Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession

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    For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

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    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

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    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

  • Implementation, Constitutional Issues With Birthright Order

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    President Donald Trump's executive order reinterpreting the 14th Amendment's birthright citizenship clause presents unavoidable administrative problems and raises serious constitutional concerns about the validity of many existing federal laws and regulations, says Eric Schnapper at the University of Washington School of Law.

  • Opinion

    State FCAs Should Cover Local Fund Misuse, State Tax Fraud

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    New Jersey and other states with similar False Claims Acts should amend them to cover misappropriated municipal funding, and state and local tax fraud, which would encourage more whistleblowers to come forward and increase their recoveries, says Kenneth Levine at Stone & Magnanini.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • What Remedies Under New Admin's SEC Could Look Like

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is likely to substantially narrow the remedies it pursues over the next few years, driven by the mounting challenges it faces in court, as well as the views of its incoming chair and fellow Republican commissioners on injunctions, penalties and disgorgement, say attorneys at Milbank.

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