A fine balance exists between consumer laws which the government believes protect consumers from scams and interfering with the free market and access to justice. Credit repair organizations which take money in advance can perform a valuable service to help consumers get refinancing but many unscrupulous credit repair outfits…
Supreme Court Case Tests Bans On Class-Action Suits November 09, 2010 … class action could bring potentially millions of dollars for all those consumers improperly charged. But the cell phone contract barred class actions By Nina Totenberg Our Oak Park, Illinois consumer rights private law firm handles individual and class…
USA Today reports that companies in order to save money in this economic downturn are treating employees as “independent contractors” in name even though the employer is controlling all aspects of their employment in order to skirt federal and state wage and overtime laws and to avoid paying withholdings.…
Elizabeth Warren the head of the new Federal Consumer Protection Agency sat down with Michelle Singletary the Washington Post to explain the first goal of the new agency. Warren told Singletary the the Ageny’s first initiative would be to ensure that banks and finance companies compete on an even…
Our Oak Brook, Ill. shareholder dispute attorneys and Chicago business law lawyers took note of a recent appeals court decision in a heavily disputed case involving a family business. In Santella v. Kolton and Food Groupie Inc., Nos. 1-08-1329, 08-1357 & 08-1847 consolidated (Ill. 1st July 31, 2009), Rick…
Any business owner should keep abreast of laws and court rulings that can affect the way they conduct their operation and interact with employees. The law constantly evolves, and that is why our lawyers are vigilant in tracking changes that affect our clients. Citadel Investment Group v Teza Technologies is…
As Chicago corporate dispute lawyers, we were interested to see a ruling in a dispute between former law partners. In Bernstein and Grazian, P.C. v. Grazian and Volpe, P.C., No. 1-09-0149 (Ill. 1st June 25, 2010), both firms, and the individual partners, accused each other of breach of contract…
Our Illinois legal malpractice attorneys were interested to see a recent decision allowing corporate litigants to assign their claims to former shareholders after a merger. Learning Curve International, Inc. v. Seyfarth Shaw LLP, No. 1-08-0985 (Ill. 1st June 18, 2009). In the underlying case, PlayWood Toys sued Learning Curve…
As Illinois mediation and arbitration lawyers, we were interested to see a decision confirming that parties may invoke their contractual rights to arbitrate even after some participation in the other side’s lawsuit. TSP-Hope Inc. v. Home Innovators of Illinois, Inc., No. 1-07-1028 (Ill. 4th June 26, 2008) pits a Springfield…
A recent decision by the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will have important implications for our practice as Illinois class action attorneys. In American Honda Motor Company Inc. v. Allen et al., No. 09-8051 (7th Cir. April 7, 2010), the Seventh ruled that trial courts must conclusively rule…