Legal Book » chicago

7th Circuit Cites New Health Care Law in Univ. of Chicago Medicare Ruling

Master — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:42:51 +0000

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals created a circuit split by ruling that Medicare should reimburse the University of Chicago Medical Center for medical residents’ research work not related to Medicare patients. By upholding a Northern District of Illinois ruling that the medical center is eligible for Medicare reimbursements for “indirect medical education” expenses, such as research, this ruling stands in opposition to a 1st Circuit 2008 holding

Judge Won’t Enjoin Fee Fight Between Firms in Cell-Phone Contract Litigation

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:58:33 +0000

U.S. District Judge Jose Linares in New Jersey has allowed an arbitration to proceed between Lakin Chapman of Wood River, Ill., and Freed & Weiss of Chicago over a portion of $5.775 million in legal fees approved as part of a class action settlement. The suit challenged the imposition of flat-rate, early-termination fees on cell-phone contracts.

Case of Blogger Accused of Threatening Judges Is Expected to Go to Jury Soon

Master — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:22:04 +0000

The third trial of Harold Turner, the Internet-radio host charged with threatening to kill three Chicago appeals court judges, is expected to go to the jury as early as this afternoon. With only one witness to go, the two-day trial has been markedly more civil than Turner’s earlier trials, in which his defense attorneys attempted to debate fine points of constitutional law with the three allegedly threatened judges, who each took the stand as witnesses for the prosecution

Lateral Hiring Heats Up in Chicago Legal Market

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:28:18 +0000

The cloud of doom and gloom has dissipated over Chicago’s legal market. With the economy picking up and law firms needing fresh bodies to replace the thousands laid off last year, 2010 has witnessed an increase in associate hiring

Paul Hastings Expands Chicago Office With Greenberg, Katten Hires

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:25:13 +0000

Nine attorneys have joined the corporate practice in Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker’s Chicago office, bringing the office’s attorney headcount to 57. The attorneys, whose first day at the firm was Friday, hail from both Katten Muchin Rosenman and Greenberg Traurig. They said they were attracted to their new firm because it provided them an opportunity not only to work together, but also to help firmly establish private equity as a full-fledged practice in Chicago.

Reed Smith Partner’s Death Deemed a Suicide

Master — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:53:52 +0000

The Cook County, Ill., medical examiner’s office has determined that Reed Smith partner Stewart Dolin, who died last week after being struck by a Chicago Transit Authority train, committed suicide. Dolin, who was 57, co-chaired Reed Smith’s corporate and securities practice. Dolin’s suicide is the latest involving an Am Law 200 partner in recent months

Chicago Approves Tough New Handgun Restrictions in Wake of Supreme Court Ruling

admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 05:11:51 +0000

The Chicago City Council on Friday approved what city officials call the strictest handgun ordinance in the nation, but not before lashing out at the U.S.

Former NBA Star Wins $2 Million Legal Malpractice Judgment

Master — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:57:35 +0000

It’s not a legal slam dunk, but a Chicago jury has awarded $2 million to former NBA star Scottie Pippen in a malpractice suit against a law firm that represented him in a business deal that went bad.

Justices Expand Second Amendment Gun Rights to States

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:55:21 +0000

The Supreme Court on Monday expanded the Second Amendment’s reach to the states, opening the door to challenges of local handgun laws across the country. In McDonald v

Fla. Court Tosses Out $522 Million Verdict Against Accounting Firm

Master — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:50:53 +0000

Accounting giant BDO Seidman won its bid for a new trial Wednesday when an appeals court overturned a record $522 million verdict for Espirito Santo Bank, finding the Chicago firm was put in the unfair position of defending itself in a three-phase trial. BDO was charged with failing to catch fraud related to the collapse of E.S.

Boutiques Split Off From Neal Gerber and LeClairRyan

Master — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 04:19:45 +0000

Recently, five attorneys formerly with Chicago’s Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg announced their new firm, Chicago Law Partners, and 15 lawyers from LeClairRyan broke away to form Murphy & McGonigle. Both firms cite the ability to charge clients less as one factor in the moves

Lawyers Convicted in Tax Shelter Scheme

Master — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 04:29:06 +0000

Two attorneys were convicted last week in a scheme to fraudulently collect referral fees on tax shelters designed and marketed in conjunction with the defunct law firm Jenkens & Gilchrist. John B. Ohle III, who worked as a supervisor in the Chicago office of Bank One’s “innovative strategies group” and helped design the shelters, was found guilty of wire and tax fraud conspiracy and two counts of tax evasion.

Supreme Court Says Bias Case Over Firefighter Hiring Can Move Forward

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:03:24 +0000

A class of 6,000 African-Americans who sued the city of Chicago for race bias in its hiring of firefighters did not bring untimely discrimination charges, the U.S. Supreme Court held on Monday

Law Review Article Could Spell Trouble for Kagan at Confirmation Hearing

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 06:42:59 +0000

Several recent profiles of Elena Kagan imply that she has eyed the Supreme Court almost since high school, and that her reticence about taking strong stands on issues may have been calculated to smooth her path.

Foley & Lardner Picks Up Chicago 7 From Hogan Lovells

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:38:27 +0000

As Hogan Lovells shutters what was once Lovells’ Chicago office in the wake of its merger with Hogan & Hartson, seven of its Windy City attorneys have found a new home just down the street. Foley & Lardner announced Wednesday that it has snagged seven lawyers from Hogan Lovells for its insurance and reinsurance litigation practice group. Gail Goering, one of the partners joining Foley, said her insurance group had long considered finding a new home and the merger presented an opportune time to do that.

Blagojevich Calls Feds ‘Cowards and Liars’

Master — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:55:51 +0000

Former Illinois Gov.

Locke Lord Hit With Suit by Former Income Partner

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:27:56 +0000

A former non-equity litigation partner at Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell is suing the firm, claiming it stiffed him on interest payments for capital contributions tied to the finalization of the merger between Chicago’s Lord, Bissell & Brook and Texas-based Locke Liddell & Sapp in 2007. Robert Crowder, who began his legal career at Lord Bissell in 1998 and became an “income” or non-equity partner in 2004, claims that Locke Lord deprived him of at least $10,000 by failing to return his capital to the bank and make interest payments.

Plaintiffs Lawyers Jockey for Venue in Massive Toyota Litigation

Master — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:08:00 +0000

Plaintiffs lawyers have been jockeying for a front seat in the mounting litigation arising from the sudden unintended acceleration problems in Toyota vehicles. About 150 lawyers assembled in Chicago recently to discuss sharing experts and legal strategies in the Toyota litigation, which now exceeds 80 lawsuits. Many lawyers have broken into camps based on which jurisdiction they believe should hear the multidistrict litigation against Toyota — and which judge should decide the cases.

Despite High Court Skepticism, Advocates Defend Privileges Clause Push

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:02:57 +0000

A broad spectrum of scholars and advocacy groups agreed that McDonald v. City of Chicago presented the best — and possibly the last — chance to revive the argument that the 14th Amendment’s “privileges or immunities” clause was the soundest way to apply individual rights like the Second Amendment right to bear arms to states and localities. And after the entire movement seemed to crash and burn in the space of a dramatic few minutes at the Supreme Court, there has been remarkably little regret or recrimination.

Greenberg Traurig Terminates Partner Facing Theft-of-Services Charges

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:21:20 +0000

Mark McCombs, a government affairs partner in the Chicago office of Greenberg Traurig, was arrested at home and charged Friday by state prosecutors in Illinois with bilking more than $1 million from a Chicago suburb through inflated legal bills, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. In a statement released late Friday, Greenberg Traurig said “upon learning of these charges, the law firm severed connections” with McCombs and is fully cooperating with the investigation.

Guns, Virtuous History and Internet Searches

Master — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:07:41 +0000

Opponents of Chicago’s handgun ban in McDonald v. Chicago argued that the high court should solely rely on secondary sources and not digital searches of original material that aim to prevent “Barbie dolls in the archeological dig,” where advocates read modern facts into the historical record.

7th Circuit Judges Testify in Trial Over Blogger’s Web Threats

Master — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:59:29 +0000

Three 7th Circuit judges — Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook and Judges Richard Posner and William Bauer — took the witness stand Tuesday in the trial of Harold Turner, the New Jersey blogger charged with encouraging his readers to murder the three judges as retribution for their decision upholding a Chicago handgun ban.

High Court Justices Shoot Down ‘Privileges’ Argument in Gun Case

Master — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:59:23 +0000

The U.S. Supreme Court will almost certainly extend the scope of the Second Amendment right to bear arms to limit state and federal regulation of firearms, based on oral arguments in McDonald v.

Fitzgerald Makes Rare Court Appearance in Chicago Terrorism Case

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:39:36 +0000

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is taking on a courtroom role for the first time since he was the special prosecutor in the 2007 I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby trial

7th Circuit Judges May Testify in Retrial Over Web Threats

Master — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:42:12 +0000

Federal prosecutors are beefing up their case against Web radio talk show host Harold “Hal” Turner, charged with encouraging listeners to murder three federal appellate judges. In Turner’s retrial, which starts next week in New York, prosecutors plan to call those judges to the stand. Turner was indicted after he posted Internet messages that said the judges “deserve to be killed” for allowing a Chicago handgun ban to stand.