Archives

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy Lives On

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.  Crowds gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to hear remarks from President Obama along with other, prominent figures such as Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and celebrities like Oprah Winfrey.  People from around the country …

Read more ›

Show Your Support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act!

I just wanted to drop a quick line to say how excited we are that ENDA has been passed out of committee by an overwhelming majority (15 to 7, including at least two Republican supporters).  ENDA is short-hand for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act which aims to make discrimination on the basis of LGBT status unlawful.

Now …

Read more ›

Supreme Court Strikes Down Defense of Marriage Act:Implications for Gay Spouses under the Family Medical Leave Act

Last Wednesday, June 26, 2013, in the landmark 5-4 decision of United States v. Windsor, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) as unconstitutional.  Signed into law in September 1996, DOMA defined marriage as …

Read more ›

Bad Day for Employees: Supreme Court Applies But For Causation Standard to Title VII Retaliation

This is just a quick update on an important case we mentioned early this year and that we suggested was one to follow.  In University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Naiel Nassar, the Supreme Court of the United States considered whether an employee alleging retaliation …

Read more ›

Employment Noncompete Agreement Act under Consideration in the Illinois General Assembly

Non-compete agreements are mechanisms used by employers to limit an employee’s ability to work for a competitor for a period of time after the employment relationship terminates.  Employees typically sign these agreements as a condition of hire.  Employers are increasingly relying on non-competes to protect any competitive advantage they may …

Read more ›

States Passing Preemptive Bills to Prevent Passage of Paid Sick Leave Laws

I am consistently surprised by the number of people I speak with (friends, family members, and clients alike) who simply assume that employers are obligated to provide employees with paid sick leave.  I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by this.  For those who have been lucky enough to work …

Read more ›

In a case of first impression, obtained favorable decision for Plaintiff regarding retroactivity of statutory 2% interest penalty to Plaintiff’s jury award

The Case Law Firm recently won an important victory regarding the retroactive application of amendments to an Illinois state statute. In Brandl v. Superior Air Ground Ambulance Services, Inc., Case No. 09-CV-06019, a jury awarded our client payment for hours of accrued vacation time for which the Defendant had refused to pay at the time of her termination in violation …

Read more ›

Obtained dismissal of former employer’s claims against employee for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and tortious interference with contract

Plaintiffs in Unsuccessful Class Action Pursue Individual Claims

After seeing their nation-wide gender discrimination class action dismissed by the Supreme Court of the United States, the Wal-Mart Plaintiffs did not just throw up their hands and concede defeat.  Instead, they’ve decided that if the highest court will not allow them to proceed as one large nation-wide class, that they will simply have to enforce their …

Read more ›