Illinois

Lawyer held in contempt after skipping traffic trial for real estate closing, gets 2 days and fine

An Illinois lawyer who found himself caught in a bind between a client’s downtown Chicago real estate closing in October 2011 and another client’s traffic-court trial scheduled at the same time opted to attend the closing. That resulted in a contempt citation for Wayne Adams and two trials. The first,…

Jun 27, 2013 4:40 PM CDT

Ethics case launched over $69K in cab fare reimbursement for former partner

A former partner of Sidley Austin who was a real estate practice leader and a member of the firm’s executive committee is facing an Illinois legal ethics complaint over $69,000 in cab fare reimbursement, among other issues. In addition to obtaining $69,000 for cab rides he allegedly did not take,…

Jun 25, 2013 1:10 PM CDT

10 years after fatal Chicago porch collapse, $16.6M case concludes

Almost 10 years ago, some 75 guests, including at least one attorney and a number of law students, were attending a summer party at a home in the trendy Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. Shortly after midnight, a back porch on the third floor collapsed, falling into the basement level…

Jun 24, 2013 8:00 PM CDT

Seyfarth Shaw opens 2 offices in Australia

Seyfarth Shaw has recruited eight partners from three different law firms to open two new offices in Australia. The offices, which are in Sydney and Melbourne, are part of a global strategy to offer major corporate clients a one-stop shop for dealing with international labor and employment matters, Reuters reports.…

Jun 12, 2013 6:50 PM CDT

Once-prominent lawyer dies in apparent suicide; body is found as eviction notice is served

A veteran Chicago criminal defense lawyer who took on “impossible cases” has died in an apparent suicide. Police found the body of Rick Halprin, 73, on Tuesday as they were serving an eviction notice, report the Chicago Tribune the Chicago Sun-Times and WLS-TV. He died from a single gunshot to…

Jun 5, 2013 2:39 PM CDT

Chat with lawyer neighbor leads to constitutional case over $600 city ‘weeds’ fine

A retired Chicago teacher had wanted to appeal the $600 fine she got last year for growing “weeds” in her prize-winning Chicago garden. (The prize, which was presented personally by former Mayor Richard Daley, includes a photo of Kathy Cummings’ yard.) But it wasn’t until Cummings chatted with a neighbor…

Jun 4, 2013 4:20 PM CDT

Anguish of judge in 911 tape who can’t revive unconscious colleague echos emotion of court onlookers

News of drug charges against former Circuit Judge Michael Cook, who handled most of the drug cases in St. Clair County, and a county probation officer has rocked the local legal community. “How come we didn’t know about Judge Cook? His office is 25 feet down the hall from mine,”…

Jun 3, 2013 6:30 PM CDT

Lawyer accused of lying about claimed ‘self-employment’ as prostitute and name used in online ads

An Illinois attorney is facing a legal ethics case over her alleged lies to the state Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission about her work as a prostitute. Reema Bajaj, who earned her law degree from Northern Illinois University and became licensed as an attorney in 2010, pleaded guilty last June…

Jun 3, 2013 4:40 PM CDT

Will ‘pedestrian scramble’ make it safer to cross downtown Chicago intersection?

As anyone who walks or drives in downtown Chicago knows, crossing the street, even in a crosswalk on a walk signal, can be a hazardous activity, as motorists—particularly when making a turn—frequently don’t yield the right or way. Meanwhile, a frustration for drivers is the many pedestrians who don’t hesitate…

May 31, 2013 5:15 PM CDT

Hotel strike, thought to be the world’s longest, is over

Cleaning and maintenance workers are ending their nearly 10-year-old strike against the Congress Plaza hotel in Chicago. The strike is thought to be the world’s longest, the Chicago Tribune reports. Unite Here Local 1 offered an unconditional return to work, says hotel lawyer Peter Andjelkovich. “Frankly we’re as surprised as…

May 30, 2013 3:03 PM CDT

‘Wide open’ probe ongoing into alleged sale of coke ‘eight-ball’ to 2 judges by probation officer

A probe is ongoing in the case of a probation officer accused of selling part of a cocaine “eight-ball” to two Illinois state-court jurists, one of whom died from the effects of the drug not long afterward. The other judge has resigned following a not-guilty plea in federal court on…

May 29, 2013 4:25 PM CDT

A year after Fitzgerald’s resignation, Obama nominates Latham litigator for Illinois US attorney

Zachary Fardon, a Latham & Watkins partner who chairs its Chicago litigation department, was nominated Thursday to serve as the Northern District of Illinois U.S. attorney. Previously a federal prosecutor who worked on the corruption trial of former Illinois governor George Ryan, Reuters and the Associated Press report, Fardon worked…

May 24, 2013 6:46 PM CDT

Sitting judge is held and under federal investigation

Corrected: A sitting Illinois drug court judge has been taken into custody and is under federal investigation following the death earlier this year of another judge in what a sheriff says was an apparent drug overdose. Little is being said officially about why Circuit Court Judge Michael Cook, 43, who…

May 24, 2013 11:30 AM CDT

Convicted of murdering ex-client, lawyer is fighting attorney disciplinary petition

Convicted earlier this year of murdering a former matrimonial client and her baby, and sentenced to life in prison, an Illinois attorney is fighting a subsequent legal ethics case. Fredrick Goings reportedly had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with Nova Henry, his client in a child-support case against professional basketball…

May 21, 2013 3:55 PM CDT

Seyfarth Shaw and ex-partner face tax-shelter suits

A former partner of Seyfarth Shaw and the law firm itself are facing some two dozen Illinois lawsuits over distressed-asset tax shelters the plaintiffs contend they collected “exorbitant” fees by promoting. The ex-partner, John E. Rogers, left Seyfarth several years ago and is now in practice in his own firm.…

May 20, 2013 10:55 AM CDT