Connelly & Vogelzang

218 N Jefferson St, Chicago, IL 60661

Supreme Court puts hold on Cook Co. judge accused of abusing authority in pursuing sanctions in asbestos case

By Jonathan Bilyk | Wednesday, Aug 2, 2017 @ 3:44pm

The Illinois Supreme Court, acting in response to a request from lawyers who claim they and others have been targeted by a “rogue” Cook County judge, has stepped in to slap a hold on potential sanctions proceedings against lawyers and litigants on both sides of an asbestos personal injury case, blocking the judge, for now, from continuing his bench investigation of what he said resembled an improper “grand bargain” between plaintiffs’ lawyers and those for defendant gasket maker John Crane Inc.
Sanctions sought against asbestos lawyers for using John Crane as 'shill' to keep cases in Cook County

By Jonathan Bilyk | Monday, Nov 30, 2015 @ 7:35am

Attorneys for defendants in a Cook County asbestos case have brought an action against the opposing counsel in the case, asking the court to punish the plaintiff’s attorneys and the counsel for John Crane Inc., one of the other defendants named in the case, for their alleged use of Crane as a "shill" to prevent defendants from transferring the case and others like it out of Cook County Circuit Court.