News from 2017
New laws set to take effect Jan. 1 include ban on part-time participation in IMRF
More than 200 new laws will take effect in Illinois on Jan. 1, including one that restricts part-time office holders, whether elected or appointed, from participating in or receiving benefits from the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF).
Keeley & Sons claims Ohio company failed to make payments on settlement agreement
BELLEVILLE – An East St. Louis full-service contractor alleges a Columbus, Ohio structural steel fabricator and material supplier failed to make payments as required by a settlement agreement.
Man seeks more than $50,000 after collision at Belleville intersection
BELLEVILLE – A motorist is seeking more than $50,000 in damages after a collision in Belleville.
Laborer alleges injuries after falling from backhoe
BELLEVILLE – A Swansea laborer is seeking damages from the manufacturer of construction equipment after he fell and was injured.
Former casino card dealer seeks reinstatement of disability benefits
BENTON – A Madison County woman formerly employed as a casino card dealer alleges her disability benefits were wrongfully terminated.
Father seeks damages after son was injured in Alton collision
EDWARDSVILLE – A Madison County father is seeking damages after his minor son was injured as a passenger in an Alton collision.
Simmons among firms chosen to represent Cook County in opioid litigation; Partner Hanly selected to lead plaintiffs in MDL
CHICAGO - Cook County, the second largest county in the U.S., has added its name to the ever-growing list of local governments demanding the makers of some of the most prescribed opioid painkillers pay out, saying the companies owe big money for costs the county has incurred in treating painkiller addiction and dealing with its aftermath at the county’s hospitals and other institutions.
Northern Illinois University College of Law eliminates out-of-state tuition fees
DeKALB – Starting in the fall of 2018, students at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Law will not be charged out-of-state tuition premiums.
Is your firm selling a commodity?
What differentiates your services from another firm? If a prospective client wants you to do a basic legal transaction, are you really different from the other firms in town? Or, if that person is looking to, let’s say, incorporate a business, is he or she going to choose you because your firm has a higher profile than the next? But are your services fundamentally different from the next guy’s, really? Probably not much.
Reaction to tax bill is as partisan as votes taken to get through Congress
How the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will affect average income earners and small businesses depends on who you ask, as reaction in the days following its passage is as partisan as the votes taken to get the bill through Congress.
Judge Kolker donates to charities at Christmas
St. Clair County Associate Judge Chris Kolker announced that a family tradition of donating money to charities rather than exchanging gifts continued this year.
School administrators dominate top 20 list of highest paid state workers in St. Clair County
Cahokia School District 187 spends $50 million per year to teach approximately 1,846 students, and while some of its administrators are among the highest paid public sector workers in the county, a recent report card on student achievement shows dismal results.
Edwardsville attorney applauds new law reducing fees for LLCs
The cost of doing business in Illinois has gone down under new legislation signed into law last week by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Hylla named to commission on pretrial reform of criminal justice system
Madison County Chief Judge Dave Hylla is among members of a new commission that will make recommendations on pretrial reform of the state’s criminal justice system.
Widow files suit against tractor-trailer driver over fatal collision in Clay County
EAST ST. LOUIS – The wife of a Noble man who died from the result of a collision with a tractor-trailer is seeking damages from the tractor-trailer's driver.
Government seeks to foreclose on Johnson City property
BENTON – The federal government is seeking to foreclose on a Johnson City property over allegations mortgage payments have not been received since 2016.
Reason, fear and the politics of hysteria
The election for the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama is now history. Democrat Doug Jones narrowly defeated Republican Roy Moore by a margin of 2 percent, the exact amount of write-in votes filed on behalf of alternative GOP candidates. While the results may have been surprising to some, it certainly is not an omen for the future, but more of aberration.
Attorney Amy Blaisdell honored for role in U.S. Supreme Court case
ST. LOUIS – Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale law firm officer Amy L. Blaisdell has received the 2018 Missouri Lawyer’s Award “...for her role in a high-profile U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld an exemption in federal law for church-affiliated pension plans,” the firm announced in a press release Dec. 19.
Motorist alleges intoxicated driver caused I-255 collision
EDWARDSVILLE – An Edwardsville resident alleges she was injured in a collision on Interstate 255 because of the negligence of an allegedly intoxicated driver.
Woman seeks damages after rear-end collision on Highway 157
EDWARDSVILLE – A motorist is seeking damages over alleged injuries sustained in a Madison County auto accident.