Two confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been linked to the Hilton Garden Inn North Shore in Evanston, Illinois, after health officials detected Legionella bacteria in the hotel’s hot tub water system. Both individuals had visited the hotel’s pool and hot tub areas in August 2026. 

The incident raises concerns about the safety of hotel water systems and the responsibility of property owners to protect guests from preventable health hazards.

If you or a loved one contracted Legionnaires’ disease, contact Ankin Law to discuss your right to compensation. Call (312) 600-0000 for a free consultation. Our Chicago personal injury…
Continue Reading 2 Legionnaires’ Disease Cases Linked to Evanston Hotel

Before getting started on the blog entry of the week, some housekeeping is in order. My wife and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary next week, and we will be taking a very special trip abroad. So, after this week, my next blog entry is going to be the first week of December. Hoping everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday, and I will be back blogging the first week of December. Our blog entry for this week is a triple play. We are going to discuss three different topics: religious accommodation and how it might go further than the ADA; a…
Continue Reading Religious Accommodation, Indian Tribal Immunity, and Cats in Hardware Stores

The Illinois hemp lawsuit has bought the plaintiffs a little breathing room ahead of the State’s November 12 deadline.

On November 5, the Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association and five businesses—MNG 2005 (CBD Kratom), Green Street 79, Life Element (CBD Botanicals), OPT Holdings Technologies, and Zada Ventures (Cubbington’s Cabinet)—sued Attorney General Kwame Raoul and five agency heads in the Northern District of Illinois, Case No. 1:26-cv-13799. They seek a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctions against the Illinois Hemp Act.

The law’s November 12 changes route products exceeding 0.4 mg total THC per container into Illinois’s licensed cannabis…
Continue Reading Illinois Hemp Lawsuit: A Short Reprieve and a Fight Over Who Gets to Sell

Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. v. The P’ships & Uninc. Assocs. Identified on Schedule “A”, No. 26-cv-1387, (N.D. Ill. Aug. 21, 2026) (Rowland, J.).In this Schedule A case, Judge Rowland granted plaintiff Stanley Black & Decker’s (“SBD”) motion for a preliminary injunction against two Temu sellers, Super Hardware Factory and Tire Inflation S, that allegedly sold power tools bearing SBD’s XR trademarks. The Court, however, narrowed the injunction and asset restraint to the accused products.Five of the seven likelihood of confusion factors favored SBD, and none favored defendants. Notably, Super Hardware’s use of its own HANWISE house mark did…
Continue Reading Defendant Bears the Burden of Establishing Fair Use in a Preliminary Injunction Proceeding

A construction company can generate millions of dollars in annual revenue. It can own expensive machinery and equipment. It can even have numerous projects underway. However, none of these characteristics automatically determine the construction company’s value. Some businesses generate relatively predictable revenue because of recurring customer relationships. Construction companies often don’t. Rather, they depend on obtaining new contracts, successfully completing projects, and accurately estimating the costs of labor, materials, and equipment. A contractor may report substantial revenue but actually earn relatively little profit, especially when projects have cost overruns, delays, and unexpected expenses. Construction companies also operate unlike other businesses.
Continue Reading Valuing And Dividing A Construction Company In An Illinois Divorce

Prenuptial agreements are supposed to guarantee certain outcomes in a possible divorce. In Illinois, prenuptial agreements do a very good job guaranteeing outcomes in regard to denying statutorily required property division in a divorce. Illinois prenuptial agreements are not as effective at guaranteeing a denial of maintenance (formerly known as alimony). When potential clients call my office inquiring about a prenuptial agreement, I tell them “You are probably looking for one of three kinds of prenups. Let me describe them and tell me which one sounds the most like what you have in mind: 1) You want to keep the…
Continue Reading Maintenance and Prenuptial Agreements In An Illinois Divorce

Criminal sexual assault becomes aggravated when Illinois law recognizes an additional factor, like a weapon or bodily harm. Separate rules cover certain children and people with severe intellectual disabilities. An aggravated charge can carry a longer prison sentence. If you face charges in 2026, an Oakbrook Terrace, IL criminal sexual assault defense lawyer can review the exact allegation and explain its possible penalties.
What Makes Criminal Sexual Assault an Aggravated Offense in Illinois?
Under 720 ILCS 5/11-1.30, several circumstances can increase a criminal sexual assault charge to aggravated criminal sexual assault. These include:

  • Being armed with a gun

Continue Reading When Does Criminal Sexual Assault Become Aggravated in Illinois?

Defending against drug manufacturing charges in Illinois often involves focusing on how police obtained their evidence, what you knew, and whether your actions count as manufacturing under Illinois law. Even if police find drugs or equipment, prosecutors still have to prove that you were involved in making or preparing the drugs. If you are facing charges in 2026, our DuPage County drug manufacturing defense lawyers can review the evidence and help you build a defense.
What Must Prosecutors Prove in an Illinois Drug Manufacturing Case?
To convict you of drug manufacturing under 720 ILCS 570/401, prosecutors must prove beyond…
Continue Reading Possible Defenses for a Drug Manufacturing Charge in Illinois

Same jar. Same batch. Same licensed supply chain. A patient buys some. Another adult buys some.
Since April 28, 2026, federal law puts marijuana “subject to a state medical marijuana license” in Schedule III. So what puts the adult’s half of that jar back in Schedule I? The cash register? If the answer is “nothing,” Schedule III medical license coverage follows the batch, and a dual-licensed dispensary may be out from under § 280E, the tax rule that bars deductions for rent and payroll.
We broke it down on Cannabis Legalization News. Watch it, then read on for what’s…
Continue Reading The Schedule III Medical License Loophole: Does 280E Still Apply?

The need for Chicagoans to be safer on the crosswalks and roads in early November was a key part of Attorney Howard Ankin’s latest television appearance. 

The founder of Ankin Law was a guest on WGN-TV’s “Spotlight Chicago” on November 5 discussing safety tips as Daylight Saving Time has arrived in the area.

Howard was interviewed by hosts Sarah Jindra and Amy Rutledge about a recent study from the firm that showed an increased risk for commuters after the earlier loss of light after November 1. 

According to the Ankin Law report, pedestrian injuries in crashes doubled the first two …
Continue Reading Howard Ankin Talks Daylight Saving Safety on WGN-TV

One of the national holidays that celebrates attorneys in America provides Ankin Law the chance to salute our clients. 

That’s how the Chicago law firm is using its platform to salute National Love Your Lawyer Day on November 6. It’s a day established by the American Lawyers Public Image Association in 2001 to recognize the hard work of legal professionals who often face criticism.

Instead of putting the focus directly on our talented lawyers, Ankin Law has decided to focus on those people who help us. Many times after a case is completed, the clients will meet with the…
Continue Reading How Ankin Law Celebrates ‘Love Your Lawyer Day’

Thirty-three years selling a brewery’s beer. Fifty-one cases repackaged to conceal their age. One terminated distributorship. That’s the setup for this week’s Throwback Friday: BeerMart, Inc. v. Stroh Brewery Co., 804 F.2d 409 (7th Cir. 1986).

For brewers and wholesalers, the useful question goes beyond whether selling old (expired? past the sell by date? not fresh?) beer can support termination. Who set the freshness rules? What actually happened? Who supplied the beer? And did the contract give anyone a workable way to pay for pulling it?

Read the Seventh Circuit opinion PDF (published reporter copy, pages 409–413). The…
Continue Reading Throwback Friday: Thirty-Three Years of Distribution. Fifty-One Cases of Bad Judgment.

A safety milestone at an Illinois manufacturing facility recently made industry news, and it offers a good opportunity to talk about a term that shows up constantly in workplace safety discussions but rarely gets explained in plain language: the lost-time injury.
What Happened at AGI’s Marshall Facility
According to World Grain, Ag Growth International’s facility in Marshall, Illinois, reached five consecutive years without a lost-time injury, earning the company’s internal Safety Standout Award. The plant, which manufactures liquid and dry fertilizer blending and handling equipment, credited the achievement to consistent safety procedures, employee accountability, and a culture where workers speak…
Continue Reading What Lost-Time Injury Data Means for Workers

Kogut & Wilson is proud to share that the firm has been ranked by Best Lawyers® in the 2027 edition of Best Law Firms®. The firm earned Chicago Metropolitan Tier 1 rankings in both Family Law and Family Law Mediation, improving its Family Law Mediation ranking from Tier 2 last year.
The ranking follows the recognition of seven Kogut & Wilson attorneys in the 2027 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, including Eva M. Kogut, who was named a Best Lawyers® 2027 Chicago “Lawyer of the Year” in Collaborative…
Continue Reading Kogut & Wilson Earns Chicago Tier 1 Rankings in 2027 Best Law Firms® List

The advantages of divorce mediation in Illinois can go beyond saving money. For many spouses, mediation offers an opportunity to make thoughtful decisions about their children, finances, and future without turning every disagreement into a courtroom battle. You may not agree about why the marriage ended, but you may still be able to agree on how to move forward.
Divorce mediation gives spouses a structured setting to discuss disputed issues with the help of a neutral mediator. It does not guarantee a settlement, and it is not appropriate for every situation. However, when both people can participate safely and…
Continue Reading Advantages of Divorce Mediation in Illinois: A Practical Path Forward

For the second time this fall, Ankin Law has joined WGN-TV to honor an outstanding educator in the Chicagoland area.

This time, the law firm and television station traveled to Tinley Park to honor Mrs. Jan O’Neil of Kirby School District 140’s Grissom Middle School with the “Teacher of the Month Award” for October 2026.

O’Neil has been at the school for the past 26 years as a physical education teacher and was nominated by Karen Allen, a parent of one of her students. She was presented with a check for $1,000 by Ankin Law attorney and partner Chris Garrett…
Continue Reading Meet the October 2026 Ankin Law & WGN ‘Teacher of the Month’