A pizza oven that couldn’t cook a pizza still managed to earn Bogle Vineyards a ten-day license suspension. It sat among cases of wine in a Raley’s display, missing the regulator parts needed to operate. California’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control nevertheless treated it as an unlawful benefit to the retailer.

The Department had ideas. Someone could buy the missing parts. Someone could ask for them. A little imagination, a trip to the hardware store, and the wine display starts looking like a kitchen.

The Third Appellate District required evidence and reversed the Department’s decision (upholding an intermediary tribunal’s…
Continue Reading The Pizza Oven Didn’t Work. California’s Tied-House Case Didn’t Either.

Chicago, IL – November 5, 2026 – Smith LaCien LLP has earned national and metropolitan rankings in the 2027 edition of Best Law Firms®, placing the firm among a select group representing approximately 2–4% of law firms nationwide recognized for practice group excellence.

In an increasingly crowded legal marketplace, Best Law Firms rankings distinguish practices that demonstrate exceptional professional excellence, depth of experience, and consistent client trust. The firm’s recognition across national and regional practice areas reflects both the strength of its legal talent and its sustained reputation within the profession

“This year’s recognition reflects the relentless dedication our attorneys…
Continue Reading Smith LaCien LLP Ranked Among Top Firms in 2027 Best Law Firms®

Settlement is generally a good thing in divorce and family law cases. Most people would prefer to resolve their differences…
The post Sometimes, the best way to resolve a family law case is to try it first appeared on Family Law Headquarters by Stange Law Firm.
The post Sometimes, the best way to resolve a family law case is to try it appeared first on Family Law Headquarters by Stange Law Firm.
Continue Reading Sometimes, the best way to resolve a family law case is to try it

Photo credit: iStock.com
Key points:

  • Clio’s annual Legal Trends Report provides analysis of legal services industry based on law firm operating data, surveys of legal professionals and consumers, and qualitative interviews.
  • 85% of legal professionals surveyed said firms have adopted some level of AI, with half saying firms allow and encourage its use.
  • Firms are finding more ways to bill time, as AI reduces time spent on some individual tasks.
  • 73% of respondents at firms using AI say it has improved the quality or value of the work, while 64% said it is positively impacting revenue.
  • AI is also tied

…
Continue Reading Lawyers Are Billing More Time as AI Adoption Grows, According to 2026 Clio Legal Trends Report

Photo credit: Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program
Key points:

  • One in five Illinois lawyers rated their mental health as fair or poor in a new study sponsored by the Illinois Lawyers’ Assistance Program
  • Of this number, 32% said they had experienced suicidal ideation in the past year
  • 66% of lawyers said their workplaces negatively impact their mental and physical health and wellness and would consider leaving their job because of it
  • 39% of lawyers said they have observed cognitive decline in other lawyers and 21% said they have seen it in the judiciary
  • 33% of lawyers said they had experienced vicarious

…
Continue Reading 1 in 5 Illinois Lawyers Report Negative Mental Health, Illinois LAP Study Finds

If you hold a cannabis license with ten or more employees, odds are a cannabis labor peace agreement is sitting in your compliance binder right now. For years it was the price of admission: sign with a union, promise neutrality, or don’t get licensed. In the last six months, that deal started cracking. New York just repealed its mandate. A federal judge in New Jersey called the state’s version preempted. And on November 2, 2026, the Ninth Circuit put California’s fight back on the board.
So is your labor peace agreement still a license condition, a contract you’re stuck with,…
Continue Reading Cannabis Labor Peace Agreement: 5 Critical Shifts in 2026

An apple grower can tell you when the apples came off the tree. Turn those apples into cider, put the harvest year on the label, and federal alcohol regulators may tell you to remove it.

Make wine from grapes, however, and the rules provide a path for telling consumers the harvest year. Apparently, apples require more secrecy.

That distinction drives Garden Path Fermentation v. United States, No. 1:26-cv-03002-TOR (E.D. Wash. Oct. 15, 2026). The court dismissed the case over administrative exhaustion, stating: “Plaintiffs have failed to exhaust their administrative remedies.” (Order at 3.) The decision leaves a substantial…
Continue Reading Your cider has a vintage even if TTB will not let you print it

Photo credit: Melissa Kallio
Our Professionalism Spotlight series highlights Illinois legal professionals who demonstrate the ideals of professionalism in their careers.
In this Professionalism Spotlight, we spoke to Melissa Kallio, a Partner at Dutton Casey & Mesoloras, P.C. Her practice focuses exclusively on helping individuals navigate the legal and financial challenges of aging and disability, including Medicaid planning, adult guardianship, estate planning, special needs planning, and trust and estate administration.
She is one of only 10 Certified Elder Law Attorneys (CELA) in Illinois through the National Elder Law Foundation.
Melissa also serves as the president of the Illinois Chapter of the …
Continue Reading Professionalism Spotlight: Melissa Kallio, Dutton Casey & Mesoloras, P.C.

Kogut & Wilson partner Cailee J. Alderman recently shared adoption law insights on a panel at the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA) 2026 Fall Conference and will do the same as a guest lecturer for an adoption law course at DePaul University College of Law.
At the AAAA conference, Cailee spoke on the panel “The Child’s Voice in Family Formation: Navigating GALs and Child Counsel in Adoption Cases,” which examined the roles of Guardians ad Litem (GALs) and attorneys who represent children in adoptions, considering the issues from the standpoint of both the GAL and the child.
Continue Reading Cailee J. Alderman Discusses Guardians ad Litem and SIJS at at AAAA Conference and DePaul Law

We are proud to share that Smith LaCien, LLP has been ranked in the Top 5 in the latest JVR Settlements Report, featured in the October/November issue of Chicago Lawyer magazine.

This recognition reflects the firm’s continued commitment to securing exceptional results for clients and holding negligent parties accountable. With billions of dollars recovered and a track record of landmark verdicts and settlements, Smith LaCien remains dedicated to delivering results when they matter most.

Congratulations to our attorneys and entire team on this outstanding recognition!#SmithLaCienLLP #ChicagoLawyer #JVRSettlements #TrialLawyers #PersonalInjuryLaw #ClientAdvocacy
Continue Reading Smith LaCien, LLP Ranked in the Top 5 of Chicago Lawyer’s JVR Settlements Report

Mediation for farm and agricultural disputes can help families, landowners, and business partners work through disagreements before they threaten an operation’s future. A dispute may begin with unpaid rent, conflicting expectations about an inheritance, or a disagreement over who makes business decisions. Before long, the people involved may stop speaking while the farm still needs their attention.
Mediation provides a structured opportunity to discuss the problem with a neutral third party and explore a negotiated resolution. It cannot guarantee an agreement, but it may help participants protect working relationships, manage expenses, and make practical decisions about what happens next.
What …
Continue Reading Mediation for Farm and Agricultural Disputes: Resolving Conflict Without a Courtroom Battle

A recent decision from the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District, reinforces an important principle for retailers and their insurers defending premises liability claims: when a potentially dangerous condition is open and obvious, a plaintiff’s awareness and creation of the condition and its associated risks may defeat a negligence claim, even where the plaintiff argues that a foreseeable distraction contributed to the accident.

In Stout v. Costco Wholesale Corp., 2026 IL App (2d) 250335, the Court affirmed summary judgment in favor of Costco Wholesale Corporation (Costco) in a lawsuit filed by a customer who tripped over a gas pump hose…
Continue Reading Illinois Appellate Court Affirms Summary Judgment for Costco Under the Open-and-Obvious Doctrine

Once again, Ankin Law has shown the desire to look around the country to find lawyers that can help injured people in Chicagoland. 

The firm is proud to welcome Attorney Bria Wallace to our roster as she joins our prolific workers’ compensation department this fall. 

“It’s a top firm. It’s known within the state. It has such a reputable reputation,” said Wallace of joining Ankin Law. “This is just a dream come true.”

A native of Brentwood, California, Bria graduated from California State University-Dominguez Hills with a bachelor’s degree criminal justice/law enforcement administration. Wallace then completed her Juris Doctor at…
Continue Reading Ankin Law Welcomes Attorney Bria Wallace

If you have loved ones who depend on you for financial support, purchasing or enrolling in the right insurance coverage can provide crucial security and peace of mind.
Traditionally, life insurance policies have been the coverage of choice. However, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance is another option that offers some similar benefits while coming with its own advantages and disadvantages.
Would it benefit you to have both options? While there is some overlap in coverage, life insurance and AD&D insurance are each designed to pay out different types of claims. The combination of coverage that’s right for you depends…
Continue Reading Life Insurance Versus Accidental Death and Dismemberment: Do You Need Both?

When you are going through a divorce, it is reasonable to wonder how you and your spouse will divide the property that you have accumulated during the course of your marriage. For many couples, in fact, disputes regarding the division of assets are among the most contentious in the entire divorce process. If you and your spouse are not able to reach an agreement regarding your property, the court will rely on provisions in the law to determine which of you will be receiving what.
At A. Traub & Associates, our Lombard, IL divorce lawyers have over 100 years of…
Continue Reading The Basics of Equitable Distribution in Illinois

Toulabi v. Siddiqui, et al., No. 25 CV 9228, (N.D. Ill. Aug. 24, 2026) (Daniel, J.).Judge Daniel granted-in-part and denied-in-part defendants Siddiqui’s and TLC Consultants’ (“TLC”) Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) motions to dismiss in this Lanham Act trademark case involving the REZA’S restaurant mark. The Court dismissed plaintiff Toulabi’s dilution claims, but the other challenged claims survived.Toulabi opened the first Reza’s Persian and Mediterranean restaurant in Chicago in 1984 (as an aside, I met my wife when we were both new associates at a large Chicago law firm, we got to know each other over many late night…
Continue Reading Landlord with Knowledge of Tenant’s Alleged Infringement Faces Contributory Trademark Liability