When a snow plow driver employed by the City of Chicago’s Department of Aviation sustained a work-related right hip injury he turned to Scott Goldstein at Ankin Law to secure the benefits he deserved. On the night of the accident the city employee of almost 32 years was performing snow removal duties at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport during a snow emergency. He injured his hip as he exited his work truck at a nearby 7-Eleven while on break. As he stepped down onto the truck’s snowy, wet steps, he slipped and twisted his right leg. He reported the injury and…
Continue Reading Injured O’hare Snowplow Driver Receives Hip Replacement and TTD

Fed. Cir. Docket Nos. 2024-1140, -1206, -1234MOORE, TARANTO, HUGHESMay 22, 2026 (modified September 10, 2026)

Brief Summary: Under Versata, a trade secret owner that discloses information under a duty of confidentiality need not prove that the recipient appreciated how the disclosed elements combined into the claimed trade secret. Evidence that the combination was disclosed through technical documentation, presentations, software, and other communications may suffice, even absent proof that the recipient recognized the particular combination as a trade secret.

Summary: Ford licensed Versata’s vehicle configuration software, the Automotive Configuration Manager (ACM), under a 2004 Master Subscription and Services Agreement (MSSA).
Continue Reading Versata Software, LLC v. Ford Motor Co.

Scott McNutt wants to distill at home and says he is “willing to pay whatever tax is needed.” On October 19, 2026, the Supreme Court agreed to hear his challenge to the federal home distilling ban in Department of Justice v. McNutt. 

Let’s put a number on that tax: assuming lawful home production could qualify for the Craft Beverage Modernization Act’s reduced federal rate, the tax would be $2.70 per proof gallon on the first 100,000 proof gallons removed annually. A proof gallon equals one U.S. gallon at 100 proof, or its alcohol equivalent. At 80 proof, that’s…
Continue Reading Supreme Court Takes Up the Home Distilling Ban. Can Congress Ban Your Home Still to Collect the Tax?

On November 5, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., the Settlement Assistance Program Committee of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District and Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights will host a CLE program and celebration marking the Settlement Assistance Program’s (SAP) 20th anniversary. The event will be held at the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse, 219 South Dearborn Street, Ceremonial Courtroom, 25th Floor, Chicago, Illinois.The program will include:3:00 p.m. –  Ethical Considerations When Representing a Party for Settlement Purposes Only: Presented by Professor Wendy J. Muchman of Northwestern Pritzker Law. One hour of ethics CLE credit is available.
Continue Reading CLE: Ethical Considerations in Settlement Representation and SAP 20th Anniversary Celebration

Question:
I am the founding partner and sole owner in our firm located in Miami, Florida. We have a total of four lawyers, four paralegals, and four support staff in our firm.  We are an estate planning firm that handles estate planning, estate administration, and elder law matters for our clients. Estate planning matters are charged a flat fee and estate administration are billed based on time spent on the matter. At a recent attorney meeting the subject of AI and the impact upon estate planning came up and our discussion led us to the question as to the impact…
Continue Reading Law Firm Future Strategy – AI’s Impact Upon Estate Planning Practices

During the divorce process your spouse and you are supposed to exchange documents detailing all of your assets (marital and non-marital). This process is called “discovery.” It is unfortunate but common for spouses to hide assets and not disclose those assets during the discovery process. If the hidden assets are discovered before the divorce is finalized then various sanctions will follow and the hidden assets may be divided as marital property.  If the hidden assets are discovered after the Judgment For Dissolution Of Marriage and the incorporated Marital Settlement Agreement are entered, the available remedy depends on the time frame, and a…
Continue Reading What If My Spouse Conceals His Or Her Assets And I Find Out After We’re Divorced In Chicago, Illinois?

Accident News | Chicago, Il

A driver was killed and a passenger suffered life-threatening injuries after a single-vehicle crash in Rolling Meadows, a northwest suburb of Chicago, early Tuesday morning. According to Rolling Meadows police, the crash occurred at approximately 2:19 a.m. in the 2100 block of Kirchoff Road, where a vehicle carrying two people struck a tree. Both occupants were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The driver later died from the crash, while the passenger sustained life-threatening injuries. Authorities had not released the driver’s identity as of Tuesday morning. Rolling Meadows police were investigating the circumstances surrounding…
Continue Reading Driver killed, passenger seriously injured in crash in Rolling Meadows, Illinois

A prenuptial agreement, known as a “prenup”, can address many issues that married couples might be concerned about in case of a divorce. Though these agreements are sometimes viewed in a pessimistic light, they can provide real peace of mind if divorce ever becomes a possibility. For legal help with a prenup, turn to an Oak Park, IL family law attorney.
At the Law Office of Vincent C. Machroli, P.C., we have 4 decades of experience in divorce law. This gives us a deep perspective into the issues that often arise at the end of a marriage, and…
Continue Reading What Are the Practical Uses of a Prenup in Illinois?

Many people use estate planning as a way to make sure their loved ones are taken care of in the future. However, an estate plan without effective security measures can lead to assets being lost, seized, or used for purposes that you didn’t intend. If you want to make sure the assets in your estate are protected, some more careful planning is required. For more information, get in touch with an Arlington Heights, IL estate planning attorney today.
Exercising caution now can save you and your beneficiaries from headaches later. At A. Traub & Associates, we can take a closer…
Continue Reading How to Protect the Assets in Your Estate Plan

Ankin Law’s service to one client was so outstanding that he decided to bring a gift to his lawyer when he picked up his check. 

Sherrodd C. felt that strongly about Attorney Jake Nabat’s work on his rideshare accident case that he gave him a goodie bag. 

“You give a gift to somebody that’s given a gift to you,” said Sherrodd.

That came from Jake and legal assistant Monse Ronces after he was injured riding in an Uber in February 2026. 

Calling Ankin Law after a recommendation from his mother’s pastor, Sherrodd found persistent work from the firm on his…
Continue Reading An Ankin Law Client’s Unique Way to Say Thanks to His Attorney

The short answer – your lawyer. The long answer…
So, you found a buyer for your home without using a Realtor. Congratulations. Now someone has to prepare the purchase contract.
For many Illinois FSBO sellers, this is the point where the transaction suddenly becomes much more complicated.
There is no listing agent preparing paperwork or coordinating an offer. The buyer may have an agent. The buyer may have an attorney. Or the buyer may be unrepresented too.
So who actually prepares the contract?

The Purchase Contract Is More Than a Price and Closing Date
A residential real estate contract determines…
Continue Reading Who Prepares the Contract in an Illinois FSBO Sale?

The decision to initiate a lawsuit should never be made without careful consideration. While often necessary and sometimes a last resort, filing a lawsuit or becoming a defendant in a lawsuit has many consequences for you and your business, some of which may not be welcomed. Being a party to a lawsuit is a public record available to competitors and others, may need to be disclosed to non-involved parties, and may constitute a breach of other agreements. This decision is even more complicated when suing a family member as it could have lasting family relationship consequences and as family disputes…
Continue Reading Suing Family Members

For Illinois employers, workers’ compensation claims can create staffing challenges, disrupt operations, increase costs, and raise difficult questions about how and when an injured employee can return to work. The decisions made after an injury is reported often have a lasting impact on the claim and the employee’s recovery. Fortunately, there are steps employers can take throughout the workers’ compensation process to help reduce risk and improve return-to-work outcomes.
Continue Reading Illinois Workers' Compensation: Best Practices for Returning Injured
Employees to Work

Illinois employers that require a valid driver’s license in job postings may need to revise their hiring practices before January 1, 2027. A recent amendment to the Illinois Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act—known as the “Ban the Box” law—prohibits employers from requiring a driver’s license in a job posting unless certain conditions are met. Employers that continue to include unnecessary driver’s license requirements could face enforcement action and civil penalties.
Continue Reading Illinois Employers Face New Restrictions on Driver's License Requirements
in Job Postings Beginning 2027

In Chicago, Illinois, the general rule is that courts have the exclusive authority to modify child support and are not bound by the parties’ agreements concerning child support. Blisset v. Blisset, 123 Ill. 2d 161, 167 (1988). In Blisset, Illinois’ supreme court held an out of court agreement to waive child support in exchange for a waiver of visitation rights was not enforceable because the parties did not seek court approval of their agreement.  So, if you have an understanding with your ex that you want to deviate from the previously written and entered order you should, ideally, go to…
Continue Reading In Illinois, Can I Make An Out Of Court Deal With My Ex?

Accident News | Palatine, Il

A crash involving as many as nine vehicles caused major traffic disruptions on Illinois Route 53 in Palatine, in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, Monday morning. The collision occurred shortly before 7 a.m. in the northbound lanes of Route 53, just beyond Palatine Road.

All northbound lanes were blocked following the crash, leaving motorists unable to pass through the affected area. Because the stretch of highway was an active construction zone with no shoulders available, drivers could not use the roadside to get around the wreck. Authorities advised motorists to use Arlington Heights Road as an alternative…
Continue Reading Up to 9 Vehicles Involved in Crash on Route 53 in Palatine, Illinois