Civil Litigation

The Supreme Court’s decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County arose from a property tax foreclosure. Its influence may extend well beyond delinquent taxes.
In BBLI Edison, LLC v. City of Chicago, No. 25-1713 (7th Cir. July 22, 2026), the Seventh Circuit considered whether Chicago may require the purchaser of a foreclosed apartment building to pay $10,600 to each tenant who declines to enter a new lease. The court upheld the ordinance under existing landlord-tenant precedent. Its opinion nevertheless contains an unusually direct acknowledgment that the Supreme Court has been expanding the circumstances in which government action may implicate the


Continue Reading When Does Government Regulation Become an Unconstitutional Taking? The Seventh Circuit’s Answer After Tyler

Antonio DeBlasio

DeBlasio Law Group LLC reached a successful settlement with a South Suburban Village that illegally deducted over $2,200 from the pay of a former police officer.  The Village agreed to make the payment within nine (9) days after our law firm sent a demand letter. 

The firm agreed to help the police officer recover his earned pay from the Village for violating the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, 820 ILCS 115/1 et seq. (the “Wage Act”), which provides powerful remedies against employers and other persons who knowingly fail to pay wages and final compensation to employees and former employees.


Continue Reading Police Officer Recovers Over $2,200 Illegally Deducted From His Pay By South Suburban Village.

I’M MY MOTHER’S POWER OF ATTORNEY, SO WHY IS MY SISTER ADMINISTERING HER ESTATE? A typical misunderstanding in probate is who is in charge of the deceased’s estate. One of the main causes of this confusion is that most individuals Read More….
The post I’M MY MOTHER’S POWER OF ATTORNEY, SO WHY IS MY SISTER ADMINISTERING HER ESTATE? appeared first on Law Office of Andrew Szocka, P.C..
Continue Reading I’M MY MOTHER’S POWER OF ATTORNEY, SO WHY IS MY SISTER ADMINISTERING HER ESTATE?

The first major legal challenge to Illinois’ newly enacted Digital Asset Tax Act has arrived.
On July 21, 2026, the Chamber of Digital Commerce d/b/a The Digital Chamber filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Sangamon County seeking to invalidate Illinois’ controversial digital asset tax before it takes effect on January 1, 2027. The suit names David Harris, Director of the Illinois Department of Revenue, and Kwame Raoul, Illinois Attorney General, as defendants and seeks both declaratory and injunctive relief preventing enforcement of the law.
Background: Illinois’ New Digital Asset Tax
A Illinois recently became the first state in


Continue Reading First-in-the-Nation Illinois Digital Asset Tax Faces Constitutional Challenge

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 103(b) allows dismissal of a case with prejudice when a plaintiff fails to exercise reasonable diligence in obtaining service on a defendant after the statute of limitations has expired. There is no clear line, however, that determines exactly how much delay is too much.

The recent Hernandez case[1] provides an interesting example of when a delay in serving a defendant becomes simply too long.

The Case

In December 2019, Plaintiff filed a slip-and-fall lawsuit against her landlords based on a January 2018 incident. The court issued summonses for defendants on the same day.

By April
Continue Reading When Late Is No Longer Better Than Never: Appellate Court Affirms Dismissal After 32-Month Delay in Serving Summonses

DuPage County Drug Possession Defense AttorneysYou can be charged with drug possession in Illinois if the drugs belonged to someone else. The law focuses on whether you knew about the drugs and had control over them, not who actually owned them. This can feel deeply unfair, especially if you had no idea drugs were even in your car, home, or bag. If you’re facing possession charges in 2026, our Naperville, IL drug crimes defense lawyer can help you fight back against a charge that doesn’t reflect what actually happened.
What Does Illinois Law Actually Require for a Possession Charge?
Illinois defines drug possession under the
Continue Reading Charged With Drug Possession for Someone Else’s Drugs?

In June, colleagues, students, and admirers of Dr. Dario Mirabelli gathered in Turin, Italy to honor the life of one of the world’s most consequential occupational epidemiologists.
Dr. Mirabelli passed away on February 9, 2025, at the age of 71. He spent his career documenting the human toll of asbestos exposure and defending that science against a decades-long, well-funded campaign to obscure it.
Simmons Hanly Conroy Partner Gary DiMuzio was invited to contribute a memorial statement to the service by Dr. Benedetto Terracini, the founding figure of Italian cancer epidemiology and Dr. Mirabelli’s mentor of more than 40 years. It
Continue Reading Remembering Dr. Dario Mirabelli: The Scientist Who Refused to Let the Truth About Asbestos Be Covered Up

In 1999, when Attorney John Simmons set up some modest folding tables, rented computers, and started taking clients, it was certainly a humble beginning for the newly established mesothelioma law firm.
As a U.S. Army veteran far too familiar with the illnesses caused by asbestos, John Simmons wanted to help individuals and families grappling with the devastation caused by a mesothelioma diagnosis.
Simmons Hanly Conroy's first 8 employeesIn those early days, client stories of perseverance and bravery were what motivated John and the seven original employees to take on some of the biggest companies in the United States.
They were a small, dedicated group
Continue Reading Celebrating Simmons Hanly Conroy’s 27th Anniversary

The history of asbestos litigation dates back to the mid-20th century, when individuals began to file lawsuits after developing mesothelioma and other health issues following exposure to asbestos-containing products.
Mesothelioma lawsuits revealed that many manufacturers knew asbestos could cause illnesses as early as the 1930s but hid the risks. The litigation set legal precedents that continue to help victims today. However, despite regulations and bans, new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year due to exposure that occurred decades ago.
For over 25 years, Simmons Hanly Conroy has been at the forefront of asbestos and mesothelioma litigation. To date, we’ve
Continue Reading The History of Asbestos Litigation

For decades, commercial receiverships in Illinois operated under a patchwork of scattered statutes and changing case law, with practices varying significantly from county to county. The new Illinois Receivership Act, 765 ILCS 1090/1, replaces this fragmented system with a comprehensive statutory framework that brings predictability, uniformity, and expanded tools to the receivership process. It creates a state court remedy that mirrors many familiar federal bankruptcy practices.
Modeled explicitly on the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership Act (UCRERA) and federal bankruptcy law, the Illinois Receivership Act applies broadly to nearly all commercial receiverships, including those involving limited liability companies, trusts,
Continue Reading From Patchwork to Predictability: Illinois’ New Receivership Act

Naperville, IL Civil Litigation AttorneysWhen someone breaks a promise that was backed by a legal contract, that is called a breach of contract. It happens too often, and it can cost you real money and cause real stress. Whether it is a contractor who walked off a job, a business partner who did not hold up their end of a deal, or a vendor who failed to deliver what was promised, Illinois law gives you options. If you are dealing with a breach of contract situation in 2026, the DuPage County civil litigation lawyers at Appelman Law LLC can help you understand what you
Continue Reading What to Know About Illinois Breach of Contract Law

For decades, asbestos was used in thousands of products and workplaces across the United States, exposing millions of workers and their families to a known carcinogen.
Today, families affected by mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases continue to file asbestos lawsuits against the companies responsible for their exposure and seek compensation.
But proving where and how that exposure occurred often requires extensive investigation, especially when it happened decades earlier.
Nicholas Angelides is chair of the Asbestos Department at Simmons Hanly Conroy, where he oversees more than 50 attorneys dedicated exclusively to asbestos and mesothelioma litigation nationwide. Since 2012, he’s led the
Continue Reading Building a Strong Asbestos Case: Q&A with Mesothelioma Attorney Nicholas Angelides

General Background

In March 2020, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued an Executive Order, declaring the COVID-19 pandemic a public health emergency under Indiana Code § 10-14-3-12(a). Later that month, the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) likewise declared a federal public health emergency. The HHS public health emergency, issued under the Public Health Service Act, was rescinded on May 11, 2023, although some liability protections remained under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act).

These emergency declarations have prompted federal and state governments to address the issue of liability for patients injured
Continue Reading Indiana Supreme Court Finds Broad COVID-19 Immunity and Federal Preemption Preclude Malpractice Claims

Illinois has joined the growing national fight over prediction markets. It did so through Senate Bill 3019, a revenue and gaming measure that attempts to bring sports-related prediction-market contracts within the Illinois Sports Wagering Act. KalshiEX LLC has now sued the Governor, Attorney General, and Illinois Gaming Board officials in federal court, arguing that Illinois has stepped into a field Congress gave to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
When this tax was originally proposed under SB 4168 was first flagged when it was proposed in April. Now it come as no surprise that Kalshi is challenging the tax that


Continue Reading Can Illinois Tax Prediction Markets? Kalshi’s Federal Lawsuit Tests the Boundary Between Sports Wagering and Federal Derivatives Law