There is a number that should stop you cold.
As of June 9, 2026, researchers have documented 1,598 court proceedings worldwide in which AI-generated content, fabricated case citations, invented statutes, false quotes from real judgments, was submitted to a court. Of those cases, 496 involved licensed attorneys. The number is growing at roughly 8 new cases per day.
US courts imposed over $145,000 in AI-filing penalties in the first quarter of 2026 alone.
Grubhub Just Paid $25 Million for Misclassifying Workers. Does Your Business Have the Same Problem?
It took eleven years.
In September 2015, a single Grubhub delivery driver named Raef Lawson filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that Grubhub had misclassified him as an independent contractor when he should have been treated as an employee. The case wound through a decade of litigation, multiple appeals, shifting legal standards, and five formal mediation conferences.
In early 2026, Grubhub agreed to pay $24.75 million to settle. The class covers approximately 60,000 California delivery drivers who completed at least one Grubhub delivery between December 2014 and March 2026. The final approval hearing is scheduled for July 30, 2026.
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Florida Just Sued OpenAI and Sam Altman. What It Means for Every Business Using AI Tools
On June 1, 2026, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed an 83-page civil complaint against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman in Highlands County Circuit Court. Florida became the first state in the United States to sue the maker of ChatGPT over the alleged safety failures of its product.
The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of knowingly releasing a dangerous product, suppressing internal safety warnings, marketing ChatGPT as safe for children without adequate safeguards, and collecting minors’ data without meaningful parental oversight. It seeks to hold Sam Altman personally liable for what it describes as his utter disregard for the risk to
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Closing the Estate Planning Gender Gap
The Hidden Gender Gap in Estate Planning and How Women Can Close It
Estate planning isn’t just about documents—it’s about protecting yourself, your family, and your future. But research shows that women are significantly less likely than men to have a formal estate plan in place, even though they often face greater financial risks over their lifetimes.
This hidden gender gap leaves many women without the legal tools they need to safeguard their assets, make healthcare decisions easier for loved ones, and ensure their wishes are honored. At Rincker Law, we help women understand these challenges and build plans that
SB 3222 Dispensary Changes: The Illinois Operator’s Action Plan
SB 3222 dispensary changes are not a memo to file and forget — they move money. On June 12, 2026, Illinois rewrote big chunks of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, and the result is a longer sales day, a bigger legal basket, new revenue lines, and a few ownership traps that can cost you a deal if you ignore them. This is the operator’s action plan.
Below we translate the SB 3222 dispensary changes into P&L terms — what makes you money, what saves you money, and what you must fix before it bites. It is based on the
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Why Proper Property Title Matters for Your Estate Plan
How your real estate is titled affects far more than just whose name is on the deed. It plays a major role in your legal rights, how vulnerable your property is to creditors, and what happens to the property when you pass away. Many people assume their estate plan will “fix” any issues, but title problems can actually undo your planning if they’re not addressed properly.
At Rincker Law, we help clients understand their ownership structure and ensure their deeds match their goals—whether for asset protection, probate avoidance, family planning, or business needs.
Individual Ownership: Simple but Not Always Strategic
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Cari B. Rincker to Present on Farmland Planning at the IICLE Elder Law Short Course 2026
Rincker Law, PLLC is pleased to announce that founder and principal attorney Cari B. Rincker will present at the Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education’s Elder Law Short Course 2026.
The two-day continuing legal education program will take place on November 5–6, 2026, at the UBS Tower and Conference Center in Chicago. Attorneys will also have the option to attend through a live webcast.
Cari will co-present the session “Planning Considerations for Farmland” with attorney L. Kaye DeSelms Dent of Dent Coulson Elder Law, LLC. The presentation is scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2026, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Addressing
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Ohio Wine Shipping Case: Circuit Split or Sour Grapes?
There is an old move in appellate practice: when the facts do not go your way, make the case sound bigger than the facts. Call it a split. Call it sovereignty. Call it the sky falling.
That is what Ohio is trying to do in its new cert petition in Yost v. Miller and House of Glunz. Ohio says the Sixth Circuit created a seven-to-one circuit split when it struck down Ohio’s ban on direct wine shipments from out-of-state retailers and its six-bottle limit on wine personally brought into Ohio from out of state. The petition frames the
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You Need to Register Your Crypto Business in Illinois. Here Is What the New Law Requires
Most businesses operating in the digital asset space think of compliance as a federal question.
Is the SEC involved? Does the CFTC have jurisdiction? What does FinCEN require?
Those are legitimate questions. But since August 18, 2025, there is a state-level compliance framework that applies to your business if you serve Illinois residents, regardless of where you are headquartered, regardless of whether any federal regulator has touched your business, and regardless of whether you think of yourself as an Illinois company.
Trademark Protection for Farms, Food Businesses, and Agricultural Brands
Trademark Protection for Farms, Food Businesses, and Agricultural Brands should be considered before a business invests heavily in packaging, signs, websites, merchandise, or advertising. A farm may spend years building recognition around a name or logo, only to discover that another business has earlier rights in a similar mark. Addressing trademark issues early can help reduce the risk of an expensive rebrand, marketplace confusion, or legal dispute.
What Can Function as a Trademark?
A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol, design, or combination of these elements that identifies the source of particular goods or services. It helps consumers distinguish one
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Choosing the Right Business Structure for a Farm or Family-Owned Business
Choosing the Right Business Structure for a Farm or Family-Owned Business is an important decision that may need to be revisited as the operation grows, changes ownership, or prepares for the next generation. The structure selected can affect limited liability protection, taxation, management authority, financing, succession planning, and what happens when an owner dies, becomes disabled, divorces, retires, or leaves the business.
There is no single structure that is right for every farm or family-owned company. The appropriate choice depends on the owners, assets, business risks, tax goals, land arrangements, and long-term plans of the operation.
Why Informal Business Arrangements
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Mental Health in the Workplace
The too frequent reports of workplace violence serve as a warning for employers to be concerned about workplace mental health. To protect their business and employees, owners should consider:
- Creating a supportive workplace culture that normalizes mental health discussions.
- Providing mental health resources.
- Establishing policies that create a healthy and safe work environment.
- Providing training and education for management.
- Establishing a flexible work environment.
- Ensuring employees know their value.
- Evaluating and adapting programs to support employees.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
This Bulletin is designed to provide our friends and clients with information regarding the
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Dispensary Money Leaks: 5 to Map Before Your Next Tool
A dispensary can look busy and still leak cash every week. The store has traffic, the menu is full, the team is working, promos are running, and the point-of-sale system has plenty of reports. None of that answers the question that actually moves the business: did the activity make money? Most dispensary money leaks are not dramatic failures — they are quiet weekly patterns that get expensive because nobody isolates them early.
The first mistake operators make is assuming the next tool will solve the problem. More dashboards do not help if you have not found the leak. Before buying
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Farm Partnership Disputes: How Mediation Can Help Before Harvest Season
Farm Partnership Disputes: How Mediation Can Help Before Harvest Season is especially timely as summer fieldwork intensifies and harvest approaches. A disagreement over money, management, equipment, land, or workload can disrupt operations. It may also strain family relationships and put the farm at risk. Addressing the conflict early through negotiation, mediation, or another appropriate process may help protect the operation before the busiest part of the year.
Why Farm Disputes Become Harder During Busy Seasons
Agricultural businesses operate on deadlines that cannot always be postponed. Crops must be treated, livestock cared for, equipment maintained, and financial decisions made quickly.
Common
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Get Your Affairs in Order After a Diagnosis
What to Do When Your Doctor Tells You to “Get Your Affairs in Order”
Hearing a doctor say, “Get your affairs in order,” is one of the most difficult moments anyone can experience. Yet you’re not alone — nearly 76% of Americans do not have a will, and many only begin planning after receiving a life‑changing diagnosis.
While the words may feel overwhelming, getting your affairs in order is ultimately about regaining control, protecting your wishes, and easing the burden on your loved ones. Rincker Law is here to guide you through every step with clarity and compassion.
Essential Documents
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Add Meaning to Your Estate Plan with Living Legacy Tools
Estate planning often gets reduced to paperwork, signatures, and legal terms. But your estate plan can be so much more than a collection of documents. It can reflect your values, your history, and the lasting impact you want to leave behind.
Just like stepping from black‑and‑white into a vibrant Technicolor world, you can bring your legacy to life by adding depth, meaning, and personal expression to your plan. At Rincker Law, we help clients build estate plans that honor both the legal and the human elements of their lives.
Estate Planning: More Than Documents and Decisions
When people think about
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