No Punitive Damages For Breach of Contract; Conversion of ‘Intangible’ Property = An Open Question – IL ND

Sometimes in breach of contract suits, I see clients (and attorneys, too!) let visceral considerations cloud their judgment.  They let emotions factor into a litigation equation that should purely be about “dollars and cents.”  What’s to an objective observer a simple monetary dispute, becomes a complex psychological event when a breach of contract plaintiff views the defendant’s breach as a personal affront – one calling …

Fraud, Partnership Formation and Confidentiality Agreements in Illinois: A Case Illustration

The Northern District examines several recurring commercial litigation and employment law issues in nClosures Inc. v. Block and Company, Inc., 2013 WL 6498528. Chief among them are the facts giving rise to common law fraud liability, the fundamentals of a partnership relationship and the fiduciary duties that business partners owe one another. Plaintiff designs and …

Company Exec Who Bilked His Employer Hit With Multi-Million Salary Forfeiture Judgment

The First District affirmed an almost $10M bench trial judgment in favor of a publishing company against one of its former officers in ICD v. Gittlitz, 2014 IL App (1st) 133277. The defendant engaged in a multi-year course of fraudulent conduct against his employer by issuing bogus expense reports and writing himself  company checks for “advances” …