Material Changes to Office Lease Insulates Guarantor From Liability For Corporate Tenant Defaults – Illinois Court

The Illinois First District recently examined the reach of a corporate officer’s commercial lease guaranty in a case involving a multi-year and multi-suite office lease.  The office landlord plaintiff in Stonegate Properties, Inc. v. Piccolo, 2016 IL App (1st) 150182, sued to hold a corporate tenant’s CEO and lease guarantor liable for rental damages after the corporate tenant …

Apparent Agency Questions Defeat Summary Judgment in Guaranty Dispute – IL ND

The Northern District of Illinois recently examined the nature of apparent agency liability in the context of a breach of guaranty dispute involving related limited liability companies (LLCs).  The plaintiff in Hepp v. Ultra Green Energy Services, LLC, 2015 WL 1952685 (N.D.Ill. 2015) sued to enforce a written guaranty signed by the defendant company in …

Paper Lace In The House: Court Invalidates $5M Plus Contract to (Sort Of) Use Someone’s Last Name

I promise there will be no ‘What’s In a Name?’ (the Bard), “What’s My Name?” (Snoop Dogg) or “I’ve Got a Name” (the late great Jim Croce) references.  And while I’m on the subject – is there anything MORE 1970s AM-JAM or K-Tel then Jim Croce?  I don’t think so.  Well maybe that weird “Billy Don’t Be A …