Our Blog

Ringing in 2017 with New Illinois Laws and Taxes

As we begin the New Year, there are several new laws, ordinances, and taxes that took effect in Illinois and Cook County on January 1, 2017. At Dershow Law Group, we have compiled a list of five new laws and taxes in Illinois that we believe are important to know as we start 2017. A new Illinois state law amends the State Vehicle Code and clarifies that bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as other users of the roadways, including
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We Are Excited to Announce that Jeremy L. Dershow Was Selected as a 2016 Emerging Lawyer

We are excited to announce that Jeremy L. Dershow, the founding partner of the Chicago-based law firm, DERSHOW LAW GROUP, has been selected as an Illinois Emerging Lawyer for 2016. Illinois attorneys are selected as Emerging Lawyers based on a survey of their Leading Lawyer peers. Specifically, the Law Bulletin Publishing Company, through its Leading Lawyers division, built the list of Emerging Lawyers by asking its highly selective group of Illinois’s top attorneys to recommend talented attorneys who will most likely
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Illinois Supreme Court Affirms Summary Judgment in Construction Negligence Case

The Illinois Supreme Court recently issued an important ruling pertaining to construction and premises claims. In the case of Patrick Joseph Carney v. Union Pacific Railroad Company (2016 IL 118984), the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the circuit court’s granting of a summary judgment motion on behalf of the Defendant, Union Pacific Railroad Company (“Union Pacific”). This ruling will likely have an important impact on advising construction companies and defending construction accident claims in Illinois. The facts are simple: in Carney v.
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Illinois Supreme Court Strikes Down Six-Person Juror Law as Unconstitutional

The Illinois Supreme Court recently issued a ruling holding that the Illinois law reducing civil juries from 12 to six people was unconstitutional. This Illinois Supreme Court opinion affirmed a December 2015 ruling by Cook County Associate Judge William Gomolinski. Illinois Public Act 98-1132, which took effect on June 1, 2015, reduced civil juries from 12 to six jurors and effectively eliminated the right to a 12-person jury if either side demanded it.  The Illinois Supreme Court’s decision completely invalidated the
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