Experience

Retail Company
Fraud Investigation
Schiff Hardin achieved a major financial recovery for a retail client in a fraud dispute involving a contractor.

Wittur Inc.
Debtor Representation in Chapter 11 Reorganization
Schiff Hardin served as reorganization counsel for Wittur Inc., a manufacturer of elevator cabs, entrances, harmonic and linear door operators, replacement parts for operators, cabs and entrances, in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.

Major Bank
Internal Investigation and Government Regulatory Representation
Schiff Hardin was hired by a major local bank to conduct an internal investigation when bank executives suspected internal fraud.

Julie Rea Harper
Pro Bono Criminal Defense
A not guilty verdict obtained in retrial that received significant news media coverage involving a clearly innocent woman who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for the murder of her young son.

Emaar Properties
Mergers and Acquisitions
Schiff Hardin successfully represented Emaar Properties, a Dubai-based developer, in closing its first U.S. acquisition — WL Homes LLC (doing business as John Laing Homes), one of America's largest privately-held house builders — for $1.05 billion.

Marco Rendon
Pro Bono Immigration Litigation
U.S. asylum granted to immigrant threatened by a violent paramilitary group in his native country, Colombia.

Contracting Company
Government Investigation
A major company was the target of a covert law enforcement investigation.

Manufacturing Company
Internal Investigation
Schiff Hardin was hired to conduct an internal investigation of possible embezzlement by a high-ranking officer of a client.

Personal Jurisdiction Over Out-of-State Trust Fiduciaries
Defense of lawsuit to 'bust' two trusts
Schiff Hardin attorneys represented a trustee and several members of trust "advisory committees" in connection with two lawsuits filed by a beneficiary who sought to "bust" two trusts created for her benefit.

Medical Technology Company
Grand Jury Investigation
Schiff Hardin provided comprehensive services to a client that was subject to a grand jury investigation.

Mortgage Fraud Litigation
Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights
Schiff Hardin represented the purchaser of residential mortgages in an appraisal/originator fraud ring in its litigation against the perpetrators of the fraud.

CenterPoint Properties Trust
Bankruptcy
Schiff Hardin represented CenterPoint Properties Trust in two cases that not only recovered millions of dollars of rent, but yielded recoveries in excess of that paid to other unsecured creditors and made new law favorable to commercial landlords.

Chief Executive Officer
Alleged Accounting and Financial Irregularities
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a major corporation was under investigation for alleged accounting and financial reporting irregularities.

Insurance Broker
Prosecution
Schiff Hardin attorneys conducted an internal investigation that discovered embezzlement/fraud by a high-ranking officer of the company.

Company Executive
Government Criminal and Civil Investigation
A major company executive was the target of an investigation into accounting irregularities that carried severe criminal penalties and fines.

Bank Official
Post-Criminal Conviction
Schiff Hardin represented a bank official in post-criminal conviction proceedings.

Gustave Kinouani (National Immigrant Justice Center)
Pro Bono Immigration Litigation
In 1997, full-scale civil war erupted in the Republic of Congo ("Congo"), and civilians who were suspected, based on their ethnic origin, of supporting rivals of the fighting factions were killed, detained or driven from their homes.

Laidlaw International, Inc.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Our client Laidlaw Inc. was considering the acquisition of another transportation company — We Care Transportation — with which it had a significant joint venture in Erie County (Buffalo), New York.

Major Development Corporation
Internal Investigation and Regulatory Proceedings
Several individual employees and members of the Board of Directors of a prominent development corporation were investigated for alleged internal fraud.

Trinsic, Inc.
Mergers and Acquisitions
A Florida-based telecommunications company expands across the Northeast United States through a significant deal with Sprint Nextel and expanded financing.

More Than 300 Dogs Rescued From Abuse, With Schiff Hardin's Help
Animal Cruelty Lawsuit
In a case that has received nationwide attention, Schiff Hardin's Animal Law practice group helped to obtain a full and final judgment for the plaintiffs in a North Carolina animal abuse lawsuit.

Business Executive
Market Timing Investigation
A business executive was investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) for actions that appeared at first glance to be part of a market timing fraud.

The Quaker Oats Company
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented PepsiCo plaintiffs in two cases involving a dispute with their former ad agency, which had subsequently been retained by a direct competitor in the soft drink industry.

Kraft Pizza Company
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented Kraft Pizza Company in this case against a former ACNielsen marketing consultant and the competitor that he joined in the frozen pizza business.

Conrad Black Defendant
White Collar Criminal Defense
Schiff Hardin represented Mark Kipnis, a defendant in the Conrad Black trial. Convicted of only two of the eleven counts on which he was charged, Mr. Kipnis received the lighest sentence of all the defendants, and will not spend a single day in prison.

Caine & Weiner Company
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented defendants in this action filed by their former employer for breach of restrictive covenants and misappropriation of trade secrets.

Palmer & Cay – Breach of non-compete and confidentiality agreements
Defense against allegations of breach of non-competition and confidentiality agreements
Schiff Hardin defended Palmer & Cay in this case brought by Aon Risk Services Inc. of Florida alleging breach of non-competition and confidentiality contracts.

Antec Corporation
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented plaintiff Antec Corporation in this suit against a departing employee for his misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of restrictive covenants.

Reliable Media Management
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented the defendants in this case alleging misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of restrictive covenants and interference with customer relationships.

K-Tube
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin successfully prosecuted a two-month jury trial of a trade secrets case in San Diego on behalf of our client, K-Tube Corporation.

Geneva and Novartis
Patent Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented Geneva and Novartis in this case with respect to a generic version of the Claritin® brand before both the district and appellate courts.

Keebler
Trade Secret Litigation
Our client, Keebler Corporation, asked us to represent its interests in trade secrets litigation that tested the limits of the inevitable disclosure doctrine we established in PepsiCo v. Redmond.

Ameriwood Industries, Inc.
Trade Secret Litigation
Attorneys from Schiff Hardin’s Chicago office obtained a significant victory for our client in a lawsuit against several of its former executives.

Executive Wealth Management
Defense against motion for preliminary injunction
Schiff Hardin successfully represented the defendants, defeating the motion for preliminary injunction after the evidentiary hearing.

Defense of Libel Suit
Defense of Libel Lawsuit
The Court of Appeals of Georgia upheld Schiff Hardin's motion for summary judgment in a libel lawsuit brought against our client.

RCRA and CWA Enforcement Action Defense
Defense of State Environmental Enforcement Actions
Schiff Hardin represented a generator of waste drums in North Carolina during enforcement actions initiated by the state.

Clean Energy
Power plant site selection and regulatory counsel
Schiff Hardin assisted a public-private partnership with a carbon sequestration project, evaluating competing sites for a first-of-a-kind coal-fueled, near-zero emissions power plant.

Asylum Granted in Pro Bono Representation
Pro Bono Immigration Litigation
Schiff Hardin attorneys, working on a pro bono basis, secured asylum for a woman who had suffered brutal treatment in the Republic of Congo.

Arthur J. Gallagher
Defense of allegations of employee raiding
Schiff Hardin defended Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in this dispute regarding its hiring of approximately 100 employees formerly employed by a competitor.

Saving Animals from a Cruel End
Animal Cruelty Lawsuit
Schiff Hardin attorneys helped put an end to the illegal and inhumane gassing of domestic animals by the Georgia Department of Agriculture in violation of Georgia's Humane Euthanasia Act.

Joseph Boden
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented Joseph Boden against allegations of breach of a non-competition agreement and misappropriation of trade secrets in the concentrate juice business.

Palmer & Cay – Defense of Company and Executive
Defense of trade secrets litigation
Schiff Hardin defended Palmer & Cay and one of its executives in a lawsuit filed by the executive's former employer.

Merial Ltd.
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented Merial Ltd. in this suit against a former employee for misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of confidentiality covenant.

Thermos
Trademark and Trade Dress Litigation
A major competitor in the vacuum-insulated bottle market filed this trade dress infringement suit against Thermos in 2002.

New Financing and Territory for Telecom Client
Mergers and Acquisitions, Secured Lending
Schiff Hardin assisted Consolidated Communications Holdings, Inc., a communications service provider, in its acquisition of North Pittsburgh Systems, Inc. for a purchase price of approximately $360 million in cash and stock.

Successful Defense of Corporate Trustee
Defense of Suit for Breach of Fiduciary Duty
Schiff Hardin successfully defended a fiduciary liability claim against a large corporate trustee in a nine-day bench trial in DuPage County, Illinois.

Navigating the Clean Air Act
New Source Review (Air)
Schiff Hardin defended two Illinois electric companies in a government enforcement action, navigating a complex web of discovery and motions over several years, including obtaining a favorable ruling on the applicability of the statute of limitations.

Illinois Appellate Court Victory in Trust Case of First Impression
Defense of Lawsuit by Fellow Beneficiary
The Illinois Appellate Court ruled in our clients' favor on a question of first impression concerning the application of a Trusts and Trustees Act provision.

Facility of Payments and Trust Termination
Estate Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented a corporate fiduciary in the Circuit Court of Cook County in connection with a financially fragile beneficiary of a trust whose termination date had arrived.

Personal Jurisdiction in Estate Litigation
Estate Litigation
Schiff Hardin won a bench trial in DuPage County, Illinois involving a decedent who died shortly before signing change of beneficiary forms for multiple IRAs.

Swift Response Helps Bankruptcy Client
Chapter 11 filing and Section 363 Sale
Schiff Hardin represented a manufacturer of hydraulic cylinders for original equipment manufacturers in a Chapter 11 filing and a Section 363 sale of substantially all of its assets under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

USDA Challenged on Animal Welfare Act
Animal Welfare Act Lawsuit
In 2006, Schiff Hardin attorneys represented several plaintiffs in a case challenging the USDA’s failure to adopt a policy to ensure the psychological well-being of primates pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act.

Cruel Treatment of Chimpanzees Halted
Endangered Species Act Lawsuit
In 2006, Schiff Hardin attorneys helped to achieve a groundbreaking victory that represented a major step towards the end of the use of nonhuman primates in entertainment.

Cats Keep Their Claws In West Hollywood
Amicus Brief
Schiff Hardin assisted the Animal Legal Defense Fund in preparing an amicus brief in support of the defendants in a case regarding a city ordinance against declawing.

CenterPoint Properties and HA-LO Industries, Inc.
Bankruptcy
Schiff Hardin represented CenterPoint Properties, the developer and lessor of the headquarters of a debtor, in a case that resulted in new law regarding proration of rent.

PepsiCo
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin filed an action on behalf of PepsiCo, Inc. against a former employee and his new employer, The Quaker Oats Company, seeking emergency and permanent injunctive relief.

Toxic Tort Claims Successfully Settled
Toxic Tort Litigation; Ash Management
Schiff Hardin represents a coal-fired electric utility in a Superfund matter involving groundwater contamination allegedly arising from the historic placement of coal ash in and near a northwest Indiana town.

Remedial Action at Petroleum Terminal
Defense of EPA enforcement action
Following an EPA order for remedial action against our client, Schiff Hardin secured an affirmative coverage determination with the client's insurer, and subsequently persuaded the agency to drop its demands against our client.

Groundwater Superfund Site
CERCLA Remediation
Schiff Hardin represents a coal-fired electric utility in connection with the investigation of alleged releases of coal ash constituents to groundwater.

Brownfields Redevelopment
Real estate acquisition, remediation, redevelopment and insurance
Schiff Hardin was hired by a real estate developer as special environmental counsel for a Brownfields redevelopment project that transformed an illegal dump on the southwest side of Chicago into an industrial park.

State Environmental Agency Action Successfully Settled
Defense of agency enforcement action
Schiff Hardin's defense of the enforcement action resulted in a civil penalty of less than $5,000 and no admission of liability on behalf of our client.

Landfill Remediation
Common Counsel
Schiff Hardin played a major, multifaceted role in the remediation of two landfill sites originally owned and operated by the City of Toledo, Ohio.

Remediation of Manufactured Gas Plants
Real Estate Acquisition and Redevelopment; Voluntary Remediation Projects
Schiff Hardin worked with the client, a gas distribution company, and its environmental consultants to address potential environmental liabilities associated with a former Manufactured Gas Plant site.

Multi-Facility Audit and Self Disclosure Under EPA Audit Policy
Compliance Auditing and Reporting
In 2007, Schiff Hardin advised a client in connection with its discovery of several years of apparent non-compliance with EPCRA reporting and other reporting and permitting requirements at one of its data centers.

Newly Created Boarding School Saved from Competitor's Lawsuit
Defense of Suit for Breach of Fiduciary Duty
In 2007 Schiff Hardin successfully concluded its representation of the trustees of the Conserve School, an innovative new boarding school, in a lawsuit that threatened the entire trust corpus.

Business Executive
Regulatory Agency
Schiff Hardin attorneys successfully represented an individual business executive who was facing harsh penalties in proceedings before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Insurance Auto Auctions
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin was retained by one of our clients to investigate whether one of its former employees had taken our client's confidential documents and trade secrets with him upon his departure from the company.

Sanford
Trademark and Trade Dress Litigation
In 2005, Schiff Hardin attorneys obtained summary judgment, in the form of a 72-page decision in Sanford's favor.

AT&T Wireless
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin successfully represented AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. and Claircom Communications against plaintiff's allegations of trade secret misappropriation, in a case arising from air-to-ground telephone service technology for airline passengers.

Bunn-O-Matic
Trademark and Trade Dress Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented Bunn-O-Matic Corporation in an action seeking to prevent infringement of its BUNN® trademark.

Michael Jordan
Trademark and Trade Dress Litigation
Plaintiff accused our client Michael Jordan of infringing the plaintiff's registered trademark JORDAN®, by virtue of his association with Nike's JORDAN® brand line of clothing.

Calphalon Corporation
Intellectual Property
Schiff Hardin successfully obtained summary judgment in favor of our client, Calphalon Corporation, a division of Newell Rubbermaid Inc., in a patent infringement case involving Calphalon's popular "Professional Nonstick II" gourmet cookware products.

Kent State University
Patent Litigation
Schiff Hardin was retained in this patent infringement matter to appeal a judgment, entered after a jury trial, holding that our client's patent for liquid crystal display devices was invalid and not infringed.

Thermos
Patent Litigation
Schiff Hardin brought a series of nine lawsuits over a three-year period on behalf of The Thermos Company and its parent, Nippon Sanso Corporation.

Newell Rubbermaid
Intellectual Property
The plaintiff claimed that Newell Rubbermaid was marketing a curtain rod holder that infringed the plaintiff's design patent.

Hogan
Trade Secret Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented Hogan and his new employer, Turner Broadcasting Sales Inc., in defeating FX Network's motion for a temporary restraining order and then later in defeating FX Network's motion for a preliminary injunction.

ReNewable Products, Inc.
Bankruptcy and Intellectual Property
Schiff Hardin represented the sublicensee of several patents. When creditors tried to foreclose on the licensee/sublicensor, we devised a plan to use bankruptcy as a defensive measure to avoid termination of our client's licenses.

Owens-Illinois Litigation
Wrongful death defense
This 11-week long product liability trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court involved a claim that the plaintiff contracted an asbestos-related cancer from alleged use of our client's product decades earlier.

The Spring Air Company
Restructuring and Merger
Schiff Hardin represented longtime client The Spring Air Company in this corporate restructuring effort.

Public Utility and its Power Trading Unit
Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights
Schiff Hardin represented a power trading unit and its public utility parent in the successful litigation of a $35 million fraudulent transfer and preference claim.

Automotive Equipment Industry Merger
Mergers and Acquisitions
A team of Schiff Hardin attorneys assisted a general trading company in acquiring Prime Automotive Warehouse, Inc., an industry leader in the distribution of aftermarket auto parts, chemicals and tools.

Owens-Illinois - amicus brief
Amicus Brief in Appeal Concerning Constitutionality of Ohio's Asbestos Tort Reform Statute
In the first decision by an Ohio appellate court on the issue, the Ohio Court of Appeals, Twelfth District, held an Ohio tort reform statute constitutional, reversing the trial court's decision.

Owens-Illinois Product Liability Defense
Product Liability Defense
Schiff Hardin successfully defended our client, Owens-Illinois, Inc., in a case seeking $25 million in lost profits and brand damage.

Lek Pharmaceuticals
Patent Litigation
In the Omeprazole patent litigation Schiff Hardin represented Lek Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Sandoz and Novartis, in its successful defense of AstraZeneca's patent infringement action regarding the plaintiff's Prilosec® product.

Charitable Organization
Tax advice
Schiff Hardin’s Tax-Exempt Organizations team assisted a client in obtaining IRS recognition of its tax-exempt status.

Eastman Kodak Company
Intellectual Property Litigation
Schiff Hardin represented Eastman Kodak Company in recovering its $22-million investment in a failed printer development venture by asserting hard-to-win fraud and alter ego claims against a Fortune 10 company.