FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Philippe Melin, Executive Director (224) 250-8974 pmelin@cala.com Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse Applauds BIPA Reform But Urge Lawmakers to Go Even Further to Protect Small Businesses (SPRINGFIELD)—Yesterday, the Illinois Senate proposed and passed bipartisan changes to Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (IL-CALA) has urged lawmakers to reform BIPA throughout the years as this law has had a devastating impact on our state’s business community since…

A small, but growing, group of law firms from Chicago – but increasingly from out of state, as well – has been growing rich off of class action lawsuits under Illinois’ biometrics privacy law, as a spate of recent court decisions have all but forced employers and other businesses operating in Illinois that have been targeted by the lawsuits to collectively pay billions of dollars to settle, or risk even worse financial damage in court,…

With the fall veto session approaching, a lawsuit abuse watchdog is urging Illinois lawmakers to use the time to fix the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act, or BIPA. In February, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in a case involving White Castle that a legal claim accrues each time a private entity scans a person’s biometric identifier without their consent. Each day, White Castle required its employees to scan their fingerprints to clock in and access their computers.…

Chicago – Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (IL-CALA) Executive Director Phil Melin called on the Illinois Legislature to make fixes to the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) when it returns to Springfield later this month. Melin said, “BIPA has a noble purpose to protect people’s biometric information, like fingerprints, but the current law needs revision because the penalties and liability exposure are ridiculously disproportionate.”  Melin continued, “In its decision earlier this year, the Illinois Supreme…

The recent surge in nuclear verdicts, defined as jury awards exceeding $10 million, has sent shockwaves through Illinois’ legal landscape. A study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that Illinois ranked sixth among states for the number of nuclear verdicts in personal injury and wrongful death cases, with Cook County Circuit Court hosting the majority of these cases. While the intention behind such verdicts may be to provide justice to victims, the repercussions are…

Illinois is known for its vibrant culture, diverse communities, and thriving businesses. However, there’s a hidden cost that every resident of the Chicago metropolitan region bears: the “tort tax.” A recent study commissioned by the Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (ICALA) has revealed that each person in the Chicago metropolitan region pays a substantial annual “tort tax” of $2,321. This tax directly results from the state’s problematic legal landscape, which drives up costs for everyone.…

Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) was enacted with good intentions – to safeguard individuals’ biometric privacy, including fingerprints and eye scans. The protection of biometric data is crucial in an increasingly digital world, but the current state of BIPA raises concerns. Thousands of small businesses that utilize biometric technology are facing lawsuits under this law, with the most prominent case being White Castle, which potentially faces a staggering $17 billion in exposure. It’s essential…

CALA Illinois Executive Director Phil Melin was featured on WTTW, Chicago Public Television concerning Illinois Trial Association legislation that would impose new liabilities on rideshare companies. Melin said, “We think Springfield should be focusing on trying to make life more affordable for middle (and) working class people… The Illinois Trial Lawyers Association’s (ITLA) practice of donating heavily to lawmakers, including more than $400,000 to sponsors of the common carrier bill over the last three years, means the trial…

IL CALA Executive Director Phil Melin joined Bishop On Air to discuss the necessity for critical BIPA reform in Illinois. Watch the full interview below!

White Castle is the latest Illinois business to be hit with a multi-million dollar fine over violation of the state’s biometric privacy laws, which one expert warns the impact of which could “cripple” businesses statewide.

Illinois has some of the strictest biometric privacy laws in the country, but one group is calling for changes following a high court ruling.

E.J. Antoni is exactly right in each and every one of his reasons why Illinois citizens are “voting with their feet” and leaving Illinois (“Why are people fleeing Illinois?” Web, Feb. 8). I’d like to add one more reason for the mass exodus: abusive civil lawsuits that are driving employers of all sizes out of the state.

A recent Illinois Supreme Court decision will likely open the floodgates to a new round of predatory lawsuits against local employers at the worst possible time for our economy.

Washington, D.C. – Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) welcomes Phil Melin as Executive Director of CALA-Illinois. CALA is a nonpartisan, grassroots movement working to end lawsuit abuse across the United States.

As a member of the small business community in Plainfield, I am deeply concerned with the state’s increasingly cavalier attitude toward raising taxes and fees on firms like mine through ever-expanding and burdensome regulation.

A sad truth we must confront in 2022 is that Illinois is a difficult place to open a business — and it’s long past time to do something about it.

Nobody likes “For Lease” signs filling the windows on Main Street. The result of a bust in the economic cycle, mass business closures and unemployment are the extreme conclusion that political candidates swear to fight every time we have an election.

As a small business owner, I see firsthand the devastating impact high taxes, overly burdensome regulations, and lawsuit abuse have on our communities.

As a small business owner for nearly 30 years, I can report the outlook for small businesses in Illinois has never looked worse.

As a small-business owner for nearly 30 years, I can report the outlook for small businesses in Illinois has never looked worse.

The past few years, Illinois lawmakers have talked about passing reforms that would get state spending under control while simultaneously easing the regulatory burden on small businesses.

A new report highlights how a high volume of costly civil court cases affects Illinois’ economy. The report was done by the Perryman Group for Illinois Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse and looks into the impact of excessive civil court costs from lawsuits over matters such as workplace injuries.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is making it harder for small businesses in the Prairie State to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the state’s problems

Operating a small business in Illinois is getting harder every day. I’ve run my chiropractic business for nearly two

I am deeply concerned about stacked costs on businesses in our state.

Right now, doing business in Illinois is hard. And not just because of COVID-19…

Illinois’ recently-passed law that increases interest rates on civil damages is a boon to trial lawyers and damaging to manufacturers…

Three Illinois counties notorious for plaintiff friendliness collectively ranked No. 5 on the annual report on the nation’s…

Operating a business in Illinois has become increasingly difficult. As the owner of a small dental practice, I am fully…

Inflation is out of control. Business owners can’t fill job openings. The Delta variant is keeping unsustainable restrictions in place on businesses and manufacturers…

This week is Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week in Illinois and, shockingly, 2021 has our state’s economy and business community in an…

As a small business owner in Gurnee, I join the thousands of others like me in bracing for a tidal wave of new taxes and wage hikes that our…

Illinois workers and businesses have already struggled more than our counterparts in other states during the COVID-19 pandemic…

There are no two ways about it. Illinois small businesses are in a heap of trouble. As a business owner myself, I know…

The decision by Democrats in the Illinois Legislature to redraw the state’s supreme court map was terribly misguided…

Our state lawmakers have engaged in a continuous campaign to stack the odds against Illinois small businesses…

The past two years in Illinois have been especially difficult. The coronavirus pandemic has caused an immeasurable…

Former GOP state chair says Supreme Court maps use “flawed data”…

The pandemic posed many challenges to my business. Like others, my office had to adjust to working remotely and…

As an attorney and former Illinois lieutenant governor, I take our state court system very seriously, especially the highest…

As a CPA, I see many small business clients. Across Illinois, small businesses are working hard to recover from the…

Dear Editor, I am a registered nurse at Rush University Medical Center, and I’m writing to echo the sentiments that all…

Dear Editor, Coupled with the Governor’s tax hikes, SB 72 would bring soaring litigation costs that threaten to wipe out…

Our lawmakers have demonstrated short-sighted behavior that will prove detrimental to the Illinois business community…

It’s time for Governor Pritzker and Illinois legislators to start working with business owners rather than continuing to actively work against them, especially as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic…

The Illinois healthcare community is under threat thanks to SB 72, a detrimental piece of legislation that will unfairly penalize the hardworking physicians, nurses and healthcare workers who continue to fight on the frontlines of the ongoing pandemic…

A new report estimates Illinois’ judicial system, often criticized for outsized settlements and what’s known as “rocket dockets” that whisk some cases through faster than others, costs each Illinois resident more than $1,000 per person…

In the waning hours of the Illinois General Assembly’s 101st session in January, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association persuaded lawmakers to pass disastrous legislation that would have required the payment of pre-judgment interest in medical and other liability cases…

As the president and CEO of the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, I am witnessing firsthand just how difficult it is for small businesses to keep up with shifting COVID-19 public health guidelines…

For far too long, Illinois lawmakers have neglected the Illinois business community…

As we all know, the coronavirus dealt an impossible set of circumstances to our businesses…

As a healthcare professional, I was extremely disappointed when I learned that HB 3360 had passed through the Illinois General Assembly…

When I heard about HB 3360, which recently passed the Illinois General Assembly, I couldn’t believe that our lawmakers had once again voted to pass legislation that hurts our state’s businesses and medical professionals…

In my roles as a member of the DuPage County Board and Vice President of Service Stampings Illinois Inc., I have a unique perspective on the importance of electing quality judges in our state and local community…

Cook, Madison and St. Clair counties just put Illinois on the map for being one of the worst “Judicial Hellholes” in the nation – again…

Since March, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost every part of our lives…

While we are currently living in a state of unknown, we face a variety of challenges…

If there was ever a time to support local businesses, it’s now…

This week, we recognize the annual Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week nationwide, and 2020 certainly looks a lot different than any other year…

COVID-19 is impacting everyone’s lives across the United States, especially in Illinois…

I want to applaud every employee of Dupage County’s circuit court who each played a part to adjust to virtual hearings and kept our judicial process running…

The citizens of Illinois deserve a civil justice system that works efficiently and on behalf of their best interest…

Right now, Illinois small business owners are suffering. After months of COVID-19-led closures, we’re finally able to reopen. However, this comes at great cost and risk…

In the wake of COVID-19, Illinois businesses are struggling tremendously. Instead of taking measures to support our businesses in these desperate times, Illinois lawmakers have taken the opposite approach, and have passed new taxes and requirements that will only hinder business owners’ ability to reopen successfully…

As a small business owner, I risk facing a lawsuit every time I open up my doors…

Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse recently released a new report alongside the Illinois Civil Justice League to bring attention to the cost that every Illinois resident pays for lawsuit abuse. This piece from the Cook County Record breaks down some of the findings, including the fact that lawsuit abuse contributes to 68,000 lost jobs every year in Illinois…

The increase of “no-injury” consumer class action lawsuits targeting the labeling of food products like cake mix or barbecue products put the Illinois’ Metro-East on the annual ‘Judicial Hellholes’ list…

For the second year in a row, both Madison and St. Clair Counties were considered two of the worst jurisdictions in the country. Due to high volumes of abuse litigation, they ranked on the ‘Judicial Hellholes” list…

The Chamber continues to monitor and oppose the, “Personal Data Collection and Protection Ordinance.” There is no quicker way to prevent job announcements such as the one announced, than to seek a patchwork approach to policy that is designed only to enrich trial attorneys by opening up employers to frivolous lawsuits…

As a fourth generation Illinois business owner, I am not surprised to learn that Illinois is this year’s 5th worst Judicial…

Several Republican lawmakers in Illinois have criticized the state’s tort law which they believe allows for “frivolous”…