Sheean and Weiler Secure Victory at Illinois Supreme Court for TransUnion
Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP attorneys Christopher T. Sheean, Catherine Basque Weiler, and Margaret C. Redshaw scored a victory for firm client TransUnion's unit, TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions, Inc., before the Illinois Supreme Court. Roger Ivey and Helix Strategies, LLC brought an action for fraud, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment, claiming $23 million in damages for TransUnion's alleged breach of an agreement to market and sell residential leases online.
The trial court granted summary judgment for TransUnion, finding that Helix could not prove damages under Illinois' new business rule, which bars speculative damages claims seeking lost profits for a new business that has yet to show what its profits actually are.
The appellate court affirmed the decision in 2021, and Helix appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court. Illinois Supreme Court affirmed, ending the case in favor of SMB's client.
Ivey v. Transunion Rental Screening Solutions Inc., case number 1-20-0894 was referenced in Law 360’s “Biggest Illinois Decisions Of 2022.”
Christopher T. Sheean is a partner at Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP. Chris defends product manufacturers in lawsuits and counsels companies on various regulatory and governmental matters. He also represents national and international corporations in various types of commercial, corporate, and intellectual property litigation matters throughout the United States. He also handles a broad spectrum of general corporate issues and disputes, including complex breach of contract claims and multi-district consumer class actions. Learn more about Chris and his practice here.
Catherine Basque Weiler's practice encompasses trial litigation and appeals. She is the public appellate face of Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP, and has an impressive resume of results before tribunals throughout the country. She vigorously represents clients in state and federal trial courts through all phases of litigation, from case inception through trial, primarily defending legal malpractice and commercial, product, and premises liability claims. Catherine has served as the firm's Appellate and Critical Motions Practice Chair for the last decade. Learn more about Catherine and her practice.
Margaret C. Redshaw is an associate at the firm's Chicago office. She is the vice chair of the firm's Appellate Practice Group and a member of the Lawyer Liability, Product Liability, and Commercial Litigation practice groups. She focuses her practice on civil litigation with an emphasis on the defense of manufacturers and professionals, including attorneys. Margaret has represented national and international corporations in state and federal cases involving a broad range of complex product litigation and business tort disputes. Learn more about Margaret and her practice here.
