NEWS HIGHLIGHTSCharitable Outreach: Homes for Our TroopsChicago – January 23, 2010 – In the spirit of the holiday season, Scandaglia & Ryan made a donation to Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit, non-partisan charitable organization that raises the funds, materials and labor to build homes for severely injured veterans of the Iraq war. Homes for Our Troops was founded in 2004 by John Gonsalves, a construction supervisor from Raynham, Massachusetts, who was inspired by a story he read about a soldier injured in the Iraqi war. Realizing that most handicapped housing did not take into consideration the types of disabilities incurred in combat, he came up with the idea of providing custom housing that would provide greater accessibility and independence for those men and women who were seriously injured while serving in the military. S&R earmarked its donation for a home built for Army Sergeant Cameron Crouch in Mahomet, Illinois. SGT Crouch, a soldier deployed to Iraq as part of the A Co. 1/178th Infantry, was severely injured in an accident on August 23, 2007, requiring the amputation of both of his legs below the knee. On January 23, 2010, Homes for Our Troops and StormHawk Construction turned over the keys to SGT Crouch’s new home. 2009 Scandaglia & Ryan IP Legal Writing Award Presented at CIPLIT ReceptionChicago - November 5, 2009 – DePaul University College of Law student Nicholas C. Thompson was honored with the 2009 Scandaglia & Ryan Intellectual Property Legal Writing Award for earning the highest grade in the college's First-Year Intellectual Property Legal Writing Program. The award was presented to Mr. Thompson at the Center for Intellectual Property Law and Information Technology (CIPLIT) reception on Thursday, November 5, 2009 from 4:45 - 5:45 p.m. at 25 E. Jackson Blvd., Lewis Center, Rare Book Room, 6th Fl. Library. Pictured below: Gregory Scandaglia, Nicholas Thompson and William Ryan at the 2009 Reception
Scandaglia & Ryan Invited to Become a Member of the Prestigious Organization, the Executives Club of ChicagoChicago, September 23, 2009 – Scandaglia & Ryan has joined one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious business organizations in the country, the Executives' Club of Chicago. This by-invitation-only club is comprised of senior-level executives, industry leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, government officials and foreign dignitaries. Having a membership in the Executives' Club affords the firm opportunities to establish global partnerships and engage in intellectual exchange through programs, such as Global Leaders Luncheons, Chicago CEO Breakfasts and Technology Conferences.
Scandaglia & Ryan Is Taking It to the Next LevelChicago, March 16, 2009 – Scandaglia & Ryan is committed to raising the bar when it comes to professional excellence and outstanding client service. During the past nine years, we have strategically grown to enhance our capabilities in providing clients with sophisticated and innovative legal counsel. To accommodate our growth, we have moved to a larger office located on the 34th floor, Suite 3440, of our building at 55 E. Monroe Street. This spring, we will be hosting a reception in our new suite. Further details will be provided under the Events section of our website at www.scandagliaryan.com. We are also marking our ninth year by unveiling a bold, new image that reflects our forward-thinking approach to legal services. Our distinctive identity includes a sophisticated logo and a contemporary website design. The logo will be used on all our collateral to achieve a cohesive and recognizable brand, helping to differentiate Scandaglia & Ryan from other law firms. The design of our new image is a departure from traditional law firm insignias. Our logo has a three-dimensional quality, demonstrating our dynamic nature, yet incorporates calming blue, grey and taupe colors to convey a sense of confidence gained from years of experience pursuing creative and cost-effective business and legal solutions for our clients. The website has been upgraded not only in design but in function as well. The site is streamlined making it easier to find relevant information, reinforcing our commitment to engage in the highest level of communication with our clients. Our website’s unique motif captures the essence of the firm’s culture, featuring images of select pieces of artwork on display at the firm. Check out our new look at www.scandagliaryan.com.
Scandaglia & Ryan Welcomes First Year Associate René HertsbergScandaglia & Ryan welcomes First Year Associate René Hertsberg to the firm. Mr. Hertsberg joined S&R after receiving a J.D., cum laude, from Emory University School of Law in May 2008. He has experience representing clients in commercial and patent litigation as well as personal injury defense. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a legal intern at Schulten Ward & Turner, LLP in Atlanta as well as at the Office of the State Appellate Defender, Death Penalty Trial Assistance Division in Chicago. While at Emory, Mr. Hertsberg participated in the school's Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results program. The TI:GER® program is a collaboration between Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory Law School, bringing Emory Law, Georgia Tech MBA and PhD students together in an interdisciplinary class to focus on both business and law principles. He received a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2004.
Scandaglia & Ryan Wins Jury Verdict for H. Ty Warner and Warner Hotels & Resorts in Multimillion-Dollar ClaimFollowing a three week trial in the civil action Amakua Development LLC v. H. Ty Warner, et al., in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, an eleven-person jury issued a favorable verdict for Scandaglia & Ryan clients H. Ty Warner, Ty Inc., Ty Warner Hotels & Resorts LLC and JTL Capital Corporation. The Scandaglia & Ryan team led by Partner Gregory J. Scandaglia secured the victory for the Warner defendants and JTL in a $30 million breach of contract and promissory fraud dispute with Amakua Development LLC. The jury needed only seven hours of deliberation before ruling for the defendants on all counts. "The verdict prevented Warner Hotels and JTL from falling victim to an elaborate get rich quick scheme by plaintiff Amakua. The contract Amakua tried to enforce was based on lies and the jury rightly set it aside." said Mr. Scandaglia, co-founder of the firm. The case began in 2004, when Amakua filed a complaint against Warner and JTL in the Central District of California claiming more than $30 million in compensatory damages for breach of contract and untold punitive damages for fraud. In the same complaint, Amakua accused Scandaglia & Ryan client JTL Capital Corporation of causing Warner to breach its contract with Amakua. The contract at issue related to the sale of the Las Ventanas Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico to Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts in September 2004, for $101 million. Las Ventanas has been widely recognized as one of the most luxurious and exclusive resort properties in the world. Amakua claimed that by virtue of a signed Non-Disclosure and Non-Circumvention Agreement, it was entitled to participate in the Warner acquisition. The Warner defendants and JTL successfully challenged this claim by proving that the contract had not been breached and that Amakua had misrepresented itself and its ability to effect the sale of the property to Warner Hotels. Beanie Babies Inventor H. Ty Warner, who attended court each day, felt vindicated by the verdict commenting that "the system worked, the truth came out and justice was served." In addition to Mr. Scandaglia, the team working on this matter included William J. Ryan, Therese L. Tully, Eric J. Muñoz and Matthew Boyd Steffens.
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