Deals // Verdicts // Settlements

Big Deals

Winston & Strawn represented Discover Financial Services in its $165 million acquisition of Diners Club International, a deal that will result in worldwide acceptance of Discover Network cards. Corporate partner Terrence R. Brady led the team, which included Chicago partners Christine A. Edwards, Roger S. Lucas, Cardelle B. Spangler, and Andrew D. Wang.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom represented Danka Business Systems PLC, a distributor of office equipment and supplies, in its $240 million sale and liquidation of a subsidiary that provides computer imaging and networking technology. The Chicago attorneys involved were partners Gary P. Cullen, Shilpi Gupta, Christina M. Tchen, and Louis S. Freeman.

Jenner & Block represented an inventor who won a $23.4 million arbitration award against MagneTek Inc., for infringement of one of his patents for electronic lighting ballasts that light fluorescent lamps. Partners Raymond N. Nimrod and Lawrence S. Schaner served as lead counsel for the inventor.

Thomas Vega-Byrnes, of the Law Offices of Thomas Vega-Byrnes has advised ShoreCap International on three recent transactions: an investment in Compagnie Generale de Banque, a micro-finance and small business lending bank in Rwanda; the sale of shares in InecoBank, a small business lending bank in Armenia; and the development of a start-up small business lending bank in Belarus, to be named the Belarus Bank for Small Business.

Settlements

All 22 plaintiffs in the October 2003 fire at the Cook County Administration Building in which six people died and 16 were injured, reached a settlement for $100 million.

The fire, which started in a closet on the 12th floor, caused the deaths of three lawyers — Janet B. Grant, Sara W. Chapman, and John Slater III — and a paralegal — Maureen E. McDonald — in the Cook County Public Guardian’s office, and two other people. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.

Plaintiff’s attorneys alleged that a number of the victims were trapped in a stairwell by locked doors and that the city’s emergency communications office failed to inform firefighters that people were trapped. In addition, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyers, the building’s evacuation plans were inadequate, and the building’s smoke tower failed to work properly.

The plaintiffs were represented by Robert A. Clifford and Kevin P. Durkin of Clifford Law Offices; Daniel M. Kotin of Corboy & Demetrio; Albert E. Durkin of Miroballi Durkin & Rudin; James D. Montgomery, Jr. of James D. Montgomery & Associates; Joseph A. Terc; Mark Parts of Parts & Spencer; and Brian LaCien of Power Rogers & Smith. The City of Chicago was represented by William T. Cahill of Perkins & Coie; the building management company by Dan L. Boho of Hinshaw & Culbertson; the building security companies by Edward J. Murphy of Williams Montgomery & John; and Cook County by Peter G. Skiko of Swanson, Martin & Bell.

— Robert Yates