Patton & Ryan’s Successful Dismissal in Illinois Federal Court

April 3, 2023

Illinois is known as a plaintiff-friendly venue. Patton & Ryan knows that any opportunity to dismiss a case due to lack of personal jurisdiction in Illinois is a benefit to the client. In particular, when a case is pending in federal court, it is critical to identify early on the potential to seek dismissal.

Patton & Ryan successfully won a motion to dismiss its Indiana-based client from an Illinois federal court case. The client, a valve manufacturer, was sued for over $900,000 in property damage allegedly arising out of a flooding event in a high-rise apartment building in Illinois, where its valve was installed as a component of an air conditioning unit. Patton & Ryan immediately identified the lack of jurisdiction in Illinois and moved to dismiss.

The Plaintiff fought the motion by seeking written and oral discovery. In the midst of the pandemic, Patton & Ryan timely responded to written discovery and extensively prepared and produced the client’s President and CEO for his deposition.

After reviewing the briefs and the evidence, the Illinois federal court granted Patton & Ryan’s motion and dismissed its client from the case due to lack of personal jurisdiction in Illinois. The granting of the motion was a resounding success as the federal judge rejected every argument that the plaintiff made.

Procedure matters, and Patton & Ryan is prepared use procedural rules to gain an advantage for its clients.