Employers with operations in Chicago and Cook County should prepare for local minimum wage increases effective July 1, 2026, along with related notice, posting, and compliance obligations. While the Illinois statewide minimum wage remains unchanged, Chicago and Cook County will implement higher local rates that apply based on employer size and location.

Chicago and Cook County Minimum Wage Increases
The city of Chicago is increasing its set minimum wage on July 1, 2026, for employers with four or more…
Continue Reading Chicago and Cook County Minimum Wage Increases Take Effect July 1: EmployerCompliance Updates

June 16, 2026 – The Wisconsin Consumer Act (WCA) didn’t apply to a residential lease dispute, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held, reversing the court of appeals in Koble Investments v. Marquardt, 2026 WI 19 (June 5, 2026).

Six members joined the majority opinion written by Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradley, who concluded “Wis. Stat. § 427.104 does not govern a residential lease under which rent is payable on a monthly basis because it is not an ‘agreement to…
Continue Reading Wisconsin Supreme Court: Consumer Act Didn’t Apply to Lease

New house building at the construction site.

In the world of real estate, what lies beneath the surface can be just as important as what stands above it.

Buyers frequently focus their commercial real estate due diligence on topics including structural integrity, environmental factors, title and survey, zoning, and financing. However, there is one critical issue that is frequently overlooked: the condition of underground sewer and drain systems.

Sewer and drain systems are essential infrastructure for any building, whether that be industrial, retail, office, or multifamily…
Continue Reading Real Estate Due Diligence: Sewer Inspection Risks and Buyer Protections

Senate Enrolled Act 285 (“SEA 285”) will expand the statutory definition of “gravely disabled”. The law also creates a new statutory framework prohibiting unauthorized camping or sleeping on public property. This new misdemeanor expressly requires law enforcement officers to first assess whether emergency detention is appropriate before pursuing criminal penalties under the street-camping provisions. As a result, hospital emergency departments and inpatient psychiatric facilities will see an increase in law-enforcement-initiated transports for emergency detention, particularly where the individual is…
Continue Reading Indiana Law Broadens ‘Gravely Disabled’ Standard Effective July 1, 2026

  • The Veterans Health Administration and HCA occupy the largest amount of REIT- and investor-owned outpatient space, according to a recent Revista post; however, most health systems overwhelmingly favor owner-occupied outpatient space. On the development side, third-party development accounts for about 30% of health system MOB projects, with the remainder being self-developed.
  • High-quality, well-located medical office space is increasingly difficult for health care tenants to secure, with competition intensifying in many markets as demand shifts toward suburban markets. The supply

    • …
    Continue Reading Weekly Hospital Real Estate Briefing: $300M Novant Campus | Baystate/Mercy Announce Transaction | Growing Sale-Leaseback Restrictions

    Put yourself in the shoes of a Wisconsin family court judge. Your first case of the day is a custody dispute where one parent is appearing pro se—representing themselves without a lawyer. You see self-represented parents nearly every day, and do not expect perfection, just preparation, honesty, and someone who can stay focused on facts instead of emotion.

    The pro se party arrives on time and well-organized, but as they begin to unpack their documents you catch a glimpse…
    Continue Reading Representing Yourself In Family Court? Read This First

    Director of State Courts Audrey Skwierawski gave opening remarks at the Board of Governors meeting in La Crosse, noting the Wisconsin Court System’s major initiatives.

    June 11, 2026 – The imminent end of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s fiscal year signals time to prepare for the new year and its challenges.

    The 53-member Board of Governors (Board), kicking off the Annual Meeting & Conference in La Crosse, prepared through new appointments and elections for Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1,…
    Continue Reading New Fiscal Year, New Leaders: State Bar Board Looks to Fiscal Year 2027

    Stephen Sawyer, Stevens Point, gives a speech at the Presidential Swearing-in and Celebration at the State Bar of Wisconsin’s 2026 Annual Meeting & Conference in La Crosse. Photos: Shannon Green. For more photos of the event, see the album on the State Bar’s Facebook page.

    June 11, 2026 – Stephen Sawyer, who took the oath of office yesterday evening in La Crosse to serve as president of the State Bar of Wisconsin, encouraged a professional ethos of humility.

    “We…
    Continue Reading Stephen Sawyer, State Bar’s 71st President: ‘Strive to Be Humble and Kind’

    On May 21, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) released a policy memo limiting the issuance of green cards based on adjustment of status to applicants demonstrating the need for extraordinary relief. The policy memo states that adjustment of status should be a discretionary measure, not an expected benefit. Absent extraordinary circumstances, applicants seeking permanent residency should follow the traditional consular visa process in their home country.

    The policy memo applies to applicants who are permitted to seek…
    Continue Reading UPDATE: USCIS Limits Adjustment of Status to Applications Demonstrating Need for Extraordinary Relief

    In April 2026, Governor Evers signed into law two significant bills addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

    The Wisconsin Legislature, alongside the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), has worked on PFAS-legislation for the past decade, and on the newly enacted 2025 Wis. Act 200 and 2025 Wis. Act 201 since March 2025. Acts 200 and 201 create exemptions under the state Spills Law, establish new PFAS grant programs and funding allocations, and expand the ​DNR’s​ responsibilities related to…
    Continue Reading Wisconsin Addresses PFAS Contamination and Creates Exemptions

    “The law does not allow a tenant to occupy premises rent-free simply because the lease is void and unenforceable.”

    (Justice Rebecca Bradley, writing for the majority in  Koble Investments v. Marquardt, 2026 WI 19, ¶ 28.)

    On Friday, June 5, 2026, the Wisconsin Supreme Court (hereinafter “Court”) issued its opinion in the case of Koble Investments v. Elicia Marquardt, et al.[i]. The case had been pending before the Court since May 2024, after the District III Court…
    Continue Reading Wisconsin Supreme Court Hands Landlords a Win in Koble Investments v. Marquardt

    On June 4, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued a new National Enforcement Plan (NEP), effective immediately, replacing the Biden-era Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP). The NEP realigns federal enforcement around the current administration’s priorities and signals a significant shift in how workplace discrimination claims will be investigated and litigated. For employers, the change reshapes where federal risk will change and diverge from state law obligations.EEOC Deprioritizes Disparate Impact
    Where the SEP prioritized adverse/disproportionate impact, the NEP (using…
    Continue Reading New EEOC Enforcement Plan Immediately Reshapes Employer Compliance Risks

    Another session of the Minnesota legislature has come to a close, which brings with a new round of changes to Minnesota’s cannabis laws. With this session, SF 4401 was the omnibus cannabis bill that did the heavy lifting when it was signed by the governor at the end of the legislative session. To keep things interesting (and shorter), I will call it the “Cannibus Bill” throughout. In this post (and likely multiple parts to follow), I will break down…
    Continue Reading Minnesota Adult Use Cannabis: Cannabis Cleanup

    If I were handed a stack of medical records and told that a disability insurance company denied this patient’s claim, I could often point to the exact appointment they relied on. More often than not, it would be the one that says: “Patient improving.”

    This can be one of the most damaging phrases in a Long-Term Disability (LTD) claim. It might sound like a good thing, as everyone wants to improve. The problem is that disability insurance companies often…
    Continue Reading How One Line in Your Medical Records Can Damage Your Long-Term Disability Claim

    If you’ve been hurt at work, your focus should be on getting better. But what happens if the best treatment isn’t in Wisconsin or you move out of state while your worker’s compensation claim is still open? This is where things can get complicated.

    Many injured workers assume they can treat wherever they want. Others worry they’ll lose benefits entirely if they leave the state. The truth is somewhere in the middle
    Out-of-State Treatment is not Automatically Compensable
    Under…
    Continue Reading Can You Get Treatment in Another State for Your Wisconsin Work Injury? What You Need to Know About Out-of-State Medical Treatment for Worker’s Compensation Claims.

    Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) is rapidly reshaping the way workplaces function, especially in health care. While AI offers meaningful opportunities to streamline employer processes and increase efficiency, its adoption is outpacing the development of legal standards and governance structures. Moreover, a patchwork of state and local laws that seemingly conflict with current federal policy further muddy the waters for employers attempting to assess and navigate the risks associated with AI use in the employment space.
    AI’s Growing Role in Employment…
    Continue Reading Navigating AI in the Workforce Without Clear Legal Guardrails