In November 2013, Chicago partner Tom Cronin and associate Meredith Oliva won a dismissal with prejudice of a complaint brought against Wanda Jackson (individually) and Hallenberg Properties, a company responsible for the management and oversight of multiple properties throughout Chicago. Jackson owns Hallenberg Properties.
In May 2013, plaintiff Larry Austin, a tenant residing in an apartment building managed by Hallenberg Properties, sued Jackson and Hallenberg alleging sex discrimination related to the management of his apartment unit. Specifically, the plaintiff contended that female tenants were given preferential treatment at the premises, including being moved into more spacious units and granted priority access to new amenities.
Jackson and Hallenberg moved to dismiss the plaintiff’s claims and oral arguments were held after the motion was fully briefed. Following more than one hour of arguments, the court ultimately sided with the points advanced by Gordon & Rees and granted the motion to dismiss. More impactful, the court granted the defendants’ motion with prejudice, denying the plaintiff leave to replead his claims against Jackson and Hallenberg.