Chicago plaintiff’s firm accused of spying on its lawyers

The skyline is found in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., October 19, 2017. REUTERS/John Gress

(Reuters) – A former attorney at Vrdolyak Regulation Team has sued the Chicago-dependent plaintiff’s regulation firm, declaring its controlling associate illegally eavesdropped on staff members through “a network of audio and online video surveillance cameras.”

The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in Chicago federal court docket on Thursday by legal professional Daniel Alholm, alleges that Edward Vrdolyak violated the federal Wiretap Act and state guidelines when he geared up his office environment with “numerous screens” to observe employee exercise at the firm’s places of work in Chicago and Nashville, Tennessee.

The proposed class of additional than 100 users contains both employees of the own personal injury organization and clientele who may possibly have been unjustly recorded, the criticism mentioned.

A spokesperson for Vrdolyak Legislation Group did not quickly return requests for remark Monday, and the firm’s lawful illustration was not quickly identifiable.

Alholm explained in the grievance that Edward Vrdolyak experienced a “fixation” on surveillance.

He mentioned, for instance, he as soon as received a mobile phone contact from an personnel in the Chicago office environment who reported Vrdolyak could see on a surveillance method that some Nashville employees had been expending as well significantly time on their telephones.

Alholm also claimed Vrdolyak experienced workforce listen to every others’ voicemail messages and report again to him.

Alholm eventually resigned in 2020 following he reported he discovered that the firm recorded all employee phone calls and stored them, in accordance to the complaint.

He also brought claims as an particular person from the firm just after he reported it misrepresented its capability to assistance his apply and shoppers when he was hired. He also accused the company of facilitating unethical practices which harm shoppers, and claimed some of its lawyers made use of racist and antisemitic language, occasionally in reference to business workers.

Alholm’s attorney, John Spragens, on Monday identified as him a “courageous whistleblower.”

The circumstance is Alholm v. Vrdolyak Legislation Team, U.S. District Court docket for the Northern District of Illinois, No. 1:22-cv-01820.

For Alholm: John Spragens of Spragens Law

For Vrdolyak: Not accessible

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.