Debra Bernard

Enacted in 1998, Illinois’ Genetic Information Privacy Act (GIPA) governs the confidentiality and use of genetic testing and genetic information by employers and insurers. The statute was designed to prevent employers and...more The Illinois Supreme Court recently opened the floodgates for class actions under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and created potentially catastrophic exposure for Illinois businesses. In a close 4-3...more After a five-day trial and only an hour of deliberation, the nation’s first trial under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) ended with a bang. The jury found that the defendant, BNSF Railway Company,...more In the latest in a series of setbacks for employers facing claims under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) (740 ILCS 14 et seq.), the Supreme Court of Illinois held last month that the Illinois Workers’...more