Crain's Chicago Business articles from February 2008

Crain's Chicago Business archives from February 2008

CME task: Prove it's not stingy; To purchase Nymex, Chicago exchange must win over wary members.(News)(CME Group Inc. and New York Mercantile Exchange Inc)
February 4, 2008... Byline: ANN SAPHIR CME Group Inc. has a tough job ahead: convincing the 816 members of the New York Mercantile Exchange that it's not trying to buy its rival on the cheap. Some Nymex members say the proposed $11-billion deal price is...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
February 4, 2008... Nielsen Co. acquired Telephia Inc. for $440 million. Also, NNN Realty Advisors Inc. acquired Grubb & Ellis Co. for $247.7 million. This information was incorrect in Crain's List of largest mergers and acquisitions in 2007 (Jan. 21). A corrected...

Dreamliner-induced nightmares; Righting the Ship.(Focus: Finance)(Occupation overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine JAMES A. BELL 59, Boeing Co. Years on the job: 4 Years with Boeing: 35 Biggest challenge: Monitoring the financial progress of the 787 Dreamliner, whose delivery has been delayed twice due to...

Putting it all together; Well-Balanced.(Focus: Finance)(Thomas E. Werner)(Occupation overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine Thomas E. Werner 50, Hospira Inc. Years on the job: 11/2 Years with Hospira: 11/2 Biggest challenge: Integrating the finance and information technology areas of generic-pharmaceuticals maker...

Tips from the 'insurance geek'; Getting it Right.(Focus: Finance)(Occupation overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine D. Craig Mense 56, CNA Financial Corp. Years on the job: 3 Years with CNA: 3 Biggest challenge: Finding and retaining good people to fill finance and accounting positions, due to greater demand...

Crunching in the downturn.(Focus: Finance)(Occupation overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine Craig P. Omtvedt, 58, Fortune Brands Inc. Years on the job: 8 Years with Fortune Brands: 19 Biggest challenge: Devising strategies to limit the impact of the housing downturn on the company's home...

Invest in workers to keep Chicago the city that works.(Opinion)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Allan F. "Duffy'' Gaynor Allan F. "Duffy'' Gaynor is Chicago senior location executive for IBM Corp. "The city that works.'' The motto conjures up images of steel mills, factories, stockyards and packing houses-the type of...

On the Move.(People)(Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. promotes Iqbal Brainch)(Golin/Harris promotes Denise Paleothodoros)(Mid-America Real Estate Group promotes Andy Bulson)
February 4, 2008... FINANCIAL SERVICES Advantage Futures, Chicago: Iqbal Brainch, 33, to chief marketing officer, from associate director of marketing at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Banco Popular North America, Chicago: Juan Carlos Cruz, 36, to...

A brave new numbers world.(Focus: Finance)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Michelle Evans The chief financial officer's role is shifting as companies expand globally and face more compliance regulations. Crain's asked Linda Imonti, the service line leader for KPMG LLP's CFO Advisory Services group, what's...

Opening.(Business of Life)(Chicago Auto Show )(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Chicago Auto Show Lake Shore Drive and 23rd Place (630) 424-6030 www.chicagoautoshow.com 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Sunday Tickets: $10 adults; $5 children The auto show pulls into McCormick Place this week, showcasing...

Today's city: What would Burnham say?(Opinion)(100th anniversary of Daniel Hudson Burnham's Plan of Chicago )
February 4, 2008... As the 100th anniversary of Daniel H. Burnham's Plan of Chicago approaches, we need a new commitment to urban planning. Mr. Burnham is enjoying renewed popularity in some quarters, as Crain's reported in the Focus section last week. Perhaps...

Kimball Hill buys time with lenders; Ailing homebuilder gets $10-million credit line.(News)(Kimball Hill Homes)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: ALBY GALLUN Kimball Hill Inc. has bought time with lenders as it tries to renegotiate a $500-million line of credit that recently slipped into default. The homebuilder has until March 14 to reach a long-term agreement with a...

Hooked on classics; The memories, the details-execs want cars they loved as teenagers, and the auto industry takes notice.(Business of Life)
February 4, 2008... Byline: SHIA KAPOS Chicago music mogul Jerry Mickelson will soon trade his 2004 Range Rover for a 2008 model, a beefy truck that offers a safe ride and heated seats. But he really dreams of sitting behind the wheel of his tail-finned 1960...

Zell's mean curveball; Potential Cubs owners are steaming over plan to sell stadium to state.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: MIKE COLIAS AND ANN SAPHIR Tribune Co.'s proposal to sell Wrigley Field to the state is alienating would-be buyers of the Chicago Cubs who say owning the team without the iconic stadium would be like a day in the bleachers without...

Durbin: Politics sank power plant.(Briefs)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Sen. Richard Durbin says politics was behind the Bush administration's decision to kill the $1.75-billion FutureGen project only one month after an industry consortium selected Mattoon over another Downstate site and two Texas sites as the home...

The four-letter word presidential candidates love.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Lisa Bertagnoli Think "change'' is the most overused word of the 2008 presidential campaign? Look: We disagree. In the weeks leading up to Super Tuesday, "look'' peppered the presidential-hopeful debates almost as often as...

Biting Into Sales; Investors mark down Acco as big-box competition crimps office supplier's bottom line.(Markets)
February 4, 2008... Byline: BOB TITA Acco Brands Corp., maker of Swingline staplers, paper shredders and other office gear, is getting a poor performance review from Wall Street. Shares of the Lincolnshire-based company have fallen 40% in the past 12...

REGIONAL BANKS PRIMED TO WEATHER CREDIT CRUNCH; A Conversation with Money Manager Carl M. Birkelbach.(Markets)(Carl M. Birkelbach of Birkelbach Investment Securities Inc.)(Interview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Bob Tita Carl M. Birkelbach, 67, founder, chairman and CEO, Birkelbach Investment Securities Inc., Chicago Experience: 43 years Assets under management: $200 million Crain's: Whither the U.S. economy? Mr....

Wrigley unlikely to pay for name; Zell challenge aside, gum maker would get little from Cubs tie-in.(News)(Samuel Zell)(Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Sam Zell is trying to make William Wrigley Jr. chase a bad pitch. Through a Cubs exec, Mr. Zell recently suggested Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. "step up'' and pay for having its name on the ballpark dubbed for the...

Spending slump leads to closures; Softer rents, space glut add to retailers' woes.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: FRANK BYRT Crain News Service With prospects of a sharp decline in consumer spending after a disappointing holiday sales season, retailers are announcing store closings at an alarming rate, casting a pall over the resale value of...

Retail vacancies increase locally; New numbers reflect 'economic doubts' of market, report says.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: EDDIE BAEB The vacancy rate for retail space in the Chicago area edged higher in the fourth quarter, climbing for the second consecutive quarter, as retailers tempered their plans to add new stores amid mounting concerns about the...

Realtor ads defy housing slump; $40-million campaign touts ownership value.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: ALICE Z. CUNEO Crain News Service The housing bubble has burst. Almost three-quarters of a million Americans are in foreclosure. The median price of a single-family home recently fell for the first time in at least 40 years; many...

BIZ BACKS BARACK; Corporate Chicago powers local fundraising landslide.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: PAUL MERRION While voters have their say on Tuesday, Chicago executives made their presidential preferences known long ago. With backing from the city's biggest law firms and companies ranging from Commonwealth Edison parent...

Tracking global sprawl; Tools of the Trade.(Focus: Finance)(Ronald D. Kropp of Illinois Tool Works Inc.)(Occupation overview)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Daniel Rome Levine Ronald D. Kropp 42, Illinois Tool Works Inc. Years on the job: 11/2 Years with ITW: 14 Biggest challenge: Collecting and processing financial information from the company's 750 businesses around...

News tidbits flow like Champagne.(Business of Life)(Albert Berger's "Hamlet 2'' sold to Focus Features for a whopping $10 million)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Forget TV, blogs or even-gasp-newspapers. Chicago's air-kiss crowd gets its news via the party circuit. And last week was an action-packed edition. At a froufrou private gathering, Chicago's glitterati were sipping Dom Perignon rose...

Need to Know.(Focus: Finance)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Sources: Crist Associates, Heidrick & Struggles International Inc., Robert Half International Inc., Crain's 5 1/2 years Average tenure of a CFO at a Fortune 500 company. $257,500- $370-500 Average pay for CFOs at U.S....

City's tech star fading from view; Moto woes signal Chicago's eclipse.(News)(Motorola Inc.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ The loss of Motorola Inc.'s cell phone business would reduce Chicago to a pin-dot on the global technology map and set the stage for the dismantling of a giant that helped shape the region's corporate landscape for...

John Buck strikes oil; Abu Dhabi investors to snap up 25% stake in Chicago developer.(News)(John Buck Co. and Mubadala Development Co.)
February 4, 2008... Byline: THOMAS CORFMAN In a deal that could turn the King of Wacker Drive into John of Arabia, Chicago real estate developer John A. Buck is close to selling a minority stake in his company to an investment arm of Abu Dhabi as part of an...

How to hire one; The secrets to finding, and keeping, your CFO.(Focus: Finance)
February 4, 2008... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN The average tenure for a chief financial officer of a Fortune 500 company is 51/2 years, according to a 2007 study by Crist Associates, a Hinsdale executive search firm that recruits for clients like Kraft Foods...

For The Record.(Briefs)(condominium associations files theft reports with Chicago police)
February 4, 2008... Several Chicago condo associations allege Regent Realty Group left their buildings' reserve funds depleted of a combined hundreds of thousands of dollars. At least two associations filed theft reports with Chicago police. A third association...

A Mano not quite fully baked yet; Promising menu falls short on the plate; salumi, pizza stand out.(Business of Life)(Mano's Restaurant )(Viewpoint essay)
February 4, 2008... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI As much as I enjoy Bin 36's contemporary American style, I cannot warm up to its Italian cousin, A Mano, opened late last year by the same team. Located beneath the eight-year-old River North mainstay, A Mano...

News Driven.(Business of Life)(Patrick Dealer Group)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Laura Bianchi Other than his BMW 535xi, Hanley Dawson IV's favorite wheels are his road and mountain bikes. Co-president and co-CEO of Patrick Dealer Group Schaumburg, Mr. Dawson, 39, decompresses on lengthy trail rides. During pit...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak COOKING Couples cooking class 120 E. Delaware Place (312) 649-2325 www.fourseasons.com/chicagofs/ 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday Cost: $170 per couple Go behind the scenes and into the...

Destination: Birmingham, Ala.(Business of Life)
February 4, 2008... GET AWAY: Birmingham's biggest claim to auto racing fame is its proximity to Talladega Superspeedway and Barber Motorsports Park. But the city has a more exclusive attraction to brag about: the Porsche Sport Driving School, a sort of...

Special gift: a star vehicle; For the person who has it all, a custom video.(Business of Life)(Alex Noriega of Escandalo Entertainment a video documentary of his life as birthday gift)
February 4, 2008... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS When Alex Noriega turned 50, his wife surprised him with an unusual gift: a video documentary of his life, loosely modeled after A&E's "Biography'' series. The DVD includes a series of photo montages, humorous bits...

Strategic growth for humanities festival.(People)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Lorene Yue Job: Executive director, Chicago Humanities Festival, since Oct. 1. Vitals: 47 years old; bachelor's degree in philosophy, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., 1982; master's in fine arts, Columbia University's School...

FORECLOSURE OVERLOAD; Non-profit credit counselors struggling under crush of clients.(News)
February 4, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS These days, the small waiting room at the Spanish Coalition for Housing is often crowded with people hoping that Ofelia Navarro and her staff can help them hold onto their homes. Ms. Navarro says she and her...

What if ? SENATE SEAT, GOVERNOR'S MANSION ALSO IN PLAY WITH OBAMA ON TUESDAY.(News)(Barack Obama)
February 4, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz I'm not going to make any predictions about who will win on Super-Duper Tuesday. Let's just say it's been a bad season for pollsters and pundits alike-and keep a particularly close eye on the returns from California. ...

Final Tally; Candidates weren't the only winners and losers in last Tuesday's vote.(News)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton weren't the only candidates on the ballot Super Tuesday. A few other races are worth special attention because of their wide, continuing impact. The evening's biggest winner-besides...

Airlines near Midway deal; Carriers expect to sign off soon on Daley's privatization plan.(News)
February 11, 2008... Byline: PAUL MERRION Mayor Richard M. Daley's plan to privatize Midway Airport is gaining altitude. Airlines operating at Midway say an agreement is near that would allow the city to seek a private operator for the South Side airport,...

Charities join forces; Groups consolidating back-office operations as budget woes deepen.(News)
February 11, 2008... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE With declining government funding and growing demand for services, nine of Chicago's largest charities are merging their back-office functions to cut costs. The YMCA and YWCA, Kids Hope United, Metropolitan...

On the Move.(People)(Rosebud Restaurants promotes Thomas J. McDermott to chief financial officer)(Verizon Wireless Inc. promotes Christine Berberich to vice president)(Northeastern Illinois University promotes Carla Knorowski to vice president)
February 11, 2008... Consumer services Food for Thought, Lincolnwood: Thomas J. McDermott, 45, to chief financial officer, from CFO at Rosebud Restaurants. Morton's Restaurant Group Inc., Chicago: Kate Shehan, 43, to vice-president of human resources, from...

FINDING TEXTBOOK EXAMPLES FOR THE VALUE INVESTOR; A Conversation with Money Manager Alvin Marley.(Markets)(Alvin Marley of Lombardia Capital Partners)(Interview)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Bruce Blythe Alvin Marley, 60, managing director, Lombardia Capital Partners, Chicago Experience: 34 years Assets under management: $316 million Crain's: As a value investor, you've spied bargains in real estate...

CONDO CONTRARIAN; Corus CEO Glickman is betting the bank on condo loans, even as market melts down.(News)(Robert J. Glickman of CORUS Bankshares Inc.)
February 11, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Robert J. Glickman's desk is piled high with manila folders, all files on condominium construction loans made by Corus Bank, one of the biggest condo lenders in the United States. While other lenders flee the...

Fed cuts prove a boon for broker; Interest rate dips help O'Brien's fortunes rise.(News)
February 11, 2008... Byline: ANN SAPHIR R. J. O'Brien & Associates Inc., one of Chicago's oldest futures brokers, has dodged a bullet, according to its CEO. When the family-owned operation was bought out last year by a pair of private-equity firms, it took...

Frequent Frustration; As miles become harder to use, airlines risk hurting their programs' value.(News)(Ryan Rassin of Orchard First Source Capital Inc.)
February 11, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ Ryan Rassin got an unpleasant surprise recently when he tried to redeem his frequent-flier miles on United Airlines for a long weekend getaway this spring. To leave or return on the days he wanted, he would have to...

Opening/On Sale.(Business of Life)
February 11, 2008... Opening "Andy Warhol's Silver Clouds" 820 N. Michigan Ave. (312) 915-7600 www.luc.edu/luma 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday Suggested admission: $6 general Silver, helium-filled "pillows" float through the...

The art of selling out; CRAFTING THE PERFECT EXIT STRATEGY.(Focus: Small Business)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Thomas Mucha Why did you start your business? You had an original business idea that had to happen? You wanted the challenge of creating something new? You needed to be your own boss? Common answers, all, to this...

Stock exchange power play; Arbor leads dissident group agitating for change at CHX.(News)(Chicago Stock Exchange Inc.)
February 11, 2008... Byline: ANN SAPHIR Former futures industry kingpin Patrick Arbor is calling for the ouster of Chicago Stock Exchange CEO David Herron, saying the 126-year-old institution is missing out on merger opportunities. Mr. Arbor, local hedge...

The Sun-Times: a casualty of the Internet age?(Opinion)(Sun-Times Co.)(Viewpoint essay)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Joel Weisman Joel Weisman is a locally based commentator and host of WTTW-TV/ Channel 11's "Chicago Tonight: The Week in Review.'' There have been some brutal layoffs (and confidential buyouts to avoid being laid off) at the...

When opportunity calls; Want to sell a business? Then it's time to get started on the homework.(Focus: Small Business)
February 11, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON In July 2006, Chicago entrepreneur Joseph Sameh got an unexpected call. American Medical Alert Corp., a New York company that sells medical alert devices, wanted to buy his two businesses: American MediConnect...

Get your money's worth.(Focus: Small Business)(Theodore Polk of Citi Capital Strategies)(Interview)
February 11, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON Last year, Citi Capital Strategies investment banker Theodore Polk closed six deals involving Chicago entrepreneurs, advising them on the sale or recapitalization of their middle-market businesses in industries as...

Need to Know.(Focus: Small Business)
February 11, 2008... $2.7 million Amount Ray Kroc paid the McDonald brothers in 1961 for the rights to the Golden Arches. $22.8 billion McDonald's revenue last year. $1.6 million Amount Bryant Kiel paid for Potbelly Sandwich Works in 1996....

Biz for sale: click here Low costs, big reach; bring more sellers online to find buyers.(Focus: Small Business)
February 11, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON If it weren't for the Internet, Ernie Kaplan probably wouldn't have found a buyer for his company just two months after putting it on the market. Last year, Mr. Kaplan hired Sunbelt Business Brokers in Chicago to...

Is the party over? How networking can lead to a sale-even when it feels premature.(Focus: Small Business)(CashNetUSA)
February 11, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON At a business conference in Las Vegas in March 2006, Al Goldstein planned to network with fellow entrepreneurs-not find a buyer for CashNetUSA, an Internet-based payday loan company he'd co-founded less than two...

Bring in the broker; Want the deal to go smoothly? Sounds like you need a professional.(Focus: Small Business)
February 11, 2008... Byline: CYNTHIA HANSON When it came to starting and selling a business, Julie Northcutt had the benefit of good timing. Eight years ago, Ms. Northcutt read a magazine article about Home Instead Inc., a home-care provider for seniors...

For The Record.(Briefs)(Continental Airlines Inc. and United Air Lines Inc. are in advanced talks for a deal)
February 11, 2008... Continental Airlines wants to do a deal with UAL only if another merger of rivals is struck first, says a person close to Continental. The United parent is in serious talks with Continental for the second time in less than a year. From...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
February 11, 2008... In a Jan. 28 Focus section map, the location of the Railway Exchange Building was misidentified. It is on the northwest corner of Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue. A Feb. 4 story incorrectly reported that Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. sold...

Obama, McCain come out ahead.(Briefs)(Barack Obama and John McCain )(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Barack Obama routed Hillary Clinton in the Feb. 5 Illinois presidential primary, a home-state victory that offered the Democrats one of the richest delegate prizes in the nation. On the Republican side, John McCain easily defeated Mitt Romney,...

Destination: Belize.(Business of Life)(City overview)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: Less than seven hours' flight from Chicago, Belize offers a tropical escape that's both relaxing (white-sand beaches, resorts galore) and engaging (archeological excursions, wildlife preserves). And you don't...

BAXTER'S LIFEBLOOD; Potential topping-out of plasma prices endangers record share run-up.(Markets)
February 11, 2008... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Lofty prices for plasma, the protein-laden fluid component of blood, have Baxter International Inc. in the pink. Shares of the Deerfield-based company have climbed 22% in the past 12 months, tops among U.S. health...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
February 11, 2008... THIS WEEK FEB. 12: Illinois CPA Society presents Tax Landscape of a Mergers & Acquisitions Deal. 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, 19th floor. Fee: $170 members, $205 non-members. (800)...

Expanding Cole Taylor's commercial biz.(People)(Mark Hoppe of Cole Taylor Bank)(Occupation overview)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Lorene Yue Job: President and CEO, Cole Taylor Bank; president, Taylor Capital Group Inc. (holding company for Cole Taylor), since Feb. 4. Vitals: 54 years old; bachelor's degree in finance, University of Wisconsin-Madison,...

State circling Peotone land; Next step for 3rd airport: settle property issues.(News)
February 11, 2008... Byline: PAUL MERRION While prospects for building the Chicago area's third major airport are still up in the air, the state is stepping up efforts to buy farms and residential properties it needs for the project near Peotone. "We are...

Green spaces thrive in own little worlds; Terrariums defy winter; artists make glass pieces striking on their own.(Business of Life)(Judy A. Saslow)
February 11, 2008... Byline: JENNIFER OLVERA Gallery owner Judy A. Saslow cultivated a suburban garden before moving to Streeterville, so she was pleased to find an unusual way to indulge her green thumb in the city. "I've always been addicted to plants,''...

Crain's hires graphics editor.(News)(Crain's Chicago Business appoints Jason McGregor)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Jason McGregor has joined Crain's Chicago Business as graphics editor. Mr. McGregor, 30, comes to Crain's from the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, where he held a variety of graphic design positions, most recently as designer of the Herald's...

McCain could be spark that revives Ill. GOP.(Opinion)(John McCain)
February 11, 2008... John McCain's strong showing in last week's presidential primaries offers a ray of hope to the benighted Illinois Republican Party. Mr. McCain represents a traditional strain of GOP thought that's more in line with the philosophy of the...

Is N.Y. chain good fit for Walgreen?(News)(Jeffrey A. Rein of Walgreen Co.)
February 11, 2008... Byline: MONEE FIELDS-WHITE CEO Jeffrey A. Rein aims to expand Walgreen Co.'s presence in the Northeast-territory dominated by archrival CVS Caremark Corp.-and some observers think he could get there quickly by acquiring a well-known...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak COMEDY "Chris Rock: No Apologies'' 5400 N. River Road Rosemont (312) 559-1212 www.ticketmaster.com 7:30 p.m. Thursday- Sunday Tickets: $45.50-$75.50 The talented Mr. Rock says...

Music Lessons Play On At Work.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Kevin Davis Squeezed for time, but want to learn to play an instrument? Music teachers are striking a chord with lunchtime piano and guitar lessons for downtown office workers. Roland Moyer, founder of Lunch Time Lessons,...

Score Keeper.(Business of Life)(Jim Corno of Comcast Corp.)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Christina Le Beau Jim Corno, 60, president of Comcast SportsNet Chicago, has the TV on all day in his office so he can channel-surf to see how other networks cover the same stories. But he's also a book buff and an avid restaurant...

Hugo's Frog Bar: solid, if a bit overshadowed; Gibsons' seafood sibling deserves attention, too.(Business of Life)(Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse)
February 11, 2008... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA On its own, Hugo's Frog Bar is the consummate seafood house: great fish, simply and expertly prepared, accompanied by solid service and a lively atmosphere. But it's tough to talk about the restaurant's Gold...

Radler sues ex-pal Trump; Headed to prison, former Sun-Times exec still wants his condo.(News)(David Radler and Donald Trump of Chicago Sun-Times Inc. Star Publications)
February 11, 2008... Byline: ALBY GALLUN F. David Radler, the convicted former Chicago Sun-Times publisher whose testimony helped send media baron Conrad Black to prison, is going back to court against another one-time business associate: Donald Trump. Mr....

Fundraiser suffers Oscar night suspense.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
February 11, 2008... Byline: Shia Kapos So much for hitching your fate to Oscar's star. The Hollywood writers' strike threw the star-studded telecast into limbo, causing headaches for hosts of an annual Oscar-night fundraiser in Chicago to benefit Autism...

Nutrition advice: meaty enough? Chicago expert puts fresh face on tips from American Dietetic Assn., but some find group's approach a bit thin.(Business of Life)(Dawn Jackson Blatner)
February 11, 2008... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI It is an arctic-cold Friday in January, and Dawn Jackson Blatner is promoting a new diet on Chicago-based morning talk show "In the Loop with iVillage'' on WMAQ-TV/Channel 5. Ms. Blatner, 32, created the "3-4-5...

All eyes on ears; As corn prices rise, Wall Street loses its appetite for sweetener maker Corn Products International.(Markets)
February 18, 2008... Byline: BOB TITA Investors are souring on one of the country's biggest makers of sweeteners. Shares of Westchester-based Corn Products International Inc. have dropped more than 20% since the end of October, as futures contracts for...

Opening.(Business of Life)
February 18, 2008... "Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat" 77 W. Washington St. (866) 811-4111 www.srtp.org 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday; 4 p.m. Sunday Tickets: $18-$30 In this world-premiere production by the...

Now on sale.(Business of Life)
February 18, 2008... * Lincoln Park Zoo's "Leap Into Hot Winter Night," Cafe Brauer, 8 p.m. Feb. 29. Tickets: $75, www.lpzoo.org, (312) 742-2306 * Mandy Patinkin, Chicago Theatre, 8 p.m. March 29. Tickets: $35-$75, www.thechicagotheatre.com, (312) 902-1500 ...

Nice try, but one size does not fit all; @@Byline: Samantha Stainburn.(Focus: Law)(Clough Kitslaar)(Interview)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Samantha Stainburn The devil's in the details when drawing up contracts with a joint-venture partner, buyer, supplier or any other company. Crain's asked Elizabeth "Libby'' Clough Kitslaar, 50, a corporate lawyer with Jones Day,...

I'm fired? You're sued!(Focus: Law)(Joan Eagle)(Interview)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Samantha Stainburn The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 83,000 charges of employment discrimination in 2007. Meanwhile, 35% of private companies have been sued by an employee recently. Crain's asked Joan Eagle,...

What's this gonna cost? With legal fees rising, companies strike back.(Focus: Law)
February 18, 2008... Byline: SAMANTHA STAINBURN For those in business, the statistics are frightening. Last year, 83% of U.S. companies were slapped with a lawsuit. Of those, one-third had six to 20 suits to contend with-everything from employment complaints...

The end of hourly fees?(Focus: Law)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Samantha Stainburn The almighty billable hour may not be so mighty for long. With a glut of law firms and no end to new cases, companies are in a better position than ever to name their price. But that doesn't mean everyone's...

How's the weather affecting you?(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: Matthew Rusling Crain's asked Chicagoans about the impact the snow and cold are having on their business or spending. BUSINESS IS SLOW: "On the really cold days, there's just nobody here.'' Catherine Law, 22,...

BRRRR! Bitter winter chills local merchants.(News)
February 18, 2008... Byline: VIRGINIA GROARK AND CRYSTAL YEDNAK The snowiest winter in almost 30 years is putting the freeze on local commerce. Snowdrifts, slushy sidewalks and bone-chilling cold are keeping Chicagoans curled up on the couch and out of...