Crain's Chicago Business articles from March 2008

Crain's Chicago Business archives from March 2008

Perpetual elections put the peoples' business on hold.(Viewpoint essay)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Gerald D. Skoning Gerald D. Skoning is a lawyer with Seyfarth Shaw LLP in Chicago who specializes in labor and employment law. The psychology of "election-year politics'' is offered as an explanation (or, make that an excuse)...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)(List)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak ART Gordon Matta-Clark 220 E. Chicago Ave. (312) 280-2660 www.mcachicago.org 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday Admission: $10, free on Tuesday Combining...

Pritzker stands up for small startups.(Business of Life)(J. B. Pritzker)(Interview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Mary Cameron Frey The Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center was formed in 1999 to help start-up businesses network and raise money. The CEC, a non-profit affiliate of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, works mostly with small to...

16. NO JERKS, PLEASE: Perkins coie.(Focus: Best Places to Work)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kevin McKeough Jerks need not apply at Perkins Coie, which has an unwritten policy of not hiring attorneys who don't play well with others. "We have turned down major rainmakers on that basis,'' says Chris Wilson, 45, managing...

SHOWING CRACKS; Clay maker Amcol's shares slip from record on concern economic slump will cut demand.(Markets)
March 3, 2008... Byline: BOB TITA After riding an expanding global economy much of this decade, Amcol International Corp. has developed clay feet. Shares of the Arlington Heights-based producer of industrial clays have fallen 30% from a record $41.23...

Scalpels drawn in Evanston; NW medical school threatens to sever ties with hospital group.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Northwestern University's medical school is threatening to end an affiliation with Evanston Northwestern Healthcare over a protracted financial dispute, according to people familiar with the matter. Feinberg School...

TRADING PLACES; Step one of exchange merger went smoothly; now comes the hard part.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: ANN SAPHIR Bryan Durkin admits he's "never relaxed,'' but his tension level was even higher than usual as he surveyed a bank of computer monitors at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Jan. 13. That was the day electronic...

HUDDLE UP: staubach.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Company overview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kevin McKeough Play fair, play together and play to win. It's no surprise that sports analogies abound at Staubach Co., given that its founder is Roger Staubach, who quarterbacked the Dallas Cowboys in four Super Bowls in the...

For The Record.(Briefs)
March 3, 2008... Northrup Grumman and EADS trumped Boeing for a $35-billion contract to make military tanker aircraft. It's a big reversal for the Chicago aerospace giant, which supplied the Air Force with tankers for nearly 50 years. Home sales fell 34%...

2. Benefits, Benefits: Microsoft.(Focus: Best Places to Work)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kevin McKeough Nick Schenck used to pay $300 a month for speech therapy classes for his 9-year-old stepson. He also paid $1,100 out of pocket for his 14-year-old daughter's braces, despite having medical and dental coverage through...

Plan for S. Loop tower takes a hit; Lender foreclosing on 80-story Park Michigan.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: EDDIE BAEB AND THOMAS A. CORFMAN Plans for an 80-story condominium tower that would overlook Grant Park on South Michigan Avenue are in doubt after a lender filed a foreclosure lawsuit, seeking to recoup more than $4.25 million. ...

20. DOUBLE THE FUN: DRAFTFCB.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Matthew Carmichael Why it's a best place to work: In 2006, DraftFCB had the unenviable task of merging strong cultures, as two units of agency giant Interpublic Group of Cos. (Draft Worldwide and FCB) became one. "We had to get...

Reasons to merge: Try money; UAL's Tilton, others stand to make millions in an airline merger.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: JOHN PLETZ United Airlines' top executives have a lot of reasons to do a merger-about 13 million of them-and another 17 million reasons not to stick around after the deal. The five highest-paid execs at parent UAL Corp. would...

Ex-campaign chief to open trial.(Briefs)(Rod Blagojevich )(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Gov. Blagojevich's former campaign finance director will be the leadoff witness at the fraud trial of political fundraiser Antoin "Tony'' Rezko, federal prosecutors said. Jury selection was due to begin Monday. Along with businessman Stuart...

11. No groupthink SDI.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(System Development Integration Inc.)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Michelle Evans Why it's a best place to work: Cecelia Bolden was handed the reins as soon as she walked through the door at System Development Integration Inc. The Chicago-based firm hired Ms. Bolden, 41, four years ago to...

12. DO-GOODING THOUGHTWORKS.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(ThoughtWorks Inc.)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Michelle Evans Why it's a best place to work: ThoughtWorks employees don't live in cube farms or toil away in corner offices. A consultant is as likely to sit next to a manager as he is a fellow project member- symbolic of a firm...

5. No quitters at this place: Wrightwood capital.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Michelle Evans Why it's a best place to work: No one quit his job at Wrightwood Capital last year. And, in a Crain's survey of employees, most said they would be there in 12 months if they had their way. So why do people stick...

7. like a rock:.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(William Blair and Company L.L.C.)(Company overview)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Michelle Evans Why it's a best place to work: Sam Tinaglia, a principal at William Blair & Co., was recently hired to advise a company through a $100-million acquisition. The reason: stability. The client had Mr. Tinaglia's...

15. GOT MILK AND MORE WEBER SHANDWICK.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Company overview)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Michelle Evans Why it's a best place to work: Had it not been for Weber Shandwick, Janna Porrevecchio says she never would have experienced her Sicilian heritage firsthand. Each year, the Chicago office of this global public...

Safe bet; A PRIVATE OPERATOR COULD REKINDLE LOTTERY REVENUE GROWTH.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz Any product manager whose revenues have been dead flat for a decade had better be looking hard for a solution-or for a new job. So why has Team Blagojevich so far pretty much fumbled a fiscal no-brainer: the...

17. GLOBETROTTING McDONALD'S.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Company overview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kevin McKeough A year ago, Ivan Torrico left his position as McDonald's senior director of human resources and started over, working the french fry station at a McDonald's in Algonquin. It was the first step in a two-year...

10. INSIDE THE BEER CAVE: UPSHOT MARKETING.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Company overview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kevin McKeough The beer starts flowing around 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month, when Upshot staffers-some sporting neckties-gather in the employee lounge for happy hour. "Schbooze,'' held each month, and the...

The Small Print.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Matthew Carmichael Who was eligible? Any business with more than 100 employees as of Dec. 31, 2006, in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties. The application process, which took place last fall, was advertised in...

Foreclosure flu spreads; Home loan defaults rising from Plainfield to Portage Park.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS The housing crisis hit virtually every Chicago neighborhood and suburb last year as foreclosures swept from the city's Bungalow Belt all the way to the exurbs of Will County. Foreclosures in Chicago surged almost...

13. EDUCATION MATTERS: CHUBB.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Sonja Robertson)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kevin McKeough Sonja Robertson, a claims assistant at Chubb, gets to her desk at 6 a.m. so she can leave by 2:30 p.m. to attend classes at Northeastern University, where she's a full-time student working toward a bachelor's degree...

1: THE BEST OF THE BEST - Google.(Focus: Best Places to Work)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kevin McKeough Yes, Google employees get a free hot lunch every day. And chair massages on Wednesdays and Thursdays. And unlimited access to the foosball table in the break room. But those perks are secondary for much of the...

19. WORK AND PLAY: GOLINHARRIS.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(GolinHarris International Inc.)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Allison Riggio Why it's a best place to work: For the public relations agency that picked up a hamburger-peddling client named Ray Kroc in 1957, it's fitting that the Chicago office of GolinHarris has a 1950s-era break room dubbed...

On the Move.(People)
March 3, 2008... CONSUMER SERVICES Food for Thought, Lincolnwood: Jeffrey Winograd, 45, to vice-president of food-service management, from director of operations at Go Roma. FINANCIAL SERVICES William Blair & Co. LLC, Chicago: John Brennan, 45, to...

ADM's inside man looks for external leverage.(People)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Bob Tita Job: Chief financial officer, Archer Daniels Midland Co., as of March 1. Vitals: 52 years old; bachelor's degree in mathematics, Illinois College, Jacksonville, 1977; passed certified public accountant exam, 1981;...

Info Junkie.(Business of Life)(Michael D. Maves)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Laura Bianchi A self-proclaimed "sports nut and gear head,'' Michael D. Maves, 59, is CEO and executive vice-president of the Chicago-based American Medical Assn. Dr. Maves is also an ear, nose and throat specialist. His resources:...

Modern Asian style takes over Shikago; Powerful flavors mixed with care; seared tuna with hazelnut, pear.(Business of Life)
March 3, 2008... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI Dining in Chicago's top restaurants is always an adventure, but once in a while an experience really stands out. Such is the case with Shikago, located in the former cafeteria of law firm Mayer Brown LLP, which...

9. EVERYBODY WANG CHUNG: ASSURANCE AGENCY.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Allison Riggio Why it's a best place to work: Assurance Agency executives want their employees to look forward to coming to work every Monday morning. They've even invented a new adjective to describe some of the office perks:...

8. DAY ONE READY: RESOURCES GLObAL PROFESSIONALs.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Allison Riggio Why it's a best place to work: Executives at Resources Global Professionals say experience is the foundation of the consulting firm's business model. Associates at Irvine, Calif.-based Resources have, on average,...

14. CLIMBING THE LADDER: AVANADE.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Matthew Carmichael Why it's a best place to work: A joint venture between Microsoft Corp. and Accenture Ltd., global IT consulting firm Avanade Inc. wants employees to move up the corporate ladder: It promotes 15% of its workforce...

No dogs here: DIAMOND CONSULTANTS.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Matthew Carmichael Why it's a best place to work: There is no game room in Diamond Management's office. There's no coffee bar, either. Chicago-based Diamond doesn't spend its resources on the quirky perks common to many tech...

18. PERSONAL TOUCHES: Mesirow financial.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Matthew Carmichael Why it's a best place to work: As James Tyree leads a tour of his company's Chicago offices, the chairman of Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc. greets employees by name. With a small margin of error, he also knows...

On the `l' word: TRANSWESTERN.(Focus: Best Places to Work)(Transwestern Commercial Services)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Matthew Carmichael Why it's a best place to work: The "L'' in real estate is usually location. But for Transwestern Commercial Services, it's loyalty. The Dallas-based commercial real estate firm focuses on attracting and keeping...

Lawyers, they sure are zany.(Business of Life)(stand-up comedy contest for doctors, lawyers and accountants)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Kevin Davis A doctor, a lawyer and an accountant walk into a comedy club . . . No, that's not the opening line of a joke. MDs, JDs, CPAs and other professionals have been invited to take part in a yearlong search for "The...

Mr. Driehaus, can you leave extra towels?(Business of Life)(vacation homes becoming popular in Chicago)(Brief article)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Shia Kapos Second homes are hot-especially on the auction block at some of Chicago's notable charity events. A week's stay at the Telluride home of Peter Krivkovich, CEO of Cramer-Krasselt advertising, went for $7,000 at the...

TOLAN'S WAY; Taste for 'ferocious debate' powers Accenture alum to entrepreneurial summit.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: STEVEN R. STRAHLER Accretive Health, a $250-million Chicago company built from scratch in four years, counts on a glitzy board that includes former Secretary of State George Shultz and Hollywood mogul Edgar Bronfman Jr. But the...

Pritzkers to auction Lake County parcels; Two tracts could support almost 1,500 home sites.(News)(Pritzker family )
March 3, 2008... Byline: EDDIE BAEB The billionaire Pritzker family is auctioning off three big parcels of farmland in Lake County, including 344 acres in Warren Township on which almost 1,500 homes could be built. The properties being sold are...

LETTERS: City smoking ban means the butt stops everywhere.(Opinion)(Letter to the editor)
March 3, 2008... Every action results in one or more reactions, some planned, some unintended. Such is the case with the recently implemented statewide smoking ban. When the snow melts, it's clear that one of the unintended results of the indoor smoking...

Destination: Dublin, Ireland.(Business of Life)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: St. Patrick's Day falls the week before Easter this year, a rare confluence that's led some towns to reschedule their celebrations-but not Dublin, which will hold its parade March 17 just like always. Join the...

Are they scared yet? Staff says no; The writing's on the newsroom wall. So why are many at the Sun-Times sticking around, full of hope?(Business of Life)(Sun-Times Co.)
March 3, 2008... Byline: LISA BERTAGNOLI To the grim satisfaction of many at the Chicago Sun-Times, both Conrad Black and David Radler are now doing penance after a thieving ownership that drained financial resources and creative energy from the newspaper...

Decline seen in apartment sales; After 'monster year,' market worries in '08.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: ANDREW SCHROEDTER Sales of Chicago-area apartment buildings could drop 30% this year, to $1.8 billion, from a record-breaking 2007, according to a report from CB Richard Ellis Inc. "The shift in the capital markets has some...

Tower builder tie-up? Related Cos., Magellan discuss a combo as two major projects falter.(News)
March 3, 2008... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN AND EDDIE BAEB Powerhouse New York developer Related Cos. is in advanced negotiations to acquire a stake in Chicago residential high-rise developer Magellan Development Group LLC, which would take over Related's...

Hair of the dog is no cure for a credit binge.(Opinion)
March 3, 2008... Tails wagged on Wall Street last week as Federal Reserve officials dangled traders' favorite treat: interest rate cuts. Few of the puppies who dutifully bid up stock prices when Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke all but promised another reduction...

ELECTION OUTCOME MAY BE TAXING FOR INVESTORS; A conversation with money manager MARK SOEHN.(Markets)(Interview)
March 3, 2008... Byline: Bruce Blythe Mark Soehn, 37, principal and managing director, Financial Solutions Advisory Group Inc., Chicago Experience: 12 years Assets under management: $110 million Crain's: What's your outlook? Mr....

Opening/On Sale.(Business of Life)
March 3, 2008... Opening "Catholic Chicago" 1601 N. Clark St. (312) 642-4600 www.chicagohistory.org 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday Admission: $14 The Chicago History Museum explores the city and its faith with a...

A Sterling example of condo bust; Foreclosures, falling prices: a bad omen?(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: ALBY GALLUN AND THOMAS A. CORFMAN The sign out front says, "The Sterling Private Residences,'' but the 50-story tower at 345 N. LaSalle St. recently has earned a less distinguished title: condo foreclosure capital of Chicago. ...

Million-dollar musts; What buyers won't live without: elevators, heated floors and lots of his-and-hers spaces.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: LAURA BIANCHI When trying to sell a seven-figure house, there are certain up-market amenities that can't be ignored. And they seem to change by the year, so keeping a high-end home fresh requires constant updating. "If a house...

Apple Dippers for small fries; Image bruised, McD's changes course on kids ads.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: DAVID STERRETT Ronald McDonald is changing his pitch. After spending the past few years trying to depict the company mascot as a fitness fanatic, McDonald's Corp. execs are shifting to a strategy that touts healthy foods like...

Foiling counterfeiters with nanotechnology.(People)(NanoInk Inc.)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Mike Colias Job: CEO, NanoInk Inc., since Jan. 21. Vitals: 48 years old; bachelor's degree in pharmacy, Butler University, Indianapolis, 1982; MBA, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1984; held marketing, new-business...

Four-year college not the only path to rewarding career.(Viewpoint essay)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Ronald D. Bullock Ronald D. Bullock is a trustee of the National Assn. of Manufacturers' Manufacturing Institute. Amid all the speculation about a possible recession, a new report by the Urban Institute, a non-partisan...

Guv's tax gamble; Budget plan hurts odds for Chicago casino.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: BOB TITA Gov. Rod Blagojevich has proposed a 30% hike in state gambling taxes to fund education spending, a move that would squeeze casinos already grappling with declining business as the economy founders. The proposed...

CRAIN'S LIST: list high-end home sales.(News)(Public notice)
March 10, 2008... Includes 25 most expensive home sales in 2007 in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties and all home sales higher than $1 million in McHenry County. Data gathered from county deeds by Record Information Services Inc. w COOK ...

Info Junkie.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Laura Bianchi Commuting is a short walk for Maureen Beal, who lives "above the store'' at National Van Lines Inc.'s Broadview headquarters. The 65-year-old CEO shares the modern, spacious apartment with her husband, a daughter and...

Crain's Picks.(Business of Life)(List)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Crystal Yednak Opening "The Glass Experience" 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive (773) 684-141 www.msichicago.org 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday Entry: $23 for adults, $14 for...

A 'most generous' donor to causes near and far.(Business of Life)(Interview)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Mary Cameron Frey The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University was endowed by Ann Lurie after her husband's death from colon cancer in 1990. The National Cancer Institute in 1998 awarded the center the...

Destination: Vail, Colo.(Business of Life)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Anne Ford GET AWAY: Ski season slip past you this year? It may be March, but you can still hit the slopes at Vail. The Snowsports School provides half- or full days of private instruction, tailored to your group of six or fewer...

At Burling mansion, even gravel is French.(Business of Life)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Shia Kapos Money's no object and dreams are sky-high. Sounds like the Democratic primary, but it's actually a homebuilding project that's taken even longer to wrap up. "It got away from me, but it's a labor of love for my...

BEAR MARKET BLUES? POUR A DRINK, BUY A BOND; A conversation with money manager J. Bryant Evans.(Markets)(Interview)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Bruce Blythe J. Bryant Evans, 44, portfolio manager, Cozad Asset Management Inc., Champaign Experience: Eight years Assets under management: $600 million Crain's: You're somewhat bearish on the U.S. stock market for...

Daley: New furnace in every home; Mayor's energy plan taps Peoples, ComEd.(News)(Commonwealth Edison Co.)(Peoples Gas and Oil Company Inc.)(Richard M. Daley)
March 10, 2008... Byline: STEVE DANIELS Mayor Richard M. Daley, continuing his push to make Chicago greener, wants ComEd and Peoples Gas to help Chicagoans buy big-ticket, high-efficiency appliances like furnaces and cooling systems. His plan would...

Elegant breakfasts smooth an early start; Caviar omelets, pastry in striking surroundings.(Business of Life)(ristorante we )
March 10, 2008... Byline: ALISON NEUMER LARA Handling business over an early breakfast can be an efficient move: Everyone is generally fresh and bright for the workday, menu choices tend to be uncomplicated, and the whole shebang often clocks in under an...

High-end 'closers' step up their game; Top brokers hustle in slow luxury market; reaching out to CEOs.(Business of Life)(Margie Brooks )
March 10, 2008... Byline: KEVIN DAVIS Margie Brooks, a top agent for Baird & Warner in Highland Park, sold a home on the way to her son's wedding. "I also sold one right after my daughter said `I do,' '' she says. "I waited until after the ceremony, of...

Kmart flaunts its sexy side; New ad campaign has customers competing to create trendy looks.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: NATALIE ZMUDA Crain News Service Quick, think fashion. What's the first retailer that comes to mind? Bet it wasn't Kmart. Coming off a 4.7% decline in same-store sales last year attributed in part to weak apparel sales,...

Office vacancies to see modest rise; Report: Building boom won't create space glut.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: THOMAS A. CORFMAN The downtown office vacancy rate is predicted to rise only moderately by 2010, despite the expected construction of more than 5.6 million square feet of space, according to a new report by Jones Lang LaSalle Inc....

Boeing's defense biz needs a win; Tanker deal would have kept its Pentagon plane pipeline full for years.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: PAUL MERRION The stunning loss of a $35- billion tanker contract to a plane made by European rival Airbus S.A.S. deals another blow to Boeing Co.'s image as a first-rank defense contractor. Last week's defeat followed losses...

Inspiration Nation.(Focus: Small Business)(professional speaking)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Emily Stone Thirty years ago, the public-speaking industry was dominated by motivational gurus who were good storytellers, like Norman Vincent Peale, author of "The Power of Positive Thinking,'' and Cavett Robert, who coined...

For The Record.(News)
March 10, 2008... Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued subpoenas to two Illinois lenders, Countrywide Home Loans and Wells Fargo Financial Illinois, to determine if they deliberately put black and Latino home buyers in high-cost loans. Countrywide said it will...

Health system to get new governance.(News)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Control of the $800-million Cook County Bureau of Health Services will be in the hands of an independent board by mid-May, said Commissioner Larry Suffredin, D-Evanston. Mr. Suffredin engineered a deal with board President Todd Stroger that led...

Confessions of a motivational guy.(Focus: Small Business)(Patrick McWard)(Personal account)
March 10, 2008... Byline: As told to Emily Stone Patrick McWard, 51 Owner NexStep Speaking on Success Chicago Audiences don't just want a great speaker. At this level, everybody's a great speaker. You've got to have done something...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
March 10, 2008... A March 3 Focus story misstated the promotion rate at Avanade Inc. The company promotes 30% to 35% of its staff each year. A March 3 Focus story misstated the name of Upshot Inc.

Standing small; COUNTY BOARD BIG MAN SUFFREDIN BUCKLES ON SALES TAX HIKE.(News)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Greg Hinz When it comes to Cook County government, I thought I'd seen everything. An "interim'' president who sticks around just long enough (four months) to double her pension and bestow her old job on her kid. A board that...

OBAMA VS. CLINTON: WHAT'S IN IT FOR US? Chicago stands to land plum jobs, other goodies if he makes it to White House.(News)(Barack Obama )(Hillary Clinton)
March 10, 2008... Byline: GREG HINZ AND PAUL MERRION For Chicago and Illinois, a lot more is at stake than the futures of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Such matters as Chicago's Olympics...

Datebook.(Calendar/Datebook)(Calendar)
March 10, 2008... THIS WEEK MARCH 10: Center for Intellectual Property Law at John Marshall Law School presents Intellectual Property Law Distinguished Professor Presentation. Noon to 1:30 p.m. John Marshall Law School, 315 S. Plymouth Court. Free. (312)...

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS; Shares sagging after IPO, but medical test startup Nanosphere may hit it big in takeover.(Markets)
March 10, 2008... Byline: MIKE COLIAS Nanosphere Inc., a medical test maker hatched eight years ago by Northwestern University researchers, is seeking a cure for an ailing stock performance. Shares of the Northbrook-based firm have slumped 54% from a...

A fab way to get help; GIVE YOURSELF A HAND, CHICAGO.(Focus: Small Business)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Thomas Mucha Those melodious entrepreneurs from Liverpool stated the problem like this: Help, I need somebody. Help, not just anybody. Help, you know I need someone. Help. Across Chicago these days, that plaintive...

Blame for losing $35-bil. contract lands on Boeing.(Opinion)
March 10, 2008... Air Force officials made the right call last week when they chose a partnership of Northrop Grumman Corp. and EADS over Boeing Co. to build a new aerial refueling tanker. It was a surprising and painful loss for Chicago-based Boeing, the...

Anchor joins ChicagoBusiness.com.(News)(Lisa Leiter)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Lisa Leiter, 37, has joined Crain's as anchor and reporter on Chica-goBusiness.com's video news desk. She comes from Bloomberg Television's Chicago bureau, where she covered business news and appeared on local affiliates, including...

Need a shower? Step right in.(Business of Life)(Brief article)
March 10, 2008... Byline: Laura Bianchi Using a doorless shower sounds worse than sharing a communal dormitory bathroom. But these open-air stalls are increasingly popular, leaving space unfettered by the usual glass door or curtain. "There is no glass...

The helping hands; Personal and business coaching is growing as a field, but is it for you?(Focus: Small Business)
March 10, 2008... Byline: EMILY STONE Wondering why you were passed over for that promotion? Can't deal with a manager suffering from ADD? Trying to motivate a lackadaisical sales team? You're in luck. There are plenty of business coaches out there to help....

Making the right first impression; It's all important, says one coach, who offers 5 tips for improvement.(Focus: Small Business)
March 10, 2008... Byline: EMILY STONE Jennifer Sara Levin noticed something curious during her four years practicing law. Bright, accomplished law students labored through job interviews, junior associates struggled to leave professional voice mails for...

John Wayne is dead and other lessons; A Barrington coach teaches clients not to shoot from the hip.(Focus: Small Business)
March 10, 2008... Byline: EMILY STONE Catherine Lee wanted to title her new book on international negotiations "John Wayne is Dead.'' Her publisher didn't like it, so they used it as a chapter heading instead. But that message remains at the heart of...