Nancy Maldonado

In Brighton Park, Maldonado represented three community organizations alleging that the Cook County Assessor discriminated against Black and Latinx property owners. The property owners claimed that the assessor illegally shifted property tax burdens from white property owners to Black and Latinx property owners. The organizations brought claims under the Fourteenth Amendment, the Fair Housing Act, and state law. After the suit was filed, a new Cook County Assessor was elected, leading to reforms and the ultimate voluntary dismissal of the claims.

Maldonado represented residents of the City of Waukegan who sued their city for violations of the First Amendment. The residents claimed they were denied entry to a city council meeting, retaliated against, and prevented from gathering because of their opposition to a city ordinance – all violations of their First Amendment rights. The Northern District of Illinois granted summary judgment to two plaintiffs and denied the city officials’ claims of qualified immunity. After the Seventh Circuit affirmed the lower court decision, the parties settled.

Stuart is a labor law case involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The plaintiff, Maura Anne Stuart, sued her union for sex discrimination, alleging that, because of her sex, Local 727 did not refer her for driving jobs on television and movie sets. Drivers on television and movie sets made approximately twice the wage of other bus drivers, but a woman had never been referred to perform any of those jobs. The case was initially thrown out by the district court, but Maldonado persuaded the Seventh Circuit to reverse the dismissal (the panel also reassigned the case, citing the district judge’s “unmistakable . . . tone of derision”). The parties ultimately settled.

In Hernandez, seasonal farmworkers sued their employers for violating state and federal law. According to the farmworkers, their employers required them to perform unpaid, off-the clock work before the start of their shifts, in violation of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, among other laws. Maldonado represented the farmworkers in this litigation. After class certification, the parties settled, with class members receiving significant compensation.

In Kharbouch, music producer Eddie Lee Richardson sued hip-hop artist French Montana for copyright infringement. Maldonado was asked to rule on cross motions for summary judgment. She took an active role in examining these motions and ultimately ruled in favor of Montana. Maldonado’s conclusion rested on the interpretation of relevant case law, stating that due to Richardson’s “sound recording” copyright, he could only establish infringement by demonstrating direct duplication or sampling of his recording. The case involved novel issues related to the standards of proof for sound recording infringement actions, particularly due to the absence of controlling Seventh Circuit precedent.

Atiku Abubakar, a presidential candidate in Nigeria’s February 2023 presidential election, sought to compel Chicago State University (“CSU”) to produce records for use in Nigerian court. Abubakar aimed to prove that Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu lied about graduating from CSU. Maldonado initially referred the case to a magistrate judge, who recommended granting Abubakar’s petition for discovery. Tinubu then filed an emergency request, asking Maldonado to review the magistrate judge’s decision. The urgency was heightened by pending Nigerian court deadlines that could potentially render Abubakar’s request moot. Maldonado issued a written decision just two days after the completion of briefing, affirming the magistrate judge’s decision.

Truck driver Hillery J. Brinson was sexually harassed by another driver and sued his trucking company for 1) failing to prevent the harassment and 2) retaliating against him after he reported said harassment. Eagle Express, Brinson’s employer, sought summary judgment, arguing that Brinson could not establish the severity or pervasiveness of the harassment or its basis in sex, given that the alleged harasser was male. Maldonado granted summary judgment on the retaliation claim but, on the sexual harassment claim, found that Brinson presented enough evidence for a jury to potentially find that he had been harassed based on sex, and that the harassment was severe and pervasive.

Ezra Hill alleged that two Harvey police officers lacked probable cause when they wrongfully arrested him for attempted murder. He sued the city over his mistreatment, raising constitutional and state law claims. Maldonado ruled on a variety of pre-trial evidentiary issues, including a dispute over the admission of third-party hearsay statements. She then presided over the jury trial, which ultimately led to Hill receiving a sizeable $3,002,500 damages award.