Richard C. Balough

Professional Experience  

Mr. Balough has been providing counsel to clients for over 30 years. He has represented: 

• Multi-national high technology companies  
• Website design firms 
• Individuals in defamation, privacy  and right of publicity cases
• Software development companies
• Internet service providers  
• Marketing and advertising firms
• Photographic studios
• Start-up companies
• Telecommunication firms
• Municipalities and governmental agencies
• One of the largest electric energy users in the Chicago area

In addition to serving as legal counsel for start-up, small and medium-sized companies and high technology companies, he has counseled city and county governments, as well as a consumer advocacy group.  Mr. Balough served as lead counsel for the "moldly apartment" twitter defamation case, successfully dismissing the case.

He is co-chair of the mCommerce Subcommittee of the Cyberspace Law Committee of the American Bar Association.  Mr. Balough is on the Advisory Board for the Center for International Media Law and Policy Studies for the Indiana University School of Journalism.   He has served on the Board of Managers of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (IPLAC) and has served as chair of IPLAC's Internet Law Committee. He is past chair of the Computer Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association.  Mr. Balough was the local managing partner in Austin (TX) for a Washington, DC-based law firm, was an assistant city attorney for the City of Austin, Texas, and was an assistant state's attorney in Will County, Illinois.

Publications and Presentations 

His articles on the Internet and privacy have appeared in the American Bar Association's Business Law Journal, the Computer & Information Law Journal, the Illinois Bar Journal, the Chicago Bar Association's CBA Record, the Chicago Law Bulletin, the Illinois Legal Times, and Marketing News. He is one of the authors of the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education's (IICLE) handbook on Intellectual Property Law. He has spoken at numerous legal and civic forums, including several IICLE and IPLAC seminars. He has taught law school courses.  Mr. Balough has served as guest lecturer on privacy and the law at the University of Notre Dame and on entrepreneurship at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.  Prior to his legal career, Mr. Balough was assistant financial editor, news editor, and financial reporter for the Chicago Daily News and the Miami Herald. He received numerous awards as a reporter.

 Education 

Mr. Balough has masters of law degrees cum laude in intellectual property law and information technology and privacy law in addition to his JD degree. His undergraduate degree was in journalism and government from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Admissions 

Supreme Court of Illinois

Supreme Court of Texas

Supreme Court of Florida

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (Trial Bar)

U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois

U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas

 Community Activities 

Mr. Balough's civic and community activities have included the Parish Pastoral Council at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago and service on several committees with the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. While in Texas, he was president of Keep Austin (TX) Beautiful, chairman of Downtown Austin (TX) Partners, and a member of various Austin Chamber of Commerce committees.