Richard C. Balough

Professional Experience

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

• Twitter user accused of defamation
• Software development companies
• Internet service providers
• Website design firms
• Marketing and advertising firms
• Photographic studios
• Start-up companies
• Telecommunication firms
• Municipalities and governmental agencies

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 was the local managing partner in Austin (TX) for a Washington, DC-based law firm. Since returning to Chicago, he has successfully operated his own law practice for over ten years, so he is familar with how a business should operate.

Recently, Mr. Balough served as lead counsel for the "moldly apartment" twitter defamation case.  He successfully had the defamation case dismissed.

He has served on the Board of Members 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.

Publications and Presentations

His articles on the Internet and privacy have appeared in the Computer & Information Law Journal for The John Marshall Law School, 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 and has served as guest lecturer on privacy and the law at the University of Notre Dame.  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 a member of 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.