Leyshon v. Diehl Controls North America, Inc.

PRESIDING JUSTICE HALL

delivered the opinion of the court:

The plaintiff, Wallace C. Leyshon, brought suit against the defendants, Diehl Controls North America, Inc. (DCNA), and Christoph Weigand, 1 alleging their breach of an employment contract, violation of the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (820 ILCS 115/1 et seq. (West 2006)), and defamation. Following trial, the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff and awarded damages. On the defamation claim, the jury awarded the plaintiff $2 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages. The trial court denied the…