Sean Conway of The Bond Conway Smith Law Firm has obtained a comprehensive appellate victory for the Village of Barrington Hills in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. On June 9, 2026, the federal appeals court issued its ruling in Wortham v. Village of Barrington Hills, No. 25-3072 (7th Cir. 2026), affirming the district court’s dismissal of numerous federal constitutional challenges brought by local property owners regarding the Village’s short-term rental regulations.
The unanimous decision by the Seventh Circuit marks yet another victory for the Village in the multi-year and multi-forum litigation. The plaintiffs initially filed suit in federal court after facing municipal fines for violating local residential zoning regulations, which fines and regulations were previously upheld by Illinois courts. Plaintiffs alleged that the Village’s restrictions on commercial, short-term rentals were unconstitutionally vague under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Seventh Circuit soundly rejected plaintiffs’ claims siding with the Village’s position that plaintiffs’ claims were precluded in federal court due to the Village’s litigation successes in the Illinois courts.
The ruling preserves the right of local governments to protect the character of their residential neighborhoods and to be free from litigation in federal courts on claims that have been raised or could have been raised in prior state court litigation between the same parties and decided in favor of local governments.
The victory expands upon an already prominent streak of municipal and local government appellate successes for Sean Conway and the litigation division at The Bond Conway Smith Law Firm. With extensive experience in representing municipalities and local governmental entities, The Bond Conway Smith Law Firm continues to be at the forefront of forging enduring Illinois and federal case law.