Balla v. Gambro, Inc.

Roger Balla (plaintiff) was in-house counsel and regulatory affairs manager for Gambro, Inc. (defendant), which distributed kidney dialysis equipment made by its German affiliate. When Balla learned a shipment violated FDA regulations, he advised Gambro's president to reject it; the president refused and fired Balla. Balla reported the shipment to the FDA, which opened an investigation, and then sued Gambro for retaliatory discharge. The trial court granted summary judgment for Gambro, the appellate court reversed, and the Illinois Supreme Court granted review.