In every Franchise Agreement, the franchisor and franchisee promise to fulfill obligations to the other. For some promises, whether or not they were performed can be a clear "yes" or "no." For example: either a franchisee...more
Franchisors collect weekly or monthly "franchise fees." In many cases, fees are for particular services, such as marketing assistance or IT support. In franchising, the parties may be in any number of different states: for...more
The consequences to an unwitting franchisor can be severe when it fails to provide disclosure documents required by franchise law. Most franchise laws provide for rescission of the franchise agreement, allowing the franchisee...more
A California federal judge dealt a major blow to employees of a Bay Area McDonald's in their effort to hold the franchisor responsible for its franchisee's alleged failure to pay wages and provide meal and rest breaks. The...more
As independent small business operators, franchisees may qualify for business loans that are guaranteed by the Small Business Administration ("SBA loans"). However, the SBA considers certain types and levels of control...more
Franchisors often require franchisees to purchase supplies, materials, or inventory only from suppliers the franchisor approved. But where franchisors see benefits of consolidating by requiring franchisees to participate in...more
12/22/2016
/ Antitrust Violations ,
Civil Conspiracy ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Contract Terms ,
Franchise Agreements ,
Franchisee ,
Franchisors ,
Lock-Up Requirements ,
Market Manipulation ,
Price Inflation ,
Supply Contracts ,
Vendor Contacts
Prudent franchisors have been reducing their apparent control over franchisees' employees to reduce the risk of becoming joint employers of those employees. But could a franchisor's control over the franchisees themselves be...more
In the last month, McDonald's settled a class action with employees of a franchisee, and a new President of the United States was elected. These two events have something in common with regard to franchising: they are...more
An important part of the franchise system is the confidential operating manual. Many franchisors claim protection of operating manuals under the law of trade secrets and copyright.
Keeping the contents confidential is...more
11/2/2016
/ Breach of Contract ,
Confidential Business Information (CBI) ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Registration ,
Franchises ,
Franchisors ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Operating Agreements ,
Policy Manuals ,
Popular ,
Trade Secrets
For more than 55 years, the International Franchise Association has been committed to improving methods and business practices for all participants in franchising - whether working with the Federal Trade Commission, lobbying...more
A franchisor is allowed to make "financial performance representations" in its disclosure documents. These figures may project how much money a franchisee is likely to make and can play a critical part in the franchisor's...more
The California Department of Business Oversight ("DBO") recently issued three Orders against franchisors for violating California's franchise laws....more
7/28/2016
/ Attorney General ,
Compliance ,
Department of Business Oversight ,
Franchise Agreements ,
Franchise Disclosure Document ,
Franchise Fees ,
Franchisee ,
Franchisors ,
Joint Employers ,
Labor Law Violations ,
Material Violation ,
Order to Desist and Refrain ,
Penalties ,
Registration Requirement ,
Unregistered Franchises ,
Wage Theft
With the risk of franchisors being jointly liable for obligations to franchisee employees, and franchisees exposed to unionization of employees if their franchisor is a joint employer, we present this list of 68 steps every...more
With franchisors deeply concerned about joint liability for franchisee employees, more states are passing laws trying to prevent that from happening. Here are some states and measures that have passed:
Texas enacted...more
Franchisees aren't always excited when their franchisor introduces a new policy. But if a new policy overreaches and might doom a franchisee's business, can it be stopped before it starts?...more
5/26/2016
/ Breach of Contract ,
Cell Phones ,
Franchise Agreements ,
Franchisee ,
Franchises ,
Franchisors ,
Irreparable Harm ,
Performance Incentives ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Royalties ,
Sales Commissions ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Unjust Enrichment
As joint employer liability continues to develop, plaintiffs seeking deep pockets continue to claim, with some success, that franchisors are joint employers, responsible for actions of their franchisees' employees. In April,...more
Many franchise agreements have "non-compete clauses", which state that after termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, the ex-franchisee may not operate a business that is similar to or that would compete with the...more
A franchisor in a termination dispute with a franchisee may request a preliminary injunction to force the franchisee to immediately stop operating the franchised business and using the franchisor's trademarks and intellectual...more
Though some of the more important terms may appear early in a franchise agreement, some key terms placed near the end - the portion of the agreement that is often called "boilerplate" - may determine who wins or loses a legal...more
Recently, some plaintiffs - employees of franchisees - have tried to hold franchisors responsible for unpaid overtime and other claimed violations by franchisees they work for. They use the theory that franchisors are their...more
The U.S. Department of Labor says McDonald's is liable for actions of franchisees. In the last three months a California federal court said McDonald's could be liable for a franchisee's alleged failure to pay overtime and...more
Many franchise agreements include a contractual limitation period or time limit when parties can bring a claim for relief. Though the franchise agreement is often written by and for the franchisor, these limitations can help...more
How strong are "non-reliance disclaimers" or "integration" or "merger" provisions in franchise agreements at protecting a franchisor when it really matters? Only so much, a New York court recently decided....more
10/30/2015
/ Catch-All Disclaimers ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Franchise Disclosure Document ,
Franchise Sales Act ,
Franchisee ,
Franchisors ,
Fraudulent Inducement ,
Merger Agreements ,
Mergers ,
Non-Reliance Clauses ,
Salespersons
At one time or another, many people have occasion to be renters who feel mistreated by a landlord. This may be due to delays in repairs, responses, or just turning on the heat. A typical reaction is the temptation to...more
10/29/2015
/ Commercial Leases ,
Dunkin' Donuts ,
Franchise Agreements ,
Franchise Fees ,
Franchisee ,
Franchisors ,
Injunctions ,
Renovations ,
Site Plans ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks
Super 8 Worldwide, Inc. v. Anu, Inc. serves as a reminder to franchisees that, in general, courts will hold franchisees and their guarantors liable to their franchisors for losses suffered when franchisees abandon their...more