A federal court in Michigan recently granted several related franchisors’ motions to dismiss a franchisee’s claims for violations of the Michigan Franchise Investment law. Benjamin Franklin Franchising SPE LLC v. David...more
A federal court in California denied a subfranchisor’s motion to transfer venue, holding that its Operator Agreement constituted a franchise agreement, thus making its forum-selection clause void under the California...more
This fall we posted about the North American Securities Administrators’ (NASAA) adoption of a Statement of Policy Regarding the Use of Franchise Questionnaires and Acknowledgments (the “SOP”). Technically, NASAA’s SOP...more
On January 1, 2023, Assembly Bill (“AB”) 676 will go into effect, significantly amending the California Franchise Relations Act and Franchise Investment Law. The provisions of AB 676 will only apply to franchise agreements...more
The North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc. (“NASAA”) has just adopted a new policy regarding the use of franchise questionnaires and acknowledgments in the franchise sales process. In its Statement of...more
This year new laws, recent decisions and additional pending legislation are targeting and could severely impact the future of franchising. Our panel will discuss how these new laws, decisions and pending legislation will...more
The Georgia legislature is considering a new exemption to the state’s longstanding franchise laws against vehicle manufacturers selling directly to consumers. Senate Bill 398 is currently before the Georgia State Senate. If...more
The World Health Organization (“WHO”) declared the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. In less than a week after the declaration from WHO, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the closure of fitness club...more
Good things come to those who wait … except when you are referring to state franchise registration timelines. This is one of the busiest times of year for franchisors with fiscal year ends that coincide with the calendar...more
The new Franchise Law of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was promulgated by Royal Decree M/22 dated 09/02/1441 Hijri (corresponding to 8 October 2019) and will come into effect in April 2020. The Ministry of Commerce and...more
It’s the time of year when most franchisors start to think about FDD updates. Under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Franchise Rule, the FDD must be updated within 120 days after a franchisor’s fiscal yearend. For...more
Amidst the ongoing power struggle between communications service providers striving for unfettered access to rights-of-way to place their facilities, and municipalities working to protect their authority over such...more
Under California law, a business relationship is a “franchise” if: (1) the business will be substantially associated with the franchisor’s trademark; (2) the franchisee will directly or indirectly pay a fee to the franchisor...more
Maybe you are an international company with a successful brand that sold a master franchise or area representative right in California without knowing the robust state franchise registration laws. Maybe you are an...more
Business owners looking to expand may leave themselves vulnerable to several obvious losses, including those related to finance, brand identity, and customer loyalty. Resources, including exemplary human resources, are...more
A number of food and beverage groups (particularly restaurant groups) access the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets through franchising arrangements. With a young and fast-growing population (many of whom spent time...more