3 Key Takeaways | Is Franchising Doomed? The 2024 Version
One Month to More Effective Compliance on Business Ventures - Day 19 - Franchisor Compliance
Is Franchising Doomed?
Strategies for Negotiating with a Franchisee and Franchisor
Day 20 of One Month to More Effective Compliance for Business Ventures-Franchisor Liability
A federal court in North Carolina denied a hotel franchisor’s motion to dismiss a customer’s breach of contract claim. Brittian v. Extended Stay America, 2024 WL 1841600 (W.D. N.C. Apr. 26, 2024)....more
A federal court in New York recently granted a motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction in an action asserting claims that franchisor Hyatt Corporation acted with negligence in connection with assaults to guests...more
In Bank United, NA v. GC of Vineland, LLC, Karen and William Scism and GC Vineland, LLC (“GVC”) (collectively the “Scism Parties”) filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey against Golden...more
A Maryland federal district court denied a restaurant franchisor’s motion to dismiss, concluding that a restaurant manager at a franchised location alleged sufficient facts to support a finding that the franchisor is a joint...more
A federal district court in Florida denied a former moving and junk hauling franchisee’s motion to dismiss claims of trademark infringement and unfair competition by franchisor College Hunks Hauling Junk (“CHHJ”)....more
A federal court in California denied a franchisor’s motion to dismiss a consumer’s claims for a violation of the unfair-practices prong of California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) and unjust enrichment. Torres v. Botanic...more
A franchisee, Functional HIIT Fitness, has filed suit in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan against a franchisor, F45 Training Incorporated, and five of its officers: Adam Gilchrist, Robert Deutsch, Marc...more
In Acuff v. Dy N Fly, LLC, four female plaintiffs sued a franchisor of hair salons (Dy N Fly), two of its franchisees, and the owner of the two franchisees for wrongful retaliatory termination and sexual harassment in the...more
A federal court in Maine granted a franchisor’s motion to dismiss claims asserting that a franchisor was liable for its franchisee’s alleged age discrimination in employment. Goodwill v. Anywhere Real Est., 2023 WL 4034372...more
A Michigan federal district court denied a franchisor’s motion to dismiss claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Michigan law, and claims alleging retaliatory termination and sexually hostile work...more
A federal court in Michigan recently denied a franchisor’s motion to dismiss claims alleging that it was liable as a joint employer for claims under Title VII of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, Michigan’s state...more
A federal court in Michigan granted a motion to dismiss claims that franchisor Bateel International, LLC had violated the Michigan Franchise Investment Law and the Texas Business Opportunity Act. Luxury Concepts, Inc. v....more
A federal district court denied a pizza franchisor’s motion to dismiss a former franchisee’s complaint, finding the former franchisee sufficiently pleaded the franchisor coerced the franchisee into signing a general release....more
A federal court in Tennessee recently granted a franchisor’s motion to dismiss claims alleging that a franchisor was liable for a workplace mass shooting by a franchisee. Fernald v. JFE Franchising, Inc., 2023 WL 2938312...more
A federal bankruptcy court in Delaware has dismissed time-barred claims that a Chapter 7 Trustee alleged on behalf of a bankrupt franchisor, AVF Franchising, LLC, against several of its franchisees. In re Start Man Furniture,...more
A federal court in Maryland granted a foreign hotel franchisee’s motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction but denied a forum non conveniens motion in a personal injury case naming both franchisor and franchisee as...more
A federal court in Maryland denied Marriott International, Inc.’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ action based on forum non convenient. Plaintiffs sued Marriott and the JW Marriott hotel franchisee in India for premises...more
A federal court in Florida dismissed an action by franchisees against their franchisor for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction. The franchisees asserted claims under California and Florida laws alleging the franchisor, OR...more
A federal court in Virginia denied tax franchisor, Liberty Tax’s, motion to dismiss complaints by two of its area developers (“ADs”). The ADs claimed Liberty Tax breached their contract for wrongfully terminating, failing to...more
A franchisee sued real estate franchisor Century 21 for a declaration whether the franchisee could end its franchise agreement early despite a provision that deleted the franchisee’s early termination right. Noting the...more
A federal court in Alabama denied an urgent care franchisee’s motion to dismiss a suit brought by its franchisor. The franchisee argued the franchise agreement required suits to be brought within a one-year period. But the...more
A federal court has granted, in part, restaurant franchisor Golden Corral’s motion to dismiss a complaint brought by a former franchisee. The court found a general release of claims, executed as part of an assignment of a...more
Twin City Lodging LLC bought a Best Western Hotel in Mankato, Minnesota, then entered into a “Membership Agreement” with Best Western International. Best Western granted Twin City a license to operate the hotel under Best...more
A gasoline franchisee defeated a motion to dismiss brought by its franchisor, seeking to avoid a claim under the federal Petroleum Marketing Practices Act (PMPA). In 2018, Global Companies (Global) sent the franchisee a...more
Legal battles over the antitrust treatment of no-poach agreements continue to escalate with new district court decisions and new pronouncements from two “titans” of antitrust policy, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the...more