The Franchise Memorandum

A federal court in California has recently ruled that a group of former 7-Eleven franchisees were not employees of 7-Eleven. Haitayan v. 7-Eleven, Inc., 2021 WL 4078727 (C.D. Cal. Sept. 8, 2021).

A federal court in Georgia denied a franchisee’s motion to dismiss a franchisor’s claim for liquidated damages. Holiday Hosp. Franchising, LLC v. N. Riverfront Marina & Hotel, LLLP, 2021 WL 3798561 (N.D. Ga. Aug. 26, 2021).

A federal court in Illinois denied a franchise developer’s motion for partial summary judgment seeking to dismiss a franchisor’s allegations that he misappropriated trade secrets. JTH Tax LLC v. Grabowski, 2021 WL 3857794 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 30, 2021).

On October 28, 2021, Lathrop GPM will launch its Increasing Diversity in Franchising virtual educational speaker series with a presentation by Dr. Marcia Chatelain, Professor, History and African American Studies, Georgetown, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America. Dr. Chatelain will discuss “Diversity in Franchising – Where Are We & How Can We Improve?” Click here to learn more and to register for this important discussion.

A federal court in Indiana recently granted a motion by Steak N Shake to temporarily restrain a former franchisee from operating a competing business.

After a two-day bench trial, a federal court in New Jersey found franchisees breached real estate franchise agreements and awarded the franchisor over $7 million in damages. Coldwell Banker Real Estate, LLC. v. Bellmarc Group LLC, 2021 WL 4129492 (D.N.J. September 9, 2021).

A divided panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has concluded that claims of improper wage deductions and unjust enrichment against a franchisor were properly dismissed because the plaintiffs agreed to deductions in exchange for valuable franchise rights.