A federal court in California granted Dunkin’ Donuts’ motion to dismiss claims by customers alleging that a surcharge for non-dairy substitutes in beverages discriminated against customers with lactose intolerance and milk...more
5/5/2025
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Class Action ,
Disability Discrimination ,
Discrimination ,
Dismissals ,
Federal Court Litigation ,
Franchises ,
Popular ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Surcharges ,
Unruh Civil Rights Act
A federal court in Wisconsin recently transferred a franchisor’s breach of contract lawsuit to Indiana, the location of the franchisee, even though the parties’ supply agreement contained a Wisconsin forum selection clause....more
A federal court in New Jersey recently granted summary judgment against the guarantor of a hotel franchise agreement, requiring him to pay contractual post-termination damages. Ramada Worldwide Inc. v. Keys Hosp., LLC, 2024...more
2/19/2025
/ Breach of Contract ,
Business Litigation ,
Contract Disputes ,
Contract Termination ,
Contract Terms ,
Damages ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Franchise Agreements ,
Guarantors ,
Hotels ,
Liquidated Damages ,
Summary Judgment
A federal court in Texas denied a manufacturer’s motion to dismiss its dealers’ claims of wrongful termination and breach of contract. Cooper Equip. Co. v. Hitachi Constr. Mach. Americas, Inc., 2024 WL 4467536 (W.D. Tex. Oct....more
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court answered “no” to a certified question from the First Circuit Court of Appeals asking whether plaintiff franchisees “‘perform any service’ for 7-Eleven within the meaning of [the...more
An Illinois federal court recently denied a motion by Southern Glazer Wine and Spirits, LLC and Republic National Distributing Company, LLC (RNDC) to dismiss various claims for violations of state and federal antitrust and...more
A federal court in Pennsylvania granted in part and denied in part a licensee’s motion to dismiss the licensor’s breach of contract, fraud, and Lanham Acts claims. Westbrook Monster Mix Co. v. Easy Gardener Prods., Inc., 2024...more
3/18/2024
/ Brand ,
Breach of Contract ,
Fraud ,
IP License ,
Lanham Act ,
License Agreements ,
Logos ,
Misrepresentation ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Royalties ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademarks
A federal court in Arizona recently granted franchisor LeTip World Franchise’s motion to temporarily restrain and preliminarily enjoin a former franchisee from operating a competing business. LeTip World Franchise, LLC v....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 federal court in Virginia denied a franchisor’s motion for preliminary injunction against a former franchisee violating the franchise agreement’s post-termination noncompete. JTH Tax, LLC v. Younan, 2023 WL 6304865 (E.D....more
A federal court in Massachusetts has dismissed franchise claims brought against a manufacturer, concluding that the distributor had failed to identify a franchise fee that would qualify it for protection from non-renewal...more
10/6/2023
/ Choice-of-Law ,
Contract Terms ,
Counterclaims ,
Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing ,
Distributors ,
Franchises ,
Manufacturers ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Promissory Estoppel ,
Sales & Distribution Agreements ,
Tortious Interference ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
A federal court in Michigan granted Little Caesar Pizza Enterprises, Inc.’s motion for summary judgment seeking to enforce its termination of the franchise agreements between it and franchisee S&S Pizza Enterprises, Inc....more
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed a federal district court’s ruling in a breach of contract action brought by Shenzen Synergy Digital, a China based manufacturer and exporter, against Mingtel, a Texas based...more
A Minnesota bankruptcy court granted Fantastic Sams summary judgment and enjoined a former franchisee from violating the post-termination noncompete in its franchise agreements after the franchisee rejected the agreements in...more
A federal court in New Jersey recently granted salon franchisor Fantastic Sams summary judgment against former franchisees that failed to make payments required under a previous settlement agreement. Fantastic Sams Franchise...more
A federal court in Virginia recently enforced an alleged “scrivener’s error” that extended the term of a development agreement for one developer, while enforcing notice requirements to uphold a nonrenewal for another...more
A federal court in Connecticut denied a franchisee’s motion for a temporary restraining order permitting it to operate until the court could hear a preliminary injunction motion. A.B. Corp. v. Dunkin' Donuts Franchising, LLC,...more
Please join Lathrop GPM for our annual State of Litigation event, being held virtually for the second year. This free, three-part webinar series will explore the latest trends in litigation, risks facing companies today, and...more
6/7/2021
/ Continuing Legal Education ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Diversity ,
Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) ,
Employee Retention ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Environmental Liability ,
Environmental Litigation ,
Insurance Industry ,
Insurance Litigation ,
Law Practice Management ,
PFAS ,
Recruitment Policies ,
Risk Management ,
Webinars