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Is Franchising Doomed?
Strategies for Negotiating with a Franchisee and Franchisor
Before committing to a franchise business, consider...
While 2024 saw more stability in the financial markets than 2023, many challenges arose in 2024 for franchised businesses, manufacturers and retail chains, including bankruptcies of many large restaurant and retail chains,...more
The California decision reinforces a strict approach to assumption of franchise agreements, underscoring potential roadblocks for franchisee reorganizations. Even where a debtor is not assigning a franchise agreement,...more
A bankruptcy court in California denied Pinnacle Foods of California, LLC’s motion to assume six separate franchise agreements with franchisor Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. In re Pinnacle Foods of California LLC, 2024 WL...more
In a recent decision of interest, the Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan held that a non-compete clause within a franchise agreement as well as confidentiality agreement could not be rejected as an...more
A Michigan bankruptcy court held that a debtor-franchisee seeking to reject a franchise agreement for an auto repair center could not reject either a stand-alone confidentiality agreement with the franchisor or the...more
A trial judge for the United States Bankruptcy Court in Illinois denied a franchisee’s motion to enforce an automatic stay against The UPS Store (“TUPSS”), concluding that TUPSS’ termination of the franchise agreement was...more
The rejection of agreements under 11 U.S.C. § 365 isn’t always as straightforward as you might think. In an opinion issued in In re Empower Cent. Michigan, Inc., No. 23-31281-JDA, 2024 WL 1848504, (Bankr. E.D. Mich. Apr. 26,...more
A Michigan bankruptcy court recently granted debtor/franchisee Empower Central Michigan Inc.’s motion to reject a franchise agreement as an executory contract but found that a non-compete clause and a related confidentiality...more
It is widely known that federal law criminalizes certain bad acts in connection with bankruptcy cases. See 18 U.S.C. §§ 151—158. For example, 18 U.S.C. § 152 makes it a crime to, among other things, conceal bankruptcy estate...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
The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware recently issued an opinion discussing the tension between using bankruptcy as a legitimate tool to maximize value versus using bankruptcy merely as a litigation...more