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Franchise 101: Not at Liberty to Change Venue; and Blurry Choice of Remedies
Franchisor 101: Not at Liberty to Change Venue A Dallas-based federal district court denied a franchisor’s request to keep its action against former franchisees in Texas and transferred the action to the Eastern District of
California Courts Weighing In re Employees and COVID-19
California courts recently issued two guiding decisions relating to COVID-19: In Thai v. International Business Machines Corp., 2023 Cal. App. LEXIS 526, the Court of Appeal held that a government mandate to work from home
Franchise 101: Salon Franchisor Weaved into Joint Employment Claims; and No Joint Employment, No Cry
Franchisor 101: Salon Franchisor Weaved into Joint Employment Claims 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
California Local Wages Increase July 2023
As the June Gloom finally burns off and temperatures begin to rise, a number of cities across the state are set to increase their minimum wage effective July 1, 2023. In Southern California: In the
Franchise 101: Pizza Franchisor’s Release Overcooked; and Court Taxes Franchisor’s Restrictive Covenants
Franchisor 101: Pizza Franchisor’s Release Overcooked 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
Franchise 101: Court Hits Brakes on Former Franchisees; and Pandemic No Excuse for Non-Payment
Franchisor 101: Court Hits Brakes on Former Franchisees An Ohio appellate court upheld the state trial court’s decision to grant a permanent injunction against two former franchisees of an auto body shop franchise working for
California Fast Food Franchisors Targeted Again
California Assembly Bill 257, the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (the “FAST Act” enacted in 2022), was to become effective January 1, 2023. The FAST Act established a 10-member Fast Food Sector Council
Franchise 101: Promises to Prospectives; and Default! Default!
Franchisor 101: Promises to Prospectives A federal district court in New Jersey denied Travelodge Hotels’ motion for partial summary judgment against a former franchisee, holding there are genuine issues of fact as to Travelodge’s breach
COVID-19: California Nixes Negative Test Requirement to End Isolation Early
On March 3, 2023, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced changes to its COVID-19 guidelines. A few days later, the County of Los Angeles announced it will align a few of its guidelines
Franchise 101: Greener Grass in a Foreign Forum; and The Ties That Won’t Bind
Franchisor 101: Greener Grass in a Foreign Forum A federal court in Maryland denied Marriott International, Inc.’s motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ action based on forum non conveniens. Plaintiffs sued Marriott and the JW Marriott hotel