Mealey's Franchise : Mealey's : Legal News & Analysis

Mealey's Franchise

May 13, 2021
Pa. High Court: ‘No Poach’ Clause In Shipping Business Contract Unenforceable

PITTSBURGH — A no-hire provision ancillary to a services contract between a logistics provider and a shipping company is unenforceable because it unreasonably restrains trade, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled April 29 in an issue it noted was one of first impression.
May 11, 2021
Federal Judge Won’t Follow DOL Opinion Letter On Approximating Delivery Costs

DAYTON, Ohio — A federal judge in Ohio on May 7 declined to follow an August U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) opinion letter adopting the “approximation” standard commonly used in the pizza industry for reimbursing delivery drivers for expenses and instead ruled that the employers must pay drivers for their actual expenses or reimburse pursuant to the Internal Revenue Service’s mileage rate.
May 11, 2021
Federal Judge: Softball League Liable For $767,000 In Attorney Fees, Sanctions

CLEVELAND — In adopting in part and modifying in part a magistrate judge’s report and recommendation on May 7, an Ohio federal judge found a professional softball league liable to the franchise team it sued for breach of contract for more than $480,000 in attorney fees and costs. The judge also held the league and its attorneys jointly and severally liable for more than $287,000 in attorney fees and costs for discovery sanctions.
May 07, 2021
Burger King Cashier Fired Over Trachea Tube Awarded $2 Million By Florida Jury

ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida federal jury awarded a former Burger King cashier more than $2 million in compensatory and punitive damages on May 4, finding that a franchisee of the fast food giant illegally fired her because she had breathing problems and was fitted with a visible trachea tube in her neck.
May 07, 2021
Federal Judge Denies Preliminary Injunction In Franchisees’ Fraud Case

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Finding no showing of immediate, irreparable injury, a federal judge in California on May 4 denied a motion for a preliminary injunction brought by small businesses and franchisees against the seller of bone density improvement center franchises in their lawsuit alleging claims including fraud, negligent misrepresentation and violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL).
May 06, 2021
Federal Judge Won’t Reconsider Excluding Expert Report In Suit Over No-Poach Clause

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — An Illinois federal judge on May 3 refused to reconsider an order excluding a former employee’s expert report from a proposed class action over a sandwich chain franchisor’s contractual no-poach agreement, finding that the former employee’s motion did not demonstrate “a manifest error of law or fact” that would warrant reconsideration.
May 06, 2021
BMW Must Provide SEC Documents In Franchise Agreement Dispute

MIAMI — Although BMW of North America LLC (BMW NA) had a duty to supplement its discovery submissions to the plaintiff in a franchise agreement lawsuit to include pertinent documents subsequently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, a Florida federal magistrate judge on April 24 held that sanctions against the automaker were unwarranted, denying the plaintiff franchisee’s motion to that end.
May 05, 2021
With Trademark Claims Voluntarily Dismissed, Contract Claim Tossed

MINNEAPOLIS — In an April 26 order, a federal judge in Minnesota ruled that there is “no reason” to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over contract claims leveled by a franchisor in view of the franchisor’s voluntary dismissal of allegations of trademark infringement.
May 04, 2021
Wyndham Must Produce Corporate Documents In Sex Trafficking Suits

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two sex trafficking survivors demonstrated that corporate records and other documents sought from Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc. and its subsidiaries related to the company’s general knowledge of sex trafficking occurring are relevant to their claims of liability under a federal sex trafficking law, an Ohio federal magistrate judge ruled April 30, granting the plaintiffs’ motion to compel.
May 03, 2021
New Jersey Judge Denies Tax Preparation Franchise Employees Class Action Status

NEWARK, N.J. — A New Jersey federal judge on April 27 refused to grant class certification in an action brought by 20 tax preparation franchise employees who allege their employer illegally deducted the value of prepaid gift cards from their earnings, which resulted in lower commission payments.
April 30, 2021
Judge Denies Reconsideration, Attorney Fees In Franchise Contract Deceptive Act Row

DETROIT — A Michigan federal judge on April 27 declined to revisit his judgment that a franchisor violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA) but must return only a $39,000 franchise fee to the former franchisee, saying that neither party raised issues that warrant reconsidering the case and denying the franchisee’s request for $342,871 in attorney fees.
April 30, 2021
2nd Circuit Denies 6-Month Abeyance In Joint Employment Appeal; States File Brief

NEW YORK — A week after the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied a motion for a six-month abeyance of appeal sought by the Biden administration’s Labor secretary in an appeal filed by the secretary under the Trump administration, the states and commonwealths that sued the prior secretary challenging the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final rule revising its regulations interpreting vertical joint employer liability filed an appellee brief on April 16 asking the court to affirm the District Court’s ruling vacating the rule.
April 29, 2021
11th Circuit Remands Case Against Franchisor For Jurisdiction Determination

ATLANTA — A Florida district court must determine whether it had subject matter jurisdiction “in the first instance” before an appeal proceeds on its dismissal of Tim Hortons franchisees’ predatory business scheme claims against a franchisor, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said April 27, remanding the case upon finding a dispute about whether diversity jurisdiction existed because the association failed to allege its place of incorporation to establish diversity of citizenship.
April 26, 2021
N.Y. Justice: Owners Fail To Allege Direct Physical Loss Or Damage To Hotels

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A New York justice on April 13 granted an insurer’s motion to dismiss a breach of contract lawsuit seeking coverage for losses arising from the coronavirus pandemic, finding that the hotel owners fail to allege any direct physical loss or damage to their premises to trigger coverage under the business interruption, ingress/egress, civil and military authority and rental insurance policy provisions.
April 26, 2021
1st Circuit To Decide If Independent Contractor Test Conflicts With Franchise Law

BOSTON — In briefs filed April 19 and Feb. 16, respectively, convenience store chain 7-Eleven and franchisees, who filed a proposed class action alleging they were misclassified as contractors rather than employees, ask the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to determine whether Massachusetts’ three-prong test for independent contractor status conflicts with federal franchising regulations.
April 25, 2021
Tim Hortons Group Appeals Dismissal To 11th Circuit, But Jurisdiction Questioned

MIAMI — A trial court erred in dismissing predatory business scheme claims against a Tim Hortons franchisor because the complaint properly states a plausible claim for relief, an association of the restaurant’s franchisees argues to the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in its April 16 appellant brief, which followed court-requested briefs on whether the court has diversity jurisdiction over the appeal.
April 23, 2021
New Jersey Appellate Court: Association Lacks Standing To Challenge Tesla Sales

TRENTON, N.J. — A trade association that represents New Jersey’s franchised automobile dealerships lacked standing to challenge state agencies’ discretionary enforcement actions allowing Tesla to sell its vehicles directly to consumers in the state, the New Jersey appellate court concluded April 20.
April 23, 2021
Judge Denies Attorney Fees, Ruling Franchisee Is Not Prevailing Party In Suit

SEATTLE — A direct marketing services franchisee did not prevail in a suit in which claims against him were voluntarily dismissed and his counterclaims were abandoned or dismissed on summary judgment, a Washington federal judge held April 12, denying a petition to make the franchisor who initially filed the suit pay $892,855.71 in attorney fees and costs under the franchise agreement.
April 23, 2021
11th Circuit Remands Franchisor’s Appeal For Citizenship Determination

ATLANTA — The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on April 6 said it cannot determine whether it has jurisdiction over an urgent care facility franchisor’s dispute with a franchisee under complete diversity of citizenship, remanding the case to an Alabama federal court to determine the parties’ citizenship.
April 20, 2021
Class Suit Claims Shell Oil Charges Undisclosed Fee For Debit Card Purchases

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Shell Oil Co. charges consumers paying with debit cards an undisclosed fee in violation of Florida’s consumer protection laws, a class alleges in a complaint filed April 16 in a federal court in Florida.
April 20, 2021
Lawn Mower Manufacturer Asks 8th Circuit To Vacate $6.5 Million Award To Dealer

ST. LOUIS — A lawn mower manufacturer seeks to vacate an award of more than $6.5 million in damages, attorney fees and costs to one of its dealers, arguing to the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in its April 9 appellant brief that the dealer’s expert provided no evidence of damages from the alleged breach of the parties’ contract or wrongful termination of the dealer.
April 19, 2021
Alabama Federal Judge: Hilton Owed No Duty To Guest Injured At Franchisee’s Hotel

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A guest who alleged injuries from tripping over a cord did not prove that the parent company of a hotel franchisor exercised sufficient control over the franchisee to establish a duty of care to its guests, an Alabama federal judge ruled April 14, granting summary judgment in favor of the parent company on claims of negligence and recklessness and wantonness under Alabama law.
April 15, 2021
Volkswagen Salespersons Tell 9th Circuit Class Suit Was Wrongly Dismissed

SAN FRANCISCO — Three salespeople who allege that their business was harmed by Volkswagen’s emissions scandal tell the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in an April 9 appellant brief that a district court erred in concluding that the car maker was not their employer under California law and in granting a motion to dismiss their class employment and unfair competition law (UCL) claims.
April 14, 2021
10th Circuit: Franchisee Deprived Notice Of Entry Of Judgment

DENVER — In an April 13 ruling, the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals found that although a federal judge in Oklahoma did not abuse his discretion in granting a motion to enforce a settlement agreement between a franchisor and former franchisee accused of trademark infringement, he “went too far” in entering a $200,000 judgment.
April 14, 2021
OSHA Cites Tax Prep Franchisee For Failure To Provide COVID-19 Safeguards

BOSTON — The owner of a Liberty Tax Service location in Massachusetts must pay $136,532 in penalties for refusing to put in place various safeguards to protect employees and customers from coronavirus, including prohibiting employees and customers from wearing masks, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced April 13.