Business and Franchise Litigation
In addition to employment related concerns and disputes, businesses also confront issues regarding former employees, franchisee relations, and competitors who may threaten company assets, contracts, and business relationships.
Quickly and effectively resolve disputes at any level.
Our firm understands our clients’ legal and business needs for quick and effective resolutions to disputes involving former employees, franchisees, and competitors, as well as issues related to the sale or buyout of a business or business assets. The firm works with clients to enforce agreements and contracts with former employees, franchisees, or other businesses in actions involving breach of contract, breach of good faith and fair dealing, and breach of franchise agreements. The firm represents businesses in actions against former employees, competitors and franchisees in breach of noncompetition covenants and trade secret theft, including immediate enforcement via temporary restraining orders, injunctions, and injunction hearings. Additionally, our firm works with businesses to address business tort issues, such as tortious interference with a contract or tortious interference with an economic advantage.
Representative Experience:
The firm filed a lawsuit on behalf of its client in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida against a former franchisee for breach of contract and breach of a personal guaranty when the franchisee terminated the operations of five franchise locations in violation of the franchise agreement. Despite solvency concerns regarding the former franchisee, the firm was able to negotiate a favorable settlement on behalf of its client that was structured to ensure payment by the former franchisee.
The firm obtained the dismissal of all claims against its franchisor client in the Los Angeles Superior Court and successfully defended the judgment on appeal to the California Court of Appeal. The case involved tortious interference with contract and prospective economic advantage claims in connection with the sale of a franchise. Stephanie Price v. 7-Eleven, Inc., et al. [PDF – 44 KB], No. B212597 (Cal. Ct. App., 2d Dist., 2009) (unpublished).
The firm successfully defended against a motion to dismiss in a suit brought on behalf of a client alleging defamation and false light invasion of privacy. Mazur v. Szporer [PDF – 148 KB], 2004 WL 1944849, 32 Media L. Rep. 1833 (D.D.C. 2004).