At High Swartz LLP, our experienced and highly skilled attorneys represent both franchisors and franchisees in any type of franchise litigation.
Attorney Joel D. Rosen has practiced franchise law for more than 30 years. In fact, he served as senior corporate counsel to AAMCO Transmissions (900 franchisees) and NutriSystem (1800 franchises in six countries). Attorneys James B. Shrimp and Richard C. Sokorai have more than 30 years of combined litigation experience, including having served as litigation counsel in many franchise disputes. Together, they provide sophisticated representation to businesses and individuals throughout Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Providing Effective Representation for Complex Franchise Disputes
Disputes between franchisors and franchisees often occur in the following areas:
- Financial Disclosure Document (FDD)/UFOC compliance issues
- Franchise agreement disputes
- Franchise termination disputes
- Territory disputes
Franchise litigation is often extremely complex, involving unique legal issues in multiple areas of the law. Our business and franchise law attorneys are fully prepared to protect your interests in a franchise dispute, whether it involves contract law (breach of contract claims), intellectual property (trademark and copyright infringement) or tort law (fraud/misrepresentation).
Franchise Agreement and Contract Disputes
Franchise agreement disputes typically involve one or more of the following issues:
- Breach of contract/licensing agreement
- Fraud/disclosure issues
- Enforcement of arbitration clauses
- Restrictive covenants and non-compete agreements
- Agreement termination and renewal
- Breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing
Our franchise law attorneys draft, negotiate and review franchise agreements in an attempt to help franchisors and franchisees avoid legal disputes. However, in the event a legal dispute proves inevitable, we provide strategic and cost-effective representation that protects our client's business interests.
Franchise Termination Disputes
In a typical franchise termination dispute, a franchisor takes legal action to enforce a covenant not to compete against a non-compliant franchisee. However, a franchisee may also file suit against the franchisor in an attempt to protect their operations.
No matter the situation, we provide dedicated advocacy to franchisors and franchisees that would like to avoid or prepare for termination disputes, as well as franchisors and franchisees currently facing legal disputes after a business closing. We also represent franchisors seeking to enforce their contractual rights in the wake of a franchise closure.