How You Can Recover the Losses Caused by
Your Franchisor
Mitchell
J. Kassoff, Esq. is an attorney who deals exclusively in the litigation, business and corporate aspects of Franchising
and has been engaged in this area in all
50 states since 1979. For complete
information about Mr. Kassoff and to read the articles that he has published in
Law Journals and other publications see www.franatty.cnc.net/curricul.htm. Mr. Kassoff provides complete services for
litigation and all other areas of Franchising.
For complete information concerning all aspects of Franchising see www.franatty.cnc.net.
Unlike other attorneys and law firms who engage in
many areas of the law, Mr. Kassoff deals exclusively
with franchising. Which attorney or law
firm would you want to represent you and your interests, an attorney or law
firm which splits their interests and attention among many areas of the law or
Mr. Kassoff who spends his entire time exclusively
on franchise matters? In addition,
unlike franchise companies and many other attorneys, Mr. Kassoff represents
both franchisors and franchisees in Court throughout the entire United
States.
Since Mr. Kassoff represents both franchisors and franchisees he knows
the weaknesses of both franchisors and franchisees and can use them to best
serve you in litigation and other matters.
Mr. Kassoff keeps current as to all matters concerning franchising.
The vast majority of franchisors are honest
hardworking businessmen who honor their franchise agreements and diligently
work with their franchisees to make the franchise a success. Unfortunately, in any business there are
always some people who make errors or are not ethical. That is when an attorney who specializes in
and exclusively practices Franchise Law in all 50 states is required. When you search an attorney to represent your
interests be certain to ask if his law firm practices
Franchise Law exclusively.
Mr. Kassoff has successfully litigated against Starbucks
Coffee Company, Black Entertainment Television, Inc., Woolworth Corporation, I
Can't Believe It's Yogurt, Ltd., Dunkin’ Donuts, Inc., Domino’s
Pizza, LLC., United Airlines, Inc., Shell Oil Company, 7-Eleven, Inc., The
Southland Corporation, Best Western International, Inc., The Hertz Corporation,
MaggieMoo’s International, LLC, Great Wraps, Inc., Horizon Blue Cross
Blue Shield of New Jersey, Candy Express Franchising, Inc., LaSalle National
Bank, United States Internal Revenue Service, Attorney General of the State of
New York, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Motiva Enterprises, L.L.C., Allegiance Telecom Company
Worldwide, Allegiance Telecom of New York Inc., Equilon
Enterprises, L.L.C., Equiva Trading Company, Venator Group, Inc., Public Service Electric & Gas
(PSE&G), Brice Foods, Inc., Fremont Financial Corporation and numerous
other companies which are not nationally known.
If you wish Mr.
Kassoff to make an analysis of the possibility of suing your Franchisor, send a
copy of the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise Disclosure Document,
the executed Franchise Agreement, a detailed explanation as to any falsehoods
told to you by the Franchisor that induced you to purchase the franchise and
anything the Franchisor promised and failed to do to: Mitchell J. Kassoff,
Esq., Two Foster Court, South Orange, New Jersey 07079-1002 together with your
check in the amount of $95. If you wish
a more through analysis, which would include the review of correspondence,
e-mails and other documents, the fee is $500.
The use of Federal Express is strongly recommended (call 800-Go-FedEx
and FedEx will pick up the package at your home or office). Do not
send anything by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail, Certified Mail or Registered Mail. If you have any of these documents in
electronic form, in addition to mailing the hard copies you should send them by
e-mail to Mr. Kassoff.
Unless you request otherwise, it is Mr. Kassoff’s
policy to aggressively and tenaciously prosecute your case against a franchisor
that has acted improperly and harmed you.
If You are being Threatened by or Wish
to Sue Your Franchisor
If you
have been wronged by your franchisor and your franchisor will not compensate you
for its improper actions, you must either accept defeat for all of your losses
and the time that you have expended on your franchise by giving up, or sue you
franchisor to obtain the monetary and other relief to which you might be
entitled.
Mitchell J. Kassoff, Esq. handles Franchise Litigation in all 50
states. Since Mr. Kassoff deals exclusively with Franchise Law on a
daily basis he is extremely familiar with Franchise Law. This means that there are many issues which
he already knows that will not require legal research on his part, which is not
true for attorneys who deal with other areas of the law. These other attorneys will have to perform
legal research (and charge you for it) for work that Mr. Kassoff would not have
to perform. Therefore, in many cases on
a true cost basis, Mr. Kassoff’s hourly fee is effectively less than an
attorney who has a far lower hourly rate.
It is possible that you are being
threatened by your Franchisor and wish to have an attorney represent you to
protect your rights, investment and interests before you say or do something
that could cause you to lose your franchise without compensation. In fact, in some cases, the mere fact that
you are represented by an attorney who is an acknowledged expert in Franchise
Law such as Mr. Kassoff may cause the Franchisor to cease harassing you. When litigation or arbitration is not yet
initiated by either side Mr. Kassoff’s retainer is $10,000, with work
being performed at his usual hourly rate.
If you wish to sue your
franchisor, it is highly recommended that you combine your efforts with other
franchisees that have similar law and fact grievances by having them join your
lawsuit and/or arbitration as plaintiffs against your franchisor. By doing this you will be able to pool your
information and be in a position to have a greater chance of success as to the
prosecution of your case. This will also
reduce your litigation costs. Even though each plaintiff will have to pay
his own full initial retainer, you will be able to divide the hourly billing
rate among all of the plaintiffs.
Arbitration against your Franchisor
A large percentage of Franchise
Agreements provide that disputes between the franchisor and franchisee must be
resolved by arbitration. This is usually
stated in a paragraph near the end of the Franchise Agreement labeled
“arbitration” or “dispute resolution.” You will also be able to determine if
arbitration is to be employed for dispute resolution in Item 17(u) of the
disclosure portion of the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document, which is placed first in the Uniform Franchise Offering
Circular/Franchise Disclosure Document package.
If arbitration must be employed
for dispute resolution, you have three alternatives as to retaining the legal
services of Mr. Kassoff for your case against your franchisor.
The first method is a modified
contingency basis for which you will pay for Mr. Kassoff’s services at
the rate of $250 per hour, (plus cash out of pocket costs,
“Disbursements”) plus a percentage of the monies collected from the
Franchisor and will be saved as a result of the Arbitration for the balance of
the term of the Franchise Agreement. A
retainer in the amount of $5,000, plus Disbursements will be required.
The second method is a modified
contingency basis for which you will pay for Mr. Kassoff’s services at
the rate of $330 per hour, Disbursements plus a smaller percentage basis than
the first method out of the monies collected from the Franchisor and will be
saved as a result of the Arbitration for the balance of the term of the
Franchise Agreement. A retainer in the
amount of $15,000, plus Disbursements will be required.
The third method is to pay for
Mr. Kassoff’s services at his usual rate of $495 per hour (plus
Disbursements) with a retainer required in the amount of $25,000, plus
Disbursements. By using this method you
will receive the entire recovery from the franchisor.
It is strongly suggested that you
contact other franchisees to join the arbitration. By doing this you will be able to pool your
information and be in a position to have a greater chance of success as to the
prosecution of your cases. This will
also reduce your litigation costs. Even though each plaintiff will have to pay
his own full initial retainer, you will be able to divide the hourly billing
rate among all of the plaintiffs.
Lawsuit against your Franchisor
If there is no arbitration
provision in your Franchise Agreement you must sue your franchisor in
court. You have three alternatives as to
retaining the legal services of Mr. Kassoff for your case against your franchisor.
The first method is a modified
contingency basis for which you will pay for Mr. Kassoff’s services at
the rate of $250 per hour, Disbursements and the balance will be paid to Mr.
Kassoff on a percentage basis out of the monies collected from the Franchisor
and will be saved as a result of the litigation for the balance of the term of
the Franchise Agreement. A retainer in
the amount of $25,000 will be required, plus Disbursements.
The second method is a modified
contingency basis for which you will pay for Mr. Kassoff’s services at
the rate of $330 per hour, Disbursements and the balance will be paid to Mr.
Kassoff on a smaller percentage basis than the first method out of the monies
collected from the Franchisor and will be saved as a result of the litigation
for the balance of the term of the Franchise Agreement. A retainer in the amount of $25,000 will be
required, plus Disbursements.
The third method is to pay for
Mr. Kassoff’s services at his usual rate of $495 per hour (plus
Disbursements) with a retainer required in the amount of $25,000, plus
Disbursements. By using this method you
will receive the entire recovery from the franchisor.
It is strongly suggested that you
contact other franchisees to join the lawsuit.
By doing this you will be able to pool your information and be in a
position to have a greater chance of success as to the prosecution of your
cases. This will also reduce your
litigation costs. Even though each plaintiff will have to pay his own full initial
retainer, you will be able to divide the hourly billing rate among all of the
plaintiffs.
If you are Sued by your Franchisor
In this case for Mr. Kassoff to
defend you and protect your rights as a franchisee, your investment and the
time you have spent on your enterprise all work must be paid on an hourly basis
at his usual hourly rate, plus disbursements.
A retainer in the amount of $25,000 will be required.
You should note that if you have
been improperly wronged by your franchisor you can counterclaim against your franchisor
if you are sued with your franchisor proceeding in either an arbitration
proceeding or a lawsuit. This
counterclaim takes place in the same proceeding as the arbitration or lawsuit
initiated by the franchisor. In this
case the entire amount recovered from the franchisor will belong to you.
It is strongly suggested that you
contact other franchisees to join the lawsuit by way of Counterclaims. By doing this you will be able to pool your
information and be in a position to have a greater chance of success as to the
prosecution of your cases. This will
also reduce your litigation costs. Even though each franchisee will have to pay
his own full initial retainer, you will be able to
divide the hourly billing rate among all of the franchisees.
Actions by a Franchisor that Might
Provide Justification for a Franchisee to Sue his Franchisor
The following is a partial list of cases that might
give rise to a successful lawsuit by a franchisee against his franchisor:
1.
The franchisor did not provide a properly
drafted Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise Disclosure Document to
the franchisee.
2.
The franchisor did not properly file and have its Uniform Franchise
Offering Circular/Franchise Disclosure Document approved by your state prior to
the time it offered the franchise for sale to the franchisee.
3.
The Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise Disclosure Document was
not given to the franchisee at least ten business days prior to taking any
money from the franchisee.
4.
The Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise Disclosure Document was
not given to the franchisee at least ten business days prior to having the
franchisee execute any agreements.
5. The franchisor
exaggerated any aspect of the franchise to the franchisee in order to induce
the franchisee to purchase the franchise.
6. The
franchisor lied to the franchisee in order to induce the franchisee to purchase
the franchise.
7. The franchisor
provided inaccurate written or verbal statements as to the profitability,
costs, capital requirements or initial expenses pertaining to the operation of
the franchise.
8. The
franchisor provided inaccurate written or verbal statements as to the need for
specialized training required for the operation of the franchise.
9. The
franchisor provided inaccurate written or verbal statements misrepresenting
that certain industry leaders are affiliated with the franchise.
10. The
franchisor provided inaccurate written or verbal statements as to the success
rate of the franchise.
11. The
franchisor had a lack of support and/or continuing assistance as to the
franchise.
12. The
franchisor did not provide the services, assistance and/or products that were
promised to the franchisee.
13. The
franchisor opened company owned locations and/or other franchised locations
near the franchisee’s location.
This action in some cases will still be actionable against the
franchisor even if the Franchise Agreement did not provide an exclusive
territory to the franchisee.
14. The
franchisor stopped offering a product and/or service for sale.
15. The
franchisor required the franchisee to sell a product and/or service.
16. The
franchisor required the franchisee to purchase goods and/or services from
specific providers, even though the same quality items were available from
other sources at lower prices.
17. The
franchisor used the funds taken for advertising from the franchisee for other
purposes.
18. The
franchisor terminated the franchise without good cause.
19. The
franchisor wrongfully terminated the Franchise Agreement with his franchisee.
20. The
franchisor terminated the Franchise Agreement with his franchisee ostensibly
because of improper quality control or other reasons, when the real reason was
to take over that particular location.
21. Even if
the franchisor followed the terms of the Franchise Agreement, he did not act in
good faith with his dealings with the franchisee.
22. The
Franchisor did not follow the appropriate state and federal laws.
Your contract may state that you are required to sue
your franchisor in his home state. However, some state statutes and
courts will not uphold this provision, which will allow a franchisee to sue his
franchisor in the franchisee’s home state (see www.franatty.cnc.net/NYSBAChoiceofForum.pdf).
Analysis of the Franchise
Agreement
Ambiguity of your franchise contract
It is possible that your franchise
agreement is either confusing or ambiguous.
This is the case if the franchise agreement is reasonably susceptible to two or more
different interpretations. A
contract does not become “ambiguous” merely because the Franchisor and
franchisee differ as to what it means, the differing positions must
each be reasonable.
The task of contract interpretation
is generally defined as determining the “intent of the
parties” as revealed by their written language. Of
course, this task is much more difficult when the parties had different, even adversarial
intentions, a situation that invites the courts to impose their view of what a “reasonable”
man would have intended in light of the words that were chosen.
An agreement provides that the franchisor shall
not open any competing locations within a defined franchise
territory. Is the franchisor barred from
soliciting Internet sales in the territory? Mail order sales? What do the words “shall not open a
location” really mean? Does
precedent regarding older technology provide a clue toward interpreting what
the parties “agreed to” regarding the Internet? An agreement provides that the franchisee is
licensed to conduct business at a specific location or within a specific
territory? The word
“exclusive” is not mentioned.
How is the question of exclusivity decided? Is it automatically not exclusive? Even if it is not exclusive, can the
franchisee argue that any degree of territorial protection is expressly or impliedly
created the Agreement? An agreement
provides that the franchisor
agrees to “furnish national account leads”
to the franchisee. What does it
mean to “furnish” a business “lead?” How
is a “national account” defined, absent a definitional
clause elsewhere in the agreement? Is
the “duty” to “furnish national account leads impacted
by the question of whether the franchisee has a defined territory in
which it might attempt to service a national account?
An agreement provides that
the franchisor may
designate the sources of supply. From
this language alone, is the franchisor able to derive a profit in the form of supplier
rebates? If the rebate is
permitted, because among other things it was disclosed in the Uniform Franchise
Offering Circular/Franchise Disclosure Document, is there any limit on
the amount of the rebate, or the price that the franchisee may be charged?
An
Agreement contains an “integration clause” that provides that the
written agreement is the complete agreement and that there are “no
other oral or written agreements between the parties.” Does this language preclude the franchisee
from arguing that he was fraudulently induced to sign the agreement by
the franchisor's
pre-contractual representations? Does your answer change if the
Franchise Agreement provided that there are “no other oral or
written agreements or understandings
between the parties?
“Exactly what is an “understanding” when included in an integration clause?
How could reasonable men disagree on the meaning of
a written agreement?
One party or the
other might have preferred to leave the agreement ambiguous for it feared an
adverse result if the issue was clarified in the process of
negotiations. In other words, “no
one would sign the agreement if they knew what I really
meant.” Or, the drafter might have
failed to anticipate the real life situations that might arise in the
life of the franchise, leading to questions about what the contract
meant. An agreement may become ambiguous
over time, when business conditions change, witness the confusion created by
the Internet as applied to pre-Internet agreements.
How do courts or arbitrators address cases of confusing contracts?
The
first task is to determine whether the agreement is, in fact,
ambiguous. The stated test is whether
the agreement (or the disputed portion of the agreement) is reasonably
susceptible to two or more different interpretations.
Judges, not juries, decide whether an agreement is
ambiguous
There is no perfectly
clear standard for applying the test of whether an agreement is reasonably
susceptible to two or more interpretations. On this point, there is a distinction between
intrinsic ambiguity (which is established based upon the “four
corners” of the Franchise Agreement) and extrinsic ambiguity, whereby the
agreement is ambiguous by reference to an extrinsic fact, such that the
contract would make no sense if it were interpreted literally. The parties may seek to introduce such
evidence for the purpose of establishing ambiguity, as opposed to the
usual purpose of introducing evidence to resolve ambiguity. The danger is that judges may place
themselves in the position of ultimate fact-finder and resolve ambiguity
in favor of one party or the other, in the guise of declaring that an
agreement is not ambiguous.
The Implied
Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing
The role of the implied
covenant of good faith and fair dealing cannot be ignored in any discussion
of ambiguous or confusing franchise agreements.
In almost every jurisdiction, the implied covenant of good faith
and fair dealing is implied as a matter of law in every contract absent
express disavowal. The implied covenant
may not replace express terms in the contract, but it may supplement the
express terms. Where a party to a
contract retains discretion as to performance of contract terms, the
covenant requires that party “not exercise his discretion arbitrarily, capriciously, or in any
manner inconsistent with his co-party's reasonable business expectations.”
These
are just some of the many aspects as to this area of franchise law.
Possible Results of a Franchisee Suing
his Franchisor
Each situation between a franchisor and his
franchisee is different. The following
is a partial list of results that a franchisee who has retained an attorney
that specializes in and exclusively practices Franchise Law might obtain from a
franchisor.
1.
If desired by the franchisee, the franchise relationship between the
franchisor and the franchisee is terminated.
2.
The initial franchise fee is returned to the franchisee.
3.
The initial costs and expenses to set up the franchise is
paid to the franchisee.
4.
The franchisee is compensated monetarily if the franchisor opens company
owned locations and/or additional franchises in the vicinity of the
franchisee’s area of operation, even if this is allowed by the Franchise
Agreement. This is usually calculated by
the amount of lost profits that the franchisee has incurred.
5.
The franchisee obtains monetary compensation from the franchisor for the
financial losses that have been suffered by the franchisee.
The
franchisee obtains the profits that he would have made in the franchise for the
life of the Franchise Agreement (usually ten years) if the franchisor had not
committed his improper actions.
Actions
that a Franchisee Should Take to Protect his Rights as a Franchisee
Although no franchisee wishes to concern himself
with the possibility of entering into litigation with his franchisor, the
possibility does exist. Accordingly, you should be aware of your legal
rights and the legal strategies for: (1) resolving the problem, (2) avoiding
termination and (3) recovering compensation in the event the franchisor has
acted in a manner that has caused injury to your franchise or business.
If any problems begin to arise between you and your
franchisor, you should not hesitate to immediately contact an attorney that
specializes and exclusively practices Franchise Law. You do not wish to retain an attorney whose practice includes multiple areas of the law,
thus reducing his knowledge and time commitment to Franchise Law. This is when you most need to consider
seeking competent legal advice to plan a future course of action.
The worst possible thing a franchisee can do when
problems arise is nothing. Too often, when problems arise (due either to
the external business environment or some act of the franchisor), the
franchisee has a feeling of helplessness and disbelief. These feelings of
helplessness and disbelief often lead to inaction and the loss of valuable
rights. The longer you wait, the more
difficult it will be to recover the monies that are due to you that you could
obtain in court. If the franchisor wishes to act quickly, the franchisee
can lose everything with in a matter of days. Accordingly, once a problem
begins it is extremely important that the franchisee immediately seek an
attorney that specializes and exclusively practices Franchise Law.
If you have fallen behind on your royalty payments
and/or other sums due to the franchisor, be wary of the potential of receiving
a default notice. Your franchise agreement is a contract and you must
always expect the franchisor will act in accordance with that contract against
your interests, including the termination of your franchise. There are
ways of avoiding termination. First, the franchisee can negotiate a
written solution to the problem, such as a written extension of the due date
and written payoff schedule. The franchisee must be certain not to accept
oral promises and must never execute a release without first speaking with an
attorney that specializes and exclusively practices Franchise Law. If
your franchise agreement is terminated, it will be very difficult to prove the
oral promises. In addition, most
franchise agreements expressly exclude any reliance on oral promises or
representations.
Sometimes, as part of negotiating a problem (or in
granting a franchisee a franchise renewal), the franchisor will request that
the franchisee execute a release of claims. This release usually states
that the franchisee agrees to “release” (i.e., give up) all rights
to sue the franchisor for past acts which may have caused harm to the
franchisee. The release will usually
include all acts of the franchisor and his agents. The release will
prevent you from suing the franchisor in the future for any losses that you
incurred. Therefore, if you execute a release, you may be giving away
valuable legal rights. For instance, if sales at your franchise are
depressed due to encroachment, signing a release may prevent you from ever
recovering from the franchisor for any damage (past, present or future) caused
by the encroachment. Thus, if your financial problems are caused by
something that the franchisor has done, signing a release may act to prevent
you from ever recovering for the harm caused to you by the franchisor. This should never be done without first
consulting with an attorney that specializes and exclusively practices Franchise
Law
Although nobody
wishes to think about the possibility of having problems with their franchise
and franchisor, the prudent franchisee knows his legal rights and prepares for
the possibility of one day having to deal with such problems.
Accordingly, a franchisee should at least educate himself
in advance, as to what to do and what not to do, in the event a problem does
arise. In this way, if a problem ever does arise, the franchisee will
have given himself a fighting chance.
Actions a Franchisee Should Take to Protect
His Investment in His Franchise
Pay
attention to how the franchisor runs his business.
Whatever happens to your
franchisor will sooner or later affect you.
So stay in close touch with the home office. Develop a personal relationship with someone
on the inside. That is usually your best
route to obtaining straightforward information that can be very important.
Get a copy of each year’s Uniform
Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise Disclosure Document. The Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document will report important information that must be
disclosed, such as the number of franchises sold, bought back or terminated and
the details of any lawsuits pending or settled.
By comparing Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise Disclosure
Document data from year to year you can get a current snapshot of how contented
your fellow franchisees seem to be and what, if any, major problems they are
encountering. This will alert you to
issues that may confront you in the future.
Pay attention to the company
newsletter, even if it's mainly a gossip sheet.
See whether there's an exceptional number (more than 15% a year)
arriving or departing employees in middle management. This often signals that something is amiss at
headquarters, such as a lack of consistent direction, little management
consensus or financial distress.
If you do spot signs of
instability, depending on the severity, you may want to put expansion plans on
hold or even consider selling out before trouble drives down the price of your
investment.
Equalize
the odds.
Even if your relationship with
your franchisor is idyllic, never forget that his power is greater than yours,
and you should always do whatever you can to strengthen your position.
You should always ask for
everything he says in writing and save everything you get. Even documents that seem innocuous can be
useful persuaders in the future.
Deal
with problems right away.
Speak up immediately if there are
any problems. If you are a new
franchisee and your location is not producing the traffic you need. Ask your franchisor to use his influence to
negotiate a better deal with your landlord or a swap for another property. Once poor traffic has pushed you into the
low-volume category, you will have less influence with your franchisor.
Guard
your territory.
Some franchisors make their
profits primarily by selling products and services through franchisees, so it
is in their interest to see individual businesses grow. Others make most of their money by selling
franchises, which makes individual growth less important or not important at
all, so you must protect your territory zealously.
Once another franchisee opens up
shop nearby it will be just about impossible to remove him. You must be on the alert for sings of
expansion in you area. Make friends with
local real estate salesmen and lenders who can alert you to inquiries from
would-be franchisees. The instant you
hear of one, protest in writing to
the franchisor immediately. Even if the
infringement does not violate your contract you may have a strong
position. You should immediately consult
an experienced an attorney that specializes and exclusively practices Franchise
Law.
Keep
a sharp eye on contract renewals.
When business is prospering, a
franchisee can easily ignore the fact that he owns a limited license, not a
perpetual right. That can be a mistake,
sometimes a fatal one, at contract renewal time. This is particularly important when a
franchisor wants to eliminate a contentious franchisee or to earn higher
royalties. Your best defense is a strong
offense.
Join
with other franchisees to settle disputes.
If your franchise has an independent
franchisees' association become an active member. There is strength in numbers. It's hard for a franchisor to claim that you
are a poor businessman if you can prove other franchisees are similar problems.
If your franchise lacks an
association, consider starting one. This
should be done with an attorney that specializes in and exclusively practices
Franchise Law
Make
contingency plans for your future.
No matter how well things are
going, do not ever forget that what you primarily own is a license, not a
business. That is why it is only prudent
to develop alternative plans for your future, just in case your contract is not
renewed or you become unhappy with the franchise or the franchisor.
If you have learned business skills, made useful contacts
and have set aside spare earnings, you have a solid foundation for your next
move. But it is also wise to draw up a
plan of what you would do if forced to make a change. There are no gold watches being awarded in
corporations anymore. Do not count on
your franchise being forever either.
For complete information
about franchising, see http://www.franatty.cnc.net/
Mr. Kassoff provides litigation,
business, corporate and other assistance for all areas of franchising. To
see Mr. Kassoff’s resume and copies of articles that he has had published
see www.franatty.cnc.net/curricul.htm.
If you have any questions, please feel
free to contact Mr. Kassoff by e-mail at franchiselawyer@verizon.net.
You can also
reach Mr. Kassoff by telephone at (973) 762-1776 from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Eastern time Monday through Friday or by
mail at Two Foster Court, South Orange, New
Jersey 07079-1002
Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
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Disclosure Document franchisor cheated me Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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Disclosure Document franchisor cheated me Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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Disclosure Document franchisor cheated me Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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franchisor breach of contract by my franchisor franchise agreement cancelled
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Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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franchisor breach of contract by my franchisor franchise agreement cancelled
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my franchise fee did not provide a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document franchisor cheated me Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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lawsuit sue arbitrate law suit arbitration litigate franchisee rights franchise
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franchisor breach of contract by my franchisor franchise agreement cancelled
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my franchise fee did not provide a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document franchisor cheated me Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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lawsuit sue arbitrate law suit arbitration litigate franchisee rights franchise
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franchisor breach of contract by my franchisor franchise agreement cancelled
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my franchise fee did not provide a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document franchisor cheated me Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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lawsuit sue arbitrate law suit arbitration litigate franchisee rights franchise
fraud sue my franchisor litigate against my franchisor arbitrate against my
franchisor breach of contract by my franchisor franchise agreement cancelled
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my franchise fee did not provide a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
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Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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franchisor breach of contract by my franchisor franchise agreement cancelled
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my franchise fee did not provide a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document franchisor cheated me Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
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fraud sue my franchisor litigate against my franchisor arbitrate against my
franchisor breach of contract by my franchisor franchise agreement cancelled
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failed to provide support franchisor did not provide proper support refund of
my franchise fee did not provide a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document franchisor cheated me Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document register registration contract agreement registration
franchisor franchisee franchise franchiser attorney lawyer Expert Witness
lawsuit sue arbitrate law suit arbitration litigate franchisee rights franchise
fraud sue my franchisor litigate against my franchisor arbitrate against my
franchisor breach of contract by my franchisor franchise agreement cancelled
franchise contract cancelled franchisor did not provide support franchisor
failed to provide support franchisor did not provide proper support refund of
my franchise fee did not provide a Uniform Franchise Offering Circular/Franchise
Disclosure Document franchisor cheated me