Franchise and Dealer Terminations for Free Take-Backs by the Franchisor
Instant Replay: According to the franchisor, the franchisees are thieves and the franchisor is the good guy who is saving the community from corrupt people.
Result: Massive investigations, terminations, and take-backs.
The franchisor: (1) vows to stamp out underpayment of franchisee employees; (2) removes store owners who broke the rules from its system; (3) claims that “When a franchise is terminated, an independent valuation of the franchisee’s assets is undertaken and, in general, the franchisee is paid accordingly for their assets….The process for refranchising a site is also very costly and takes considerable time and corporate resources.”; (4) announced the outcome of an independent review that he said “confirmed our [franchise] model allows franchisees to draw a wage, make a profit and pay employees in accordance with lawful wage rates”.
In contrast, the franchisees: (1) claim that when Caltex forces out an owner it does so without paying compensation beyond assets, which means it could gain back stations almost free and profit from their resale or merge them into its corporate-owned store network; (2) claim that “no site with weekly shop sale of about 30K to 35K … can be profitable in your current model by fulfilling its [workplace] obligation”; (3) explain that “The truth is they [the franchisor] want the stores back to make them into company stores and that is the best way to do it – they are going to get their stores back for free." - Sydney Morning Herald
Jeffrey M. Goldstein represents clients in commercial complex litigation matters across the country. Mr. Goldstein is recognized as one of the top franchise litigators in the country. Mr. Goldstein has extensive experience in representing clients in state and federal courts in cases involving fraud, RICO, antitrust, encroachment, and wrongful termination. Mr. Goldstein also has an active practice in state and federal appeals cases. Mr. Goldstein practices as a franchise lawyer in complex litigation cases representing only franchisees and dealers. Although Mr. Goldstein appears in courts in a pro hac vice capacity depending on the state, he also has direct access to New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia (DC), Washington, where holds Bars for those states.
In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Goldstein counsels and advises clients in franchise and distribution matters. Mr. Goldstein has represented clients across the United States in almost every leading franchise system. Mr. Goldstein also is retained to counsel many national independent franchisee associations. Mr. Goldstein has also served as an expert witness in several federal court franchise cases.
Mr. Goldstein graduated magna cum laude from Bucknell University with dual degrees in Philosophy and Economics in 1979. In 1983, he obtained his Juris Doctorate from Boston University School of Law, where he also simultaneously received his Masters Degree in Economics.
You can reach Jeffrey M. Goldstein at (202) 293-3947 or email jgoldstein@goldlawgroup.com. His firm's website is www.goldlawgroup.com.
The Goldstein Law Firm is one of a handful of law firms in the country that represents only franchisees & Dealers. Not every franchise lawyer is a franchisee lawyer. Almost all law firms specializing in franchise law represent either solely franchisors or both franchisors and franchisees, but not solely franchisees & dealers. The philosophy of The Goldstein Law Firm is that all of our franchise attorneys' effort should be focused on advocating for the rights of franchisees, not on cutting new law for franchisors who are very ably represented by the largest law firms in the world. The Goldstein Law Firm offers its franchisee and dealer clients a consistent and unclouded commitment to the cause of franchisees. On a national basis there are merely a handful of franchise lawyers who truly represent only franchisees & dealers. As a franchisee lawyer, Jeff Goldstein is one of these rare franchise lawyers who does not also represent manufacturers and franchisors.
GLF specializes in:
General Franchise and Distribution Antitrust violations
Franchise Price-Fixing claims
Wrongful franchise terminations
Franchise Encroachment claims
Franchise Territorial violations
Franchise Dual Distribution competition
Franchise Menu Pricing disputes
Unfair Franchisor competition
Franchise and Distribution Trademark violations
Franchise and Distribution Post-term covenant not to compete restrictions
Wrongful franchise default cases
Franchise Supplier overcharging claims
Franchisor tying arrangements
Franchisor Fraud and Misrepresentation Claims
Franchise Disclosure Document Defects
(202) 293-3947
In those cases in which Jeff is retained to litigate franchise law questions, he appears in courts around the country either in a Pro Hac capacity, or through his direct membership in the Bars of New York, Massachusetts, District of Columbia, Washington, and Pennsylvania.
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