Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Factors That Contribute to a Community of Interest

By Christopher M. Hanes
May 31, 2007

Several states require a 'community of interest' between the parties to establish the requisite relationship to trigger the notice and disclosure requirements under the state's dealership or franchise laws. But ask franchise lawyers what is meant by this phrase, and what becomes clear is how unclear determining a community of interest can be. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin shed some light on the issue in its recent decision in Miller-Bradford & Risberg, Inc. v. VT LeeBoy, Inc., Business Franchise Guide '13,522 (filed Jan. 26, 2007).

Miller-Bradford & Risberg ('MBR'), a distributor of equipment for use in the construction, road-building, and forestry industries, sought to prevent termination of its agreement with VT LeeBoy, the manufacturer of a line of commercial asphalt pavers, road graders, and related products sold by MBR, based on the manufacturer's alleged violation of the Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law ('WFDL'). Because MBR failed to establish that LeeBoy was indeed a 'distributor' as defined in the WFDL, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin denied MBR's motion for preliminary injunction.

Read These Next
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.

Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners Image

Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.