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Anti-Waiver Arguments and Enforcement of Forum-Selection Clauses
Anti-waiver provisions in state franchise acts have traditionally been used to trump the venue designated in the franchise agreement and to successfully transfer venue to the franchisee's home state. However, a recent decision from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan has added weight to a small but growing body of cases enforcing forum-selection clauses against franchisees that operate in states with franchise acts containing anti-waiver provisions.
In Allegra Holdings, LLC v. Davis, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 57086 (E.D. Mich. Apr. 24, 2014), the court held that the anti-waiver provision of the Minnesota Franchise Act simply operates to prohibit franchisors from abrogating the rights afforded by the Act to franchisees. The court concluded that, despite the Act's anti-waiver provision, the clause in the franchise agreement designating venue in Michigan was valid since it did not operate as a waiver of the franchisee's rights under the Act; the franchisee could still sue in Minnesota if it wanted. This ruling may signal a turning of the tide in favor of enforcing the parties' chosen venue.
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It
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
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
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
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
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.