Recent Cases
Our recent projects highlight our expertise in resolving franchise disputes through expert advice and mediation, helping franchisees and franchisors achieve fair outcomes.
Helping a franchisee to win a legal action brought by the franchisor.
Our client was locked into an animal care franchise. The franchisor provided no support or value to the relationship but was dictatorial and over-controlling. We identified valid reasons that enabled our client to terminate. The franchisor refused to accept the situation and started a legal action, claiming damages. We drafted a compelling defence that the judge accepted and dismissed the case.
Our client said.
I am delighted with this wonderful result, thank you so much, especially after a year of waiting.
Helping a franchisee with health difficulties to leave a franchise without any financial penalty
Our client was the franchisee of a coffee and sandwich van franchise. Health issues made the operation of the business increasingly difficult. The franchisor was unsympathetic and insisted that our client continued. We found legal reasons to justify ceasing to trade, that the franchisor reluctantly had to accept.
Our client said.
Well done, I’m finally free! Thank goodness I found you.
We enabled our client to terminate an children’s activity franchisee
Our client was trapped in a hopelessly loss-making children’s activity franchise in which the franchisor had knowingly misrepresented the profitability. There was a high franchisee failure rate, but the franchisor continued to issue fictitious profit projections. When the franchisees failed, they were forced to pay even more money to leave. We identified and exposed the wrongdoing, enabling our client to terminate early.
Our client said
I’m so relieved to be free from this nightmare.
Successfully supporting a client in a mediation with the franchisor
Our client, who is a single mother, was the victim of intimidation and harassment by the franchisor. This made the franchise relationship untenable. We enabled her to terminate but the franchisor commenced a legal action. We defended and counterclaimed. A mediation was suggested which was concluded with the franchisor paying our client almost all of her counterclaim
Our client said
Nobody believed me except you. Now I’m totally vindicated.
Exposing misrepresentation and wrongdoing by a home services franchisor, enabling six franchisees to leave and operate their independent businesses.
The franchisor was in league with a rogue franchise consultant who massively exaggerated the potential earnings. We found that the franchisor was also skimming a profit margin from the payment system and misappropriating the advertising contributions of the franchisees.
Our clients said.
We are delighted with this result, especially as it caused a falling out between these **** (expletives).
Enabling a franchisee of a children’s activity franchise to avoid paying an early termination fee.
Our client had been operating for less than a year when she realised that it was impossible to make the amount of money that the franchisor had claimed. When she asked to leave the franchisor had demanded all the monthly fees until the end of the five-year agreement, amounting to over £12,000.
Our research found that the franchise had been mis-sold, and the franchise agreement had not been signed correctly. Also, that the franchisor, who was a member of the BFA, had not been complying with the Code of Ethics.
The result.
We initiated a termination for our client without making any payment to the franchisor. She thanked us profusely and left a lovely Google review.
Exposing wrongdoing by a driving instructor franchisor.
Our client found that she was locked into a franchise agreement when she had only intended to sign a training agreement. As a result, the franchisor was demanding monthly payments or a large one-off payment to terminate the agreement.
We identified the highly misleading advertising and the ambiguous signing process, leaving the franchisor no option but to concede.
Our client thanked us and said,
“I couldn’t be happier; this is a massive burden off my shoulders”.
Exposing a fraudulent franchisor in the sports therapy sector.
The equipment that our client had bought from the franchisor to start the business had developed serious faults. Instead of replacing the defective equipment the franchisor tried to downplay the problems and mend the broken parts. As a result, the relationship broke down and the franchisor threatened to terminate and claim damages.
The result
We discovered that the franchisor had supplied inferior quality equipment on which it had made a secret profit. When challenged the franchisor had over-controlled and intimidated our client to such an extent that it made the relationship impossible. All this enabled our client to terminate. She retained her clients and is now running her successful independent business.
Our client said.
“Thank you so much. I am absolutely thrilled to be out of this terrible franchise.”
Exposing misrepresentation and wrongdoing by a home services franchisor, enabling six franchisees to leave and operate their independent businesses.
The franchisor was in league with a rogue franchise consultant who massively exaggerated the potential earnings. We found that the franchisor was also skimming a profit margin from the payment system and misappropriating the advertising contributions of the franchisees.
Our clients said.
We are delighted with this result, especially as it caused a falling out between these **** (expletives).
Enabling a franchisee of a children’s activity franchise to avoid paying an early termination fee.
Our client had been operating for less than a year when she realised that it was impossible to make the amount of money that the franchisor had claimed. When she asked to leave the franchisor had demanded all the monthly fees until the end of the five-year agreement, amounting to over £12,000.
Our research found that the franchise had been mis-sold, and the franchise agreement had not been signed correctly. Also, that the franchisor, who was a member of the BFA, had not been complying with the Code of Ethics.
The result.
We initiated a termination for our client without making any payment to the franchisor. She thanked us profusely and left a lovely Google review.
Exposing wrongdoing by a driving instructor franchisor.
Our client found that she was locked into a franchise agreement when she had only intended to sign a training agreement. As a result, the franchisor was demanding monthly payments or a large one-off payment to terminate the agreement.
We identified the highly misleading advertising and the ambiguous signing process, leaving the franchisor no option but to concede.
Our client thanked us and said,
“I couldn’t be happier; this is a massive burden off my shoulders”.
Exposing a fraudulent franchisor in the sports therapy sector.
The equipment that our client had bought from the franchisor to start the business had developed serious faults. Instead of replacing the defective equipment the franchisor tried to downplay the problems and mend the broken parts. As a result, the relationship broke down and the franchisor threatened to terminate and claim damages.
The result
We discovered that the franchisor had supplied inferior quality equipment on which it had made a secret profit. When challenged the franchisor had over-controlled and intimidated our client to such an extent that it made the relationship impossible. All this enabled our client to terminate. She retained her clients and is now running her successful independent business.
Our client said.
“Thank you so much. I am absolutely thrilled to be out of this terrible franchise.”
Advising a group of franchisees in a service industry franchise.
Our clients were concerned about a major change to the business that the franchisor was about to make. We confirmed that this gave them the right to terminate. Our investigations uncovered other violations of the franchise agreement by the franchisor. We included these when drafting the termination notices. The franchisees are now free from the oppressive franchisor and are successfully running their independent businesses.
The Franchisee commented: –
“What a wonderful outcome. Finding you and getting out of Xxxx is the best business decision we have ever made”.
Securing a compensation payment for sexual harassment in a mediated settlement.
Our female client had suffered sexual harassment by an employee of the franchisor. The franchisor’s managing director had been unsympathetic and played down the seriousness of the situation, causing our client to terminate and seek compensation. The franchisor’s solicitors firmly rejected her claim, stating that she did not have a case. We advised her to accept an offer to mediate and supported her at the in-person mediation, securing a settlement of over 90% of her substantial claim.
Our client sent us a deeply touching recorded verbal message of thanks.
Successfully devising and implementing an exit strategy for a wine bar franchisee.
Soon after taking on this case, we discovered that a large undisclosed profit margin was being added to the wine that the franchisees were required to buy from the franchisor. Our investigations also found other irregular charges. We drafted letters for our client that altered the balance of power in the relationship, leading to a termination that avoided the post-termination restrictions. He has rebranded his wine bar and, being independent, is now far more profitable.
Our client commented:
“Without your help I would never have been able to achieve this wonderful outcome”.
Assisting a franchisee of home tutoring franchise to terminate the agreement.
We identified and exploited major flaws in the franchise agreement to enable our client to terminate. We then assisted her in a legal claim which resulted in her recovering her investment.
Our client said: –
“What a perfect result. I can’t thank you enough for supporting me.”
Enabling a franchisee to leave a food franchise and avoid post-termination restrictions.
We found that the franchisor had used an obsolete franchise agreement with restrictions that are no longer enforceable. When challenged about other issues, the franchisor wrongly terminated. This enabled our client to terminate, re-brand and continue independently.
Our client said: –
We are so very, very grateful. We can now run our own business and we don’t have to pay any more service fees.
Helping a fitness industry franchisor.
The franchisor had to deal with two franchisees who were attempting to avoid paying service fees and start a competing business
The CEO commented: –
Job done, first class outcome; you made it look easy!
Assisting a pet care franchisee
Our client said: –
Your support has been amazing, and you have always been there when we needed you.
The Franchisor said:-
That our principle was a ‘wrecking ball’
(our best complement ever!)
Advising an automotive training franchisee
Our franchisee client commented: –
Thank you so much. I‘ve got my life back and a huge weight is off my shoulders.
Enabling a mediated settlement in the property sector.
The parties to the dispute said: –
This is a good outcome for all. Thank you very much indeed for helping us. The solution that you devised hadn’t been spotted by anyone else and immediately resolved the problem
Enabling a franchisee to leave a franchise without paying an exit fee.
Our client operated a pet industry franchise and wanted to leave three years before the expiry of the agreement. The franchisor initially demanded that she must pay all the remaining minimum monthly payments. We identified misrepresentation and breaches of the agreement by the franchisor. These secured an amicable termination of the agreement without any payment by our client.
Our client said.
I am so very grateful for you getting me out of this dreadful situation. Without this hanging over my head I can now move on.
Advising an automotive training franchisee
Our franchisee client commented: –
Thank you so much. I‘ve got my life back and a huge weight is off my shoulders.
Assisting a group of 10 franchisees against a service industry franchisor.
The initial group of six franchisees wanted to leave the franchise and continue independently. We identified numerous breaches of the franchise agreement, misuse of the advertising fund and oppressive management by the franchisor. Four more franchisees joined the group, and we successfully secured terminations for all of them that avoided the post-termination restrictions.
The group members all expressed their thanks in a very light-hearted Zoom call with us during the recent holiday.
Exposing wrongdoing by a driving instructor franchisor.
Our client found that she was locked into a franchise agreement when she had only intended to sign a training agreement. As a result, the franchisor was demanding monthly payments or a large one-off payment to terminate the agreement.
We identified the highly misleading advertising and the ambiguous signing process, leaving the franchisor no option but to concede.
Our client thanked us and said,
“I couldn’t be happier; this is a massive burden off my shoulders”.
Exposing a fraudulent franchisor in the sports therapy sector.
The equipment that our client had bought from the franchisor to start the business had
developed serious faults. Instead of replacing the defective equipment the franchisor tried to downplay the problems and mend the broken parts. As a result, the relationship broke down and the franchisor threatened to terminate and claim damages.
The result
We discovered that the franchisor had supplied inferior quality equipment on which it had made a secret profit. When challenged the franchisor had over-controlled and intimidated our client to such an extent that it made the relationship impossible. All this enabled our client to terminate. She retained her clients and is now running her successful independent business.
Our client said.
“Thank you so much. I am absolutely thrilled to be out of this terrible franchise.”
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