Currently trademark bullying has become a serious concern for many small businesses that feel as though powerful corporations are abusing aggressive trademark enforcement and litigation techniques to crush genuine competition. No doubt these concerns merit the serious consideration of all...

In Mac's Shell Serv., Inc. v. Shell Oil Prods. Co., 559 U.S. 175 (2010), the Supreme Court held that a service station franchisee pursuing a claim of constructive termination against the franchisor must, under the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 2801-2841 (1978), abandon the...

A festering ambiguity buried within the thirteenth chapter of the Bankruptcy Code threatens to shadow future rehabilitations of any mixed-use development owned by one or more individuals or proprietorships eligible to file for relief under that chapter. The reason for this pendant danger...

Amongst the group of related sections touching upon the creation and administration of a plan of debt adjustment pursuant to Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code (“Code”), just one—§ 1329—concerns post-confirmation modification. This section’s first lettered paragraph enumerates the...

The protection afforded to franchisees differs widely across the world. Nations with economically strong franchise sectors typically regulate the contract’s bargaining phase and post-formation. Responding to the European Parliament’s call for a review of regulations governing Europe’s...

Commentators and lawmakers have called attention to the rising frequency of contractual arbitration as a non-negotiable condition of many relationships. Indeed, it is a rare individual who is not subject to at least one pre-dispute, binding arbitration agreement. This Article studies common...

Franchising serves as one of the most popular forms of owning and operating a business. As the franchise model has grown, so too have issues in vicarious liability. Over the years, multiple methods of allocating the blame to franchisors have developed, such as through statutory construction or...

Under what circumstances do third parties have standing to assert a decedent’s cause of action under various federal consumer protection statutes? Over time, federal courts opted to adopt a unique set of principles to guide this determination. This short article affords an overview of these tenets

According to many, discovery under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Rules” collectively, or “Rule” individually) imposes a multiplicity of financial and administrative burdens on parties and courts. True, much debate rages over the true extent of these costs; true, mindboggling...

The framework for a successful franchise relationship governs procedures, performance, and standards. The franchisor agrees to lend, in effect, its intellectual property and guidance, among other things, in exchange for the franchisee’s royalties and other payments. Before entering into an...