Franchise and Distribution Litigation

Our attorneys have experience in major litigation throughout the country, including matters involving shutting down -breakaway- franchisees; enforcing trademarks, service marks, trade secrets and operating procedures; upholding a franchisor's real estate and personal property rights through forcibles, replevin or UCC sales; pursuing franchisees through bankruptcy adversarial proceedings; and combating disgruntled and powerful area franchisees or franchise associations.

In addition to distributors, dealers and franchisees, our attorneys have represented franchisors doing business nationwide, such as Domino's Pizza, Burger King, Microsoft, AlphaGraphics, Boston Market, Brown's Chicken, Popeye's, Century 21, Blockbuster, Roto Rooter and Subway.

Barnes & Thornburg has represented clients in dealer/distributor franchise disputes in a number of industries, including: power sports, recreational vehicles, consumer products, restaurants and food service establishments, direct-to-home food delivery service, snack foods, electronics, medical products, sanitary care, automobile tires, furniture restoration, office supplies and educational services. The firm's franchise/distributor experience ranges from opposition proceedings in the United States Patent and Trademark Office to antitrust class actions to proceedings before the International Trade Commission and assisting in similar cases abroad. Such litigation involved patents, trademarks, and copyrights; real estate; antitrust and unfair competition; violation of non-compete agreements; regulatory compliance; and trade secrets.