Hirzel Dreyfuss & Dempsey, PLLC
NEWS AND INFORMATION
Stand in Support of Florida Small Business Owners
The Florida Legislature has the opportunity to pass fair legislation that evens the playing field for small business owners across the state. These policies would ensure basics for local businesses that are owned and operated by franchisees, including protections from unjust terminations and non-renewal of their agreements.
The attorneys of Hirzel Dreyfuss & Dempsey strongly support SB 750.
Tell your state legislators how basic protections for franchisees will benefit thousands of small business owners and their hardworking employees here in Florida.
Fill out the form at the bottom of this link to make your voice heard!
Franchisor Blunders, No Wonder Buyers Don’t Read FDDs
The Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) should be seen by franchisors, their attorneys and state and federal regulators as the most valuable tool for prospective buyers prior to making their decision as to where they want to invest their money into a franchise. The 200-, 300-, or even 500-page document should contain pertinent data and financials about the system, and what protections are given to franchisees in making their investment of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
When franchisors and their legal counsel get it wrong in the company's FDD, making errors, misrepresentations and omissions, it can cause turmoil, financial devastation, and costly litigation for franchisees.
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Read further here
Florida franchise owners could benefit from state proposal
The proposal (SB 750), filed by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, also seeks to make it harder to terminate or refuse to renew contracts with franchise owners.
Read more using this link
Video Coverage of CBS4 Miami Reporting on Burger & Beer Joint South Beach Location Being Forced to Close Because of Gay Nightclub
The lawyers of Hirzel Dreyfuss & Dempsey are happy to see CBS evening news in Miami covering the ongoing scandal involving our clients, the franchisee owners of the former Burger & Beer Joint in South Beach. Our clients also are franchisee owners of the locations in Mary Brickell Village, the Dolphin Mall, and in San Juan.
Our clients' South Beach location was forced to shut down after the parent Franchisor entity terminated the franchise agreement due to a gay bar called "The Mix" being allowed to operate after-hours on the second floor of our clients' premises. The parent Franchisor entity informed our clients that the gay bar could negatively impact the B&B brand.
Our clients and our firm strongly oppose such discriminatory tactics and sentiments against the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community from the parent Franchisor entity.
Video of CBS' Coverage of this Story: http://cbsloc.al/2lgn94d and also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ljVAnRQqQ
The “Protect Florida Small Business Act” (SB 750) Introduced Into Florida Senate
Legislation that would protect small business owners who enter into franchise agreements was filed Tuesday in the Florida Legislature.
The attorneys at Hirzel Dreyfuss & Dempsey strongly support SB 750's protections for franchisees. SB 750 adds reasonable and necessary protections for franchisees against harsh and abusive mistreatment by franchisors.
Read more about SB 750 here.
Link to Text of SB 750 here.
South Beach Burger & Beer Joint Loses Franchise After Gay Bar Opens Upstairs
CBS4 News in Miami continues the coverage of the forced closure of the Burger & Beer Joint location on South Beach by the parent Franchisor entity because a gay nightclub was permitted on the second floor of the location (after-hours).
Hirzel Dreyfuss & Dempsey represents the owners of the South Beach Burger & Beer Joint location in fighting back against discrimination and against abusive franchisors. Our clients also own the locations in Brickell, Dolphin Mall, and in other locations as well.
Read more about the story here:
A gay bar opens upstairs. Downstairs, Burger & Beer Joint loses its franchise.
The law firm of Hirzel Dreyfuss & Dempsey is representing franchisees who own multiple Burger & Beer Joint restaurant locations in Florida and in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our clients have recently had their franchise agreements terminated by the parent Franchisor company.
The parent Franchisor company explicitly stated in a formal notice to our clients that the South Beach Burger & Beer Joint was being terminated solely because an after-hours gay nightclub was operating on the second level of the building.
We and our clients are shocked to have their restaurants placed at risk and their SoBe location forced to close. Discrimination is not appropriate anywhere, but it is very surprising to find it on South Beach in 2017. Our clients and the attorneys at the law firm of Hirzel Dreyfuss & Dempsey oppose discrimination against the LGBT community and hope that the parent Franchisor company will admit what they did was wrong and unacceptable.
Read more about this story from the Miami Herald:
http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/restaurants/article131135579.html
Appeal in Multimillion-Dollar Franchisee Litigation against Nissan North America
Nissan North America's practice of providing millions of dollars in support to select dealers is at the heart of a court case in Florida.
In an appeal filed Feb. 11 in the First District Court of Appeal in Florida, South Motors Infiniti of Palmetto Bay, Fla., south of Miami, said Nissan must offer other Florida dealers the same cash the automaker is giving dealer Bernie Moreno to open an Infiniti point in Coral Gables, Fla.
Anything less violates Florida franchise law, the appeal said.
If the court agrees, it would conflict with Nissan's notion of providing money and help to select dealers and not others. The case could attract attention in other states where Nissan has been aggressively remaking its dealer network.
The appeal seeks to overturn a lower-court ruling by the State of Florida Division of Administrative Hearings that approved Nissan's awarding an open Infiniti point in Coral Gables, Fla., to Moreno.
...Continued at Automotive News (Click Here)
The HDD Law Firm's New Website!
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Buffalo Wild Wings Drops Litigation against Florida Franchisee
Minneapolis-based Buffalo Wild Wings has agreed to drop a legal dispute initiated by Orlando area businessman Andrew Gross, who formerly owned 10 stores in Central Florida.
Gross and the company dropped claims against each other, according to a stipulation filed Wednesday. Both parties agreed to bear their own legal costs for the suit.
Buffalo Wild Wings bought back Gross’s ten restaurants in October 2014, for $22 million. The company has alleged that Gross was supposed to build 12 stores in Central Florida but fell behind and wasn’t able to finance the final two.
Buffalo also alleged that Gross’s company didn’t properly maintain the restaurants, allowed inventory shortages, and had fewer employees per store than a contract required. Buffalo demanded about $1 million to cover the alleged damages.
...Story Continued on Orlando Sentinel