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Controlling the Franchisee’s Location: Legal and Business Issues for International Franchisors Moderator: Carl Zwisler Gray Plant Mooty Washington, DC 2010 IDI Annual Conference Torino, Italy June 11-12, 2010
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2 Panelists: Luciana BassaniClaudia Santos Cruz Dannemann Siemsen AdvogadosAVM ADVOGADOS Rio de Janeiro BrasilLisbon, Portugal +55 21 2237 8714+351 304 501 010 lbassani@dannemann.com.brclaudia.cruz@avm-advogados.com Paul Jones Patrick Lindgren Jones & Co.ADVOCARE LAW OFFICE Toronto, Canada Helsinki, Finland 416.703.5716+358 (0)10-666 5680 pjones@jonesco-law.capatrick.lindgren@advocare.fi Anders Thylin Thylin Advokatbyrå AB Stockholm, Sweden +46 (0)8 545 141 65 anders.thylin@thylin.se
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3 How to obtain and maintain control over the location of the franchisee’s outlet.
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4 Objectives: To identify and evaluate how franchisors obtain and retain control of the premises from which their franchisees operate;
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5 To identify differences in laws and practices among countries which pertain to how franchisors may exercise lease controls; and To identify issues which should be addressed in international franchise agreements to maximize franchisors’ ability to control leases of premises.
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6 Thesis: Franchisors everywhere wish to be able to make sure that the locations which they either select or approve for their franchisees remain a part of their franchise networks, even if the franchise relationship ends.
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7 Leasing practices differ so significantly that addressing them must be a part of the early consultation with local counsel when entering a new market.
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8 1. What is the objective of location control? to protect franchisors if they sublease to obtain prime locations
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9 Goodwill!! to protect goodwill at locations which were selected/approved by the franchisor and developed under a franchise agreement ABC BRAND X
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10 to profit as a (sub)landlord
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11 to dissuade franchisees from terminating or not renewing their franchise agreements
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12 2. Which form of franchise lease controls do franchisors use in your country? Which do they not use? Franchisor subleases or franchisor- mandated master franchisee subleases
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13 Conditional lease assignment
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14 Franchisor has right to acquire premises and business upon termination of franchise (with or without rights under lease) Post term non-compete covenant Zor Store Silvia Enterprises
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15 3. What is the typical lease term in your country? Is it generally renewable?
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16 4. Is the duration of commercial lease terms usually consistent with the terms of franchise agreements used by franchisors? If not, how are the differences accommodated?
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17 5. How do local laws or practices affect landlords’ and tenants’ rights upon: Termination of a lease –for cause –without cause
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18 Expiration of a lease
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19 You owe me 3 years rent… NOW!! Right to accelerate rent
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20 Right to collect damages –How is this quantified?
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21 BARGAIN!!! –Duty to mitigate damages/relet the premises
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22 Right to enter location and seize personal property to satisfy claims against the tenant
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23 Right to acquire or operate the tenant's business operated from the premises
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24 Duty to offer renewal and conditions of any mandatory offer EXPIRED
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25 6. May franchisors exercise control over franchisees' premises without the landlord agreeing to the controls in its lease with the franchisee? Zor: FA says I can now occupy this space Landlord: Oh.. Really?
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26 7. What legal or practical problems arise if a franchisor subleases property to its franchisees? Landlord: You owe me regardless
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27 Franchisee default results in duty of franchisor/sublandlord to pay rent and operate business or find a franchisee
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28 Restrictions on marking up rent which it charges subtenant/franchisee
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29 Franchisee right to assign the lease Take my store, Please!
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30 Franchisee right to renew upon lease expiration, even if franchise has expired or terminated
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31 Prohibition on foreign franchisor owning local business or an interest in real estate or operating certain types of businesses
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32 License required to engage in business of leasing real estate
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33 8. Are landlords and franchisees generally willing to enter into conditional lease assignments in your country? Landlord: You must be kidding.
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34 9. Must enforcement of a franchisor's rights under a lease take place in a local court rather than through arbitration or litigation in foreign courts?
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35 10. Will a choice of a foreign law have any impact upon obligations under a lease or a sublease?
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36 11. Which language do franchisors usually demand that franchisees have in leases to protect franchisors’ rights under their franchise agreements?
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37 12. Are landlords generally amenable to accepting these terms? Landlord: You must be kidding, Silvia.
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38 Thank you, Carl E. Zwisler Gray Plant Mooty 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW Suite 1111 – The Watergate Washington, DC 20037 Phone: 202-295-2225 Facsimile: 202-295-2275 carl.zwisler@gpmlaw.com
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