United States: Franchising

On 26 February 2026, the EU published Directive (EU) 2026/470 (the Omnibus I Directive). Adopted as part of the European Commission's (Commission) simplification agenda and after a year of debates and negotiations between the Commission, the Council, and the European Parliament, this text effectuates far-reaching changes to both the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D).

A recent decision from the Connecticut Appellate Court highlights how commission‑based fuel arrangements can limit franchise liability when suppliers retain control over pricing and inventory.

Intellectual property licensing, distribution and collaboration agreements are widely used to expand businesses and reach new markets. While they offer flexibility, they carry a frequently overlooked regulatory risk.

A recent federal court decision underscores courts' willingness to enforce clear language in franchise agreements imposing reasonable post-termination obligations on franchisees held to be in breach.

The democratization of investment in sports franchises and leagues has been driven by a confluence of factors.

A federal court recently granted a third-party supplier's motion to dismiss a franchisee's lawsuit, holding that the franchisee was not an intended third-party beneficiary of the contract between the supplier and the franchisor.

In this week's BL Business Branding entry, we're diving into the latest intellectual property showdown between Pop Mart, the global collectible toy company known for its wildly popular blind-box figures...

In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in sports and entertainment mixed-use developments that blend professional or collegiate stadiums or arenas...

New Jersey appears poised to adopt a unique "average retail labor time allowance" multiplier to the compensation OEMs must pay dealers for warranty service, after both houses of that state's Legislature voted...