Andy Beilfuss

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Andy Beilfuss is a partner in Quarles & Brady LLP’s Commercial Litigation and Franchise and Distribution Industry Groups. His national practice focuses primarily on representing franchisors, manufacturers and marketers of products and services.

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Webinar Replay for Franchisors: NLRB Developments

By Andy Beilfuss on Posted in Events, Franchise Development
Quarles & Brady’s Labor & Employment Practice recently presented a webinar on, “Developments at the National Labor Relations Board and Their Impact on Employers and Franchisors.”  Judi Williams-Killackey, Chris Nickels and Steve Kruzel reviewed the recent General Counsel memo and recent decisions from the NLRB, including those relating to its joint employer standard, workplace policies … Continue Reading

Twenty Years After Stella Liebeck, Plaintiffs Are Still Suing McDonald’s Over Hot Coffee

By Andy Beilfuss on Posted in Court Decisions, Franchise History, Litigation, Product Liability, Restaurants & Food Service
In 1994, one of the most famous civil verdicts in American history was rendered.  On August 18th of that year, a New Mexico jury awarded 81-year-old Stella Liebeck nearly $2.9 million in damages after she was burned by McDonald’s coffee that had spilled in her lap.  The case sent shockwaves through the legal community, became … Continue Reading

Seventh Circuit Rules That an Undisclosed Franchise Owner Is Subject to the Franchise Agreement’s Arbitration Clause

By Andy Beilfuss on Posted in Arbitration Clauses, Contract Interpretation, Court Decisions, Litigation, Noncompetition Clauses
The issue of whether non-signatories to an arbitration agreement can be forced to arbitrate is not new, but it’s an issue that doesn’t arise often in the franchise context.  Recently, however, the Seventh Circuit ruled that an undisclosed partner in a franchised business was required to arbitrate her claims in accordance with the franchise agreement’s … Continue Reading

“Undercover Boss” Episode Isn’t Enough to Prove Vicarious Liability, Says a Maryland Federal Court

By Andy Beilfuss on Posted in Court Decisions, Evidence, Hotels & Motels, Litigation, Vicarious Liability
Plaintiffs routinely sue franchisors for the alleged misconduct of their franchisees.  In fact, it’s become an exceedingly common practice.  To use a simple example, if a person slips and falls in the parking lot of a franchised Joe’s Burger Shack location, they’ll inevitably sue Joe’s Burger Shack Franchising, Inc. as well, even if Franchising didn’t … Continue Reading
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