August 15, 2019
Washington state's attorney general is forging ahead with a campaign against no-poach provisions in franchise agreements, cutting deals last week with four more chains to eliminate the practice, but with few courts weighing in so far, it is unclear which legal standard for judging the provisions will prevail.
March 19, 2019
The U.S. Department of Justice may have to find another forum to argue how courts should handle antitrust lawsuits against franchise-based no-poach agreements after a federal judge in Washington state disclosed a settlement between three fast-food chains and former workers.
March 12, 2019
Former workers suing three fast-food chains in proposed class actions over franchise-based no-poach agreements shouldn't have to pursue their state law antitrust claims under a harder to prove legal standard even if it applies to federal claims, the Washington state attorney general's office told a federal judge.
March 08, 2019
An unusual fight is brewing between the Washington state attorney general's office and the U.S. Department of Justice that has potentially major ramifications for the legal standard to be used for judging scores of proposed class actions accusing fast-food chains and other franchise-based businesses of anti-competitive no-poach deals.
March 07, 2019
The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday argued that no-poach agreements between fast-food parent companies and individual franchisees may actually have consumer benefits, calling for a harder-to-prove standard for proposed class actions that claim the agreements are anti-competitive.
March 05, 2019
The Washington state attorney general's office has asked to participate in proposed antitrust class actions accusing fast-food chains of anti-competitive no-poach agreements, seeking to file amicus briefs arguing the claims should be judged under an easier-to-prove legal standard that could put it at odds with the U.S. Department of Justice.
January 29, 2019
The U.S. Department of Justice appears poised to undermine a key argument for workers accusing fast-food chains of anti-competitive no-poach agreements that inhibit individual franchises from hiring each others' employees.
October 24, 2018
Carl's Jr. and Auntie Anne's each urged a Washington state federal judge to toss parallel proposed class actions accusing the fast-food chains of antitrust violations through so-called no-poach agreements prohibiting their respective franchisees from recruiting workers from sister franchises.