Do tenants/lessees have more bargaining power in the face of the Coronavirus and challenging retail conditions? The impending doom that is the Coronavirus would have us all believe that the malls, shops and streets are soon to be devoid of humans. The downturn in the retail economy is well documented and much discussed. The talk of an unavoidable recession is filling the airwaves. Is this all doom and gloom or an opportunity to be grasped? If a tenant/lessee has a suitable concept, ...

I am a staunch supporter of mediations in franchise disputes. In a world where litigation can be outside the financial reach of many parties (franchisors and franchisees) mediation gives the parties an opportunity to reach a resolution which helps to avoid: 1. the expense of litigation; 2. the time and effort of litigation; 3. the stress of litigation; 4. bad publicity; and 5. tying up resources that could be best expended on looking forward rather than backward. Many franchis...