Does a request for injunctive relief impact the venue requirements for litigation against Belocal?

According to Belocal's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a request for injunctive relief does impact the venue requirements for litigation. Generally, any action brought by any party against another must occur exclusively within the county or federal judicial district where Belocal's principal business office is located. Franchisees consent to the jurisdiction of those courts and waive objections to jurisdiction or claims of inconvenient forum.

However, this requirement changes if the action includes a request for injunctive relief or other provisional relief. In such cases, any party may bring the action in any court in any state that has jurisdiction. This means that Belocal is not restricted to the location of its principal business office if it seeks injunctive relief.

For a prospective franchisee, this clause means that while most litigation will occur in the location of Belocal's principal business office, actions involving injunctive relief can be brought in any state with jurisdiction. This could be advantageous or disadvantageous depending on the specific circumstances and location of the franchisee. Franchisees should consider this when assessing the potential costs and inconveniences of future legal disputes with Belocal.