What is the impact of a Cicis franchisee's former subsidiary's actions on the General Release?
Cicis Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- General Release. You, on behalf of yourself, and your respective current and former parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries, and the agents, spouses, heirs, principals, attorneys, owners, officers, directors, employees, representatives, predecessors, successors, and assigns of each (collectively, the
"Releasing Parties"), hereby absolutely and irrevocably release and discharge us, our parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates, and the current and former owners, officers, directors, employees, managers, agents, representatives, predecessors, successors, and assigns of each (collectively, the "Released Parties"), of and from any and all claims, obligations, debts, proceedings, demands, rights to terminate and rescind, liabilities, losses, damages, and causes of action of whatever kind or nature, whether known or unknown, vested or contingent, suspected or unsuspected, at law or in equity (collectively, "Claims"), which any of the Releasing Parties ever owned or held, now own or hold, or may in the future own or hold, which are based on actions, omissions, or occurrences occurring on or prior to the Effective Date of this Addendum, including, without limitation, Claims based upon, arising out of, or in any way related to (i) applicable laws, rules and regulations, (ii) the Franchise Agreement and all other agreements between any Releasing Party and any Released Party, (iii) the relationships created by such agreements, or (iv) the sale, development, ownership, purchase or operation of the Restaurant or any other Cicis-branded restaurant. You represent and warrant that no Claims released by the Releasing Parties in this paragraph have been assigned to any third party and that no Releasing Party will sue a Released Party on the Claims released under this paragraph.
If the Restaurant you operate under the Franchise Agreement is located in Maryland or if any of the Releasing Parties is a resident of Maryland, the following shall apply:
Any general release provided for hereunder shall not apply to any liability under the Maryland Franchise Registration and Disclosure Law.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 65–263)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cicis's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the General Release has implications for a franchisee's former subsidiaries. The franchisee, along with their current and former parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries, agrees to release Cicis and its affiliates from all claims and liabilities. This release covers any claims that the franchisee or their related entities ever had, currently have, or may have in the future, based on events that occurred on or before the effective date of the addendum.
This means that any past actions, omissions, or occurrences by a franchisee's former subsidiary could be subject to this release. The claims being released include those based on applicable laws, the Franchise Agreement, the relationships created by the agreement, or the operation of any Cicis-branded restaurant. Therefore, if a franchisee's former subsidiary had any issues or disputes with Cicis prior to the addendum's effective date, those issues are covered by the release.
It is important to note that if the Cicis restaurant is located in Maryland, or if any of the releasing parties are residents of Maryland, the general release does not apply to any liability under the Maryland Franchise Registration and Disclosure Law. This provides a specific exception to the broad release for franchisees in Maryland. The franchisee also warrants that they have not assigned any of the released claims to a third party, ensuring that no other party can pursue these claims against Cicis.