Where in the Eos Worldwide franchise agreement can I find information about dispute resolution?
Eos_Worldwide Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
20. DISPUTE RESOLUTION.
20.1 Governing Law.
Except to the extent this Agreement or any particular dispute is governed by the U*.S. Trademark Act of 1946* (Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. §1051 and the sections following it) or other federal law, this Agreement and the Franchise shall be enforced and governed by and under the substantive law of the State of Delaware, without regard to choice of law rules, unless otherwise provided herein.
20.2 Jurisdiction.
Except as otherwise set forth herein, the exclusive venue and exclusive forum for all disputes between the parties shall be any court of general jurisdiction located in Delaware and/or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, and the parties to this Agreement hereby waive any and all objections with regard to personal jurisdiction and/or venue.
Notwithstanding Section 20.1 or Section 20.2 to the contrary, if the laws of the state or jurisdiction in which you operate the Franchised Business requires or deems or the laws of any other state or jurisdiction in which you do business require or deem that the laws of such state or jurisdiction apply to this Agreement and/or the grant of the franchise contemplated hereunder, then the laws of such state or jurisdiction and any dispute resolution proceedings shall apply and be conducted in and in accordance with the applicable laws of such state or jurisdiction to the extent required Nothing in this Agreement shall restrict the application of the applicable franchise legislation in such state or jurisdiction or to restrict jurisdiction or venue to a forum outside of such state or jurisdiction with respect to a claim otherwise enforceable under such applicable franchise legislation.
20.3 Internal Dispute Resolution.
Prior to the initiation of formal dispute resolution procedures, you must first attempt to resolve any dispute with us or our affiliates informally in accordance with the following internal dispute resolution procedure ("IDR"):
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 74–246)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Eos Worldwide Franchise Disclosure Document, Section 20 of the franchise agreement outlines the dispute resolution process. This section specifies that, unless governed by the U.S. Trademark Act or other federal law, the laws of Delaware will govern the agreement.
Specifically, Section 20.2 states that the exclusive venue and forum for disputes will be in a court of general jurisdiction located in Delaware or the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Franchisees waive any objections to personal jurisdiction or venue in these courts. However, there is an exception: if the laws of the state where the franchisee operates require that its laws apply to the agreement, then the dispute resolution proceedings will follow those state laws to the extent required.
Prior to initiating formal dispute resolution, Section 20.3 requires franchisees to first attempt to resolve any dispute informally with Eos Worldwide through an internal dispute resolution (IDR) procedure. This involves contacting Eos Worldwide to try and resolve the issue before pursuing legal action. This is a common practice in franchising, intended to save both parties time and money by resolving issues amicably if possible.