Under what circumstances can information presented in a Hydrodog arbitration proceeding be disclosed in a subsequent court hearing?
Hydrodog Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Nothing herein will prevent either party from disclosing or using any information presented in any arbitration proceeding in any subsequent court hearing brought by either you or we pursuant to this Agreement.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 43–166)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Hydrodog Franchise Disclosure Document, either Hydrodog or the franchisee can disclose information presented during an arbitration proceeding in a subsequent court hearing. This is permitted if the court hearing is brought by either party pursuant to the franchise agreement.
This means that while Hydrodog requires disputes to initially go through arbitration, the information revealed during that process isn't strictly confidential. Either party can use that information later if they decide to pursue further legal action in court related to the franchise agreement.
For a prospective Hydrodog franchisee, this clause suggests that arbitration may not be a completely private or final resolution. Information disclosed during arbitration could potentially become part of public record if a court case follows. Franchisees should consider this when deciding what information to share during arbitration and be aware that it could be used against them in future legal proceedings.