The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed a grant of summary judgment in favor of Buffalo Wild Wings, ending years of contentious litigation with one of its franchisees. Our firm represented the restaurant company throughout the dispute.
Buffalo Wild Wings initially sought a declaration that the franchisee was violating the Lanham Act by improperly using company trademarks and failing to meet brand standards. In response, the franchisee de-branded its restaurant and filed counterclaims against Buffalo Wild Wings for breach of the parties’ agreement and malicious litigation. The district court granted summary judgment for Buffalo Wild Wings on the franchisee’s counterclaims. The Sixth Circuit affirmed, agreeing with our firm's arguments that Buffalo Wild Wings had not breached the agreement and had not engaged in malicious litigation by taking legal action to protect its brand.
