Experience
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Corporate Experience Rewriting Operating Manuals -- The Devil is in the Details An international franchise company turned to Larkin Hoffman to help rewrite, and in some cases create, operating manuals for multiple brands. Creation of National Dealer Network A direct selling organization contacted Larkin Hoffman for assistance in establishing a national distribution network. See more Corporate experience Employment, Labor and Benefits Experience WARN Act Implementation When a Minnesota based manufacturing company underwent a major workforce reduction across multiple states, it turned to Chirs Harristhal to evaluate WARN Act issues, determine trigger points for notification, and prepare notices to the appropriate agencies and workers. School District Prevails in Summary Judgment Motion When a school district was accused by one of its teachers of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the school district contacted Larkin Hoffman. See more Employment, Labor and Benefits experience Franchise and Distribution Experience Franchise Group Assists Franchisor in Implementing New Program, Defeating Franchise Challenge One of our franchisor clients wanted to implement a new program in its system. While the program was not provided for in the existing franchise agreements, the franchisor wanted all franchisees to participate in, and pay all fees associated with, the program. We assisted the client in structuring the program so as to fall within the provisions of the existing franchise agreements. When the fees associated with the program were nevertheless challenged by nearly two dozen franchisees, our transaction and litigation groups worked together to develop a strategy that ultimately led to the dismissal of the claims of more than half the franchisees, and settlement with the remaining franchisees without any change in the program or program fees. Negotiation of New Financing Arrangements One of three owners of a franchise system Larkin Hoffman represented wanted to “cash out.” Larkin Hoffman first assisted in negotiating an agreement with one owner to sell his interest, then negotiated the venture capital financing that redeemed that shareholder. Two years later, the team assisted the franchisor in simultaneously closing three transactions to refinance the venture capital financing with bank financing and equity. See more Franchise and Distribution experience Government Relations and Administrative Law Experience Large Industrial Client Has Ongoing Government Relations Concerns Larkin Hoffman’s Government Relations and Regulatory team helped to develop a strategy for a large industrial client with varied tax, environmental and real estate concerns that needed to interact regularly with senior elected and appointed cabinet officials in the State of Minnesota. Larkin Hoffman Helped Property Managers Fend Off Legislation A sophisticated property management organization engaged Larkin Hoffman’s Government Relations team to help it pro-actively engage the legislature on issues affecting their business and that of their clients. See more Government Relations and Administrative Law experience Health Care Industry Experience Healthcare Client Wins Defense Verdict Faced with claims of sexual harassment, assault and battery, and vicarious liability, a client in the healthcare industry contacted Larkin Hoffman. Chapter 11 Reorganization -- Health Care Larkin Hoffman's Bankruptcy Law team members lead reorganization of a health care facility after Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Intellectual Property, Technology and Internet Experience Midwest Industries, Inc. v. Karavan Trailers (S.D. Iowa) The case Midwest Industries, Inc. v. Karavan Trailers (S.D. Iowa) which involved the interplay between patents and trade dress rights. Midwest asserted trade dress protection in a unique curved winch post configuration for personal watercraft trailers. Midwest appealed the district court’s order granting summary judgment to Karavan, holding that Midwest’s trade dress claims were barred by federal patent law because Midwest had design patents for the curved winch post and a utility patent in which the curved winch post was claimed. Larkin Hoffman attorney Tom Oppold took over this case on appeal and successfully argued on behalf of Midwest to the Federal Circuit. Field v. Grabber Mfg. Co. (M.D. Fla.) Larkin Hoffman attorney, Tom Oppold, served as counsel for Field in Field v. Grabber Mfg. Co. (M.D. Fla.) a patent infringement case involving automotive collision repair machines. A significant damages award for the inventor was awarded by the jury. See more Intellectual Property, Technology and Internet experience Litigation Experience Larkin Hoffman Successfully Represents Real Estate Brokerage Firm in Exclusive Leasing Agreement Dispute James Susag and Julie Nagorski successfully represented a real estate brokerage firm in prosecuting its claims that an owner of a multi-unit building breached the exclusive leasing agreement and caused it to suffer significant monetary damages. Following a successful opposition to a vigorous motion for summary judgment, they recently negotiated a settlement of the claims, allowing the brokerage firm to obtain substantial compensation for its damages. TRO Secured A multi-state employer in the professional services industry needed a non-competition agreement enforced in state court. Chris Harristhal secured an order prohibiting a former employee, and his new employer, from working together in the restricted geographic territory despite allegations that the two business were not “competitors” due to different market niches. See more Litigation experience Personal Legal Services Experience Increasing Father’s Parenting Time in Shared Custody Case When the father of a nine year-old girl needed help to secure his rights to parenting time, he contacted Larkin Hoffman. The father and mother had been separated for several years and the mother refused to let the father have more than six hours of parenting time with the child every other weekend. After the mother refused to change her position in mediation, Larkin Hoffman attorney Rob Hill prevailed in district court so that the father received the statutorily presumptive 25 percent of parenting time. For the first time, the daughter now spends overnights at her dad's apartment. Long Distance Mediation Avoids Court Hearing in Custody Case When a father’s young children were taken from the United States to Europe by his wife, the father contacted Larkin Hoffman for support. See more Personal Legal Services experience Real Estate, Land Use and Resources Experience Prescriptive Easement Dispute Successfully Litigated for Property Owners Tamara O'Neill Moreland and Julie Nagorski successfully represented a group of property owners who were sued by an adjoining landowner for a prescriptive easement over their private road. After a three-day court trial, the judge denied the prescriptive easement. Lender Relies on Larkin Hoffman to Protect Property from Default and Reposition it for Development A national lender took control of property after a large mixed-use project failed due to the national economy. By that time the property was encumbered by multimillion dollar tax and assessment obligations, a substantial portion of which were delinquent, the property had been exposed to forfeiture. The firm’s Real Estate, Land Use and Government Relations teams helped our client develop a strategy for avoiding tax forfeiture while securing municipal support for a creative public finance plan that enables the client to pursue a significant taxable use of its property, while meeting the existing tax obligations. See more Real Estate, Land Use and Resources experience |