[Law Firm Now] Jipyung to Hold Seminar on "Response Strategies for Rebate Franchise Fees and Fair Trade Commission Enforcement Direction"

A seminar has been organized to explore how franchisors (headquarters) are responding to the hot-button issue of "rebate franchise fee" lawsuits in the domestic franchise industry, as well as to review recent enforcement trends by the Korea Fair Trade Commission in the franchise sector.

Jipyung Law Firm (Co-Managing Partners Kim Jihong and Lee Haengkyu) announced on April 29 that it will hold a seminar titled "Response Strategies for Rebate Franchise Fees and the Korea Fair Trade Commission's Law Enforcement Direction in the Franchise Sector" at 4:00 p.m. on May 12 at the Grand Central Building, 26th floor, Meeting Room A, Jipyung Law Firm Headquarters, Jung-gu, Seoul.

Headquarters of Jipyong Law Firm, Jung-gu, Seoul. Jipyong Law Firm

Earlier this year, Supreme Court rulings were handed down in quick succession in rebate franchise fee lawsuits against the franchisors of Pizza Hut and Mom's Touch, which had a significant impact on the franchise market. While both rulings identified the rebate franchise fee as the central issue, they reached opposite conclusions, providing important implications for the interpretation of franchise agreements in the market.

In addition to these two cases, numerous lawsuits have been filed against franchisors seeking the return of rebate franchise fees as unjust enrichment. Even in instances where litigation has not occurred, many franchisors remain exposed to related legal risks. Furthermore, the need to proactively address issues related to rebate franchise fees is increasing as companies review their future business strategies.

In response, the Jipyung Fair Trade Group has organized this seminar to provide a comprehensive analysis of recent case law and regulatory trends concerning rebate franchise fees and to share practical response strategies. The seminar will offer a detailed overview of the two Supreme Court rulings and present practical guidance focusing on future response strategies and key considerations from the franchisor’s perspective. In addition, the seminar plans to examine the increasingly detailed and strengthened regulatory trends in the franchise sector and discuss how companies can effectively respond to these changes.

The seminar will open with remarks and a welcome address by Partner Attorney Lee Byungjoo, head of the Jipyung Fair Trade Group, and will feature two main topic presentations followed by a discussion session.

The first presentation, titled "Response Strategies for Rebate Franchise Fee Issues," will be delivered by Partner Attorney Kim Sangyun. Kim is a fair trade expert who previously served as head of the Fair Trade Commission’s Franchise Transaction Investigation Team, where he handled numerous major franchise industry cases, including those involving essential product issues, and has extensive practical experience in all aspects of fair trade.

The second presentation, "The Korea Fair Trade Commission's Law Enforcement Direction in the Franchise Sector," will be given by Partner Attorney Lee Jongheon. Lee has been selected for two consecutive years as a "Best Lawyer" in the fair trade field by JoongAng Ilbo and the Korea In-house Counsel Association, and is a fair trade specialist with extensive experience in fair trade litigation and compliance capabilities.

After the main presentations, a discussion and Q&A session will be led by Partner Attorney Lee Byungjoo, where the presenters and participants will discuss the full scope of franchise business law, including rebate franchise fee issues.

Partner Attorney Lee Byungjoo stated, "The recent Supreme Court rulings regarding rebate franchise fees represent a critical turning point, requiring a comprehensive reassessment of the overall franchise business structure. I hope this seminar will help clarify the significance of these key decisions and assist franchisors in developing practical response strategies to minimize future dispute risks."

Registration for the seminar is available through the Jipyung Law Firm website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.