Settlement of Franchise and Antitrust Suit Against Oil Company

Consumers aren't the only ones complaining about high gas prices. Recently, ExxonMobil settled a lawsuit brought by over a dozen Michigan Exxon franchise owners alleging that Exxon was forcing franchisees to pay unfair prices for Exxon brand gasoline in an attempt to put them out of business. The independent franchise owners alleged that Exxon planned to replace their gas stations with corporate gas stations owned by Exxon. The complaint filed by the franchise owners asserted violations of franchise and antitrust laws and sought recession of the franchise contracts in addition to damages. The amount and terms of the settlement were undisclosed, but reports indicate that some franchise owners could have received over one million dollars, while Exxon entered into a separate agreement to pay attorney fees.