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LIBERTY TAX SERVICE NIPS AT H&R BLOCK'S HEELS
Liberty Tax Service, a Virginia Beach, VA, franchisor of tax-preparation services, continues to challenge the advertising practices of H&R Block, the largest provider of tax services in the U.S. Liberty has about 900 franchisees, making it the nation's third-largest franchisor of tax-preparation businesses, while H&R Block has more than 9000 offices (of which about half are franchises).
On Feb. 12, 2003, Liberty went to Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Raymond Jackson a second time to ask that H&R Block be held in contempt of court for violating the judge's injunction against H&R Block's advertising program. That injunction dates to May 2000, when Liberty won a false advertising case against H&R Block in which it alleged that H&R Block misrepresented refund anticipation loans as a 'refund,' 'refund amount,' and 'check in the amount of your refund.' Both the federal judge who heard that case and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that H&R Block had made those misrepresentations willfully, maliciously, and in violation of IRS regulations.
H&R Block paid more than $800,000 in total damages, costs, and fees to Liberty. Furthermore, H&R Block was put under a permanent nationwide injunction to never again advertise loans in print ads without 'clearly and prominently' disclosing that refund anticipation loans are actually bank loans.
'The judge wasn't fooled by H&R Block's arguments in 2000, and its latest ads have been even worse,' said Martha O'Gorman, public relations manager for Liberty. Judge Jackson had not ruled on Liberty's latest claim as of this newsletter's press time. H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, and Liberty are locked in a fierce battle for low-cost tax preparation.
Liberty's founder and CEO, John T. Hewitt, began his career at H&R Block and then created Jackson Hewitt, the nation's second-largest tax-preparation firm, before selling it in 1996. When his non-compete clause expired in 1999, he and other Jackson Hewitt executives bought a small tax-preparation company, renamed it Liberty Tax Service, and began an aggressive growth campaign.
LIBERTY TAX SERVICE NIPS AT H&R BLOCK'S HEELS
Liberty Tax Service, a
On Feb. 12, 2003, Liberty went to Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Raymond Jackson a second time to ask that H&R Block be held in contempt of court for violating the judge's injunction against H&R Block's advertising program. That injunction dates to May 2000, when Liberty won a false advertising case against H&R Block in which it alleged that H&R Block misrepresented refund anticipation loans as a 'refund,' 'refund amount,' and 'check in the amount of your refund.' Both the federal judge who heard that case and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that H&R Block had made those misrepresentations willfully, maliciously, and in violation of IRS regulations.
H&R Block paid more than $800,000 in total damages, costs, and fees to Liberty. Furthermore, H&R Block was put under a permanent nationwide injunction to never again advertise loans in print ads without 'clearly and prominently' disclosing that refund anticipation loans are actually bank loans.
'The judge wasn't fooled by H&R Block's arguments in 2000, and its latest ads have been even worse,' said Martha O'Gorman, public relations manager for Liberty. Judge Jackson had not ruled on Liberty's latest claim as of this newsletter's press time. H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, and Liberty are locked in a fierce battle for low-cost tax preparation.
Liberty's founder and CEO, John T. Hewitt, began his career at H&R Block and then created Jackson Hewitt, the nation's second-largest tax-preparation firm, before selling it in 1996. When his non-compete clause expired in 1999, he and other Jackson Hewitt executives bought a small tax-preparation company, renamed it Liberty Tax Service, and began an aggressive growth campaign.
Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin
With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.
'Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P.': A Tutorial On Contract Liability for Real Estate Purchasers
In June 2024, the First Department decided Huguenot LLC v. Megalith Capital Group Fund I, L.P., which resolved a question of liability for a group of condominium apartment buyers and in so doing, touched on a wide range of issues about how contracts can obligate purchasers of real property.
CoStar Wins Injunction for Breach-of-Contract Damages In CRE Database Access Lawsuit
Latham & Watkins helped the largest U.S. commercial real estate research company prevail in a breach-of-contract dispute in District of Columbia federal court.
The Article 8 Opt In
The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.