International Franchise Association, Inc. v. City of Seattle

Case Updates

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of a motion for a preliminary injunction against the provisions of the City of Seattle’s minimum-wage ordinance that subjects nationwide franchise businesses to a steeper schedule of increases in the minimum wage than other businesses over the next five years.

The U.S. Chamber, joined by five other business groups, filed a brief urging the Ninth Circuit to reverse the district court’s order denying a preliminary injunction against the City of Seattle’s minimum-wage ordinance. The same coalition also filed an amicus brief in the district court. The coalition brief argues that the City of Seattle’s ordinance discriminates against out-of-state franchise businesses and will cause substantial and irreversible economic harm to those franchise businesses by forcing them to, among other things, reduce their workforce, abandon plans to expand their businesses, raise prices, and reduce employee benefits.

The U.S. Chamber filed this brief jointly with the American Hotel & Lodging Association, Asian American Hotel Owners Association, Home Care Association of America, National Restaurant Association, and Washington Retail Association.

William S. Consovoy, Thomas R. McCarthy, and J. Michael Connolly of Consovoy McCarthy PLLC served as co-counsel for the amici with the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center.