The Matco Franchise Owners Association (MFOA) is currently evaluating legal action against Matco Tools Corporation on behalf of its members. This would be a separate lawsuit from any individual claims already filed and would be initiated by the Association itself.

We are interviewing Law Firms that would be interested in taking action for the benefit of our members. We are looking at finding a law firm that is willing to take the case on a contingency, meaning you would not have to pay any legal fees until your case is completed. 

 The MFOA is committed to standing up for all franchisees and holding Matco accountable for practices that violate franchise law, ethical business standards, and basic fairness.

 Association Lawsuit

• Filed by the MFOA itself as an organization, representing the collective interests of its members.

• Focuses on systemic issues harming franchisees (fraud, contract violations, etc.).

• Franchisees can choose to support the case without individually being named as plaintiffs.

• Any settlement or judgment would benefit the Association and its members.

• Usually more flexible than a class action and can target specific unfair practices.

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 Class Action Lawsuit

• Filed on behalf of an entire “class” of franchisees (past, present, or future) who suffered the same harm.

• The court must certify the class before it can proceed (higher legal threshold).

• If successful, all class members automatically share in the settlement unless they opt out.

• More restrictive and harder to bring because it requires uniform damages for everyone.

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 Mass Tort Lawsuit

• Similar to a class action but treats each case individually under one coordinated lawsuit.

• Each franchisee would have their own claim, but the cases are grouped together for efficiency.

• Often used when damages vary widely but stem from the same wrongful conduct (like fraud, defective products, or systemic software issues).

• Potentially allows higher individual settlements than a class action.

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Which is Best?

• An Association Lawsuit can be filed more quickly and directly targets franchise law violations.

• A Mass Tort is powerful when damages differ between franchisees but share a common cause.

• A Class Action is harder to certify but can cover a large group at once.

The MFOA is exploring the strongest approach to protect all members while minimizing individual risk and cost.