FDD Items 3 & 4 · 2025 filing
GradePower Learning litigation history
What GradePower Learning disclosed about lawsuits, arbitrations and bankruptcy in the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 3 lists the material legal actions a franchisor must report; Item 4 covers bankruptcy. This is the franchisor's own disclosure, not a court record, and not legal advice.
Items 3 (litigation) & 4 (bankruptcy) at a glance
What the filing discloses
- Cases disclosed
- 3
- Item 3, as counted in the filing
- Largest settlement, franchisor's own cases
- None stated
- Bankruptcy (Item 4)
- None
- Franchisor, parent, predecessor or officer
- Filing year
- 2025
- Disclosures cover the prior ten years
Extracted from the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document
Item 3: litigation
Item 3 discloses three matters: (1) a completed AAA arbitration, Merit Strategic, LLC and Anthony Mauro v. G.B. Tokani, Inc., et al. (franchisee alleged improper termination, fraudulent misrepresentation, and NY Franchise Sales Act violation; settled June 2019). (2) Matthew Baxter and 9198539 Canada Inc. v. Oxford Learning Centres, Inc., et al. (Ontario), wrongful dismissal/franchise dispute, settled Nov 2017. (3) Oxford Learning Centres, Inc., et al. v. Jordan Nash, et al. (Ontario), franchisor-as-plaintiff economic-relations/extortion claims, dismissed Oct 2023 after Sept 2023 release.
Item 3 (litigation) · 3 matters disclosed
Litigation cases
The franchisor
Concluded (1)
Merit Strategic, LLC and Anthony Mauro v. G.B. Tokani, Inc., Oxford Group International, LLC, and Robert Nicholas Whitehead
settledBrought by a franchisee · filed 2019-01-07 · American Arbitration Association · 01-19-0000-0514
“… Case No. 01-19-0000-0514.”Page 10 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The parties settled their remaining respective breach of contract claims effective June 12, 2019, agreeing to terminate the franchise agreement, allowing the sale of the franchised business’s assets to another GradePower franchisee, and signing a mutual release of all claims.”
Parent, affiliates, master franchisor and subfranchisor
Concluded (2)
Oxford Learning Centres, Inc., Lynne Killinger, Robert Whitehead, and Lenka Whitehead v. Jordan Nash, John Nash, J. and C. Nash Holdings Inc., Caitlin Lennox, Matthew Baxter and 9198539 Canada Inc.
dismissedBrought by the franchisor · Oxford Learning Centres, Inc. (OLC, our parent), Lynne Killinger, Robert Whitehead and Lenka Whitehead · filed 2018-05-31 · Ontario Superior Court of Justice · CV-18-26458
“… Ontario Superior Court of Justice, File No. CV-18-26458.”Page 11 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “In September 2023, the parties entered into a Mutual Full and Final Release Agreement whereby (i) the Oxford Parties paid Jordan Nash, John Nash, J. and C. Nash Holdings Inc., and Caitlin Lennox $75,000, and (ii) all parties agreed to fully release each other of all claims and comply with certain confidentiality and non-disparagement obligations.” (page 12)
Matthew Baxter and 9198539 Canada Inc. v. Oxford Learning Centres, Inc., Robert Nicholas Whitehead and Lenka Marie Whitehead
settledOxford Learning Centres, Inc. (OLC, our parent), Robert Nicholas Whitehead and Lenka Marie Whitehead · filed 2017-04-24 · Ontario Superior Court of Justice · 950/17
“… Ontario Superior Court of Justice, File No. 950/17, filed April 24, 2017.”Page 11 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The parties settled all claims in November 2017 with the defendants paying the plaintiffs CDN $100,000, purchasing the Aurora franchise from plaintiffs for CDN $400,000, and agreeing not to enforce non-competition covenants against the plaintiffs.”
Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.
Disclosure signals that moved the score
How this shows up in the verdict
- Multiple litigation matters (arbitration + 2 Canadian settlements) indicate franchisor-franchisee relationship strain
The verdict grade is FranchiseVerdict's editorial assessment across SBA loan performance, unit growth, revenue and disclosure signals. It is not investment advice.
Before you weigh a lawsuit
How to read Item 3
A franchisor must disclose pending actions and any material civil action involving the franchise relationship, plus convictions or civil judgments for fraud, unfair or deceptive practices, or franchise-law violations, going back ten years. A case the franchisor brought against a franchisee counts too. Item 3 does not include every dispute: settled claims below the materiality line and matters resolved in private arbitration can be absent.
Questions worth asking current and former franchisees, using the contact list in Item 20:
- Were you, or anyone you know in the system, party to a dispute with the franchisor?
- Was it resolved by settlement, arbitration or a court, and on what terms?
- Has the number of disputes gone up or down since you signed?