FDD Items 3 & 4 · 2025 filing
Voodoo Brewing Co. litigation history
What Voodoo Brewing Co. 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
Three litigation matters disclosed: (1) Rios Investment Group LLC v. Voodoo Licensing LLC (AAA arbitration settled March 11, 2025); (2) Shannon M. Shelton v. Voodoo Licensing LLC and Voodoo Licensing Southern LLC (AAA arbitration hearing scheduled May 3, 2025); (3) NERco LLC et al v. Voodoo Licensing Southern LLC et al (federal court, settlement conference scheduled April 29, 2025). Two franchisees currently in mediation.
Item 3 (litigation) · 3 matters disclosed · 2 pending listed
Litigation cases
The franchisor
Pending (1)
Shannon M. Shelton v. Voodoo Licensing, LLC and Voodoo Licensing Southern LLC.
pendingBrought by a franchisee · filed 2024-10-31 · American Arbitration Association · 01-24-0008-5235
“… (America Arbitration Association No. 01-24-0008-5235) – On or about October 31, 2024, Shannon M. Shelton filed a demand for arbitration against Voodoo Licensing LLC and Voodoo”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Concluded (1)
Rios Investment Group LLC v. Voodoo Licensing, LLC.
settledBrought by a franchisee · filed 2024-04-30 · American Arbitration Association · 02-24-0004-3112
“… (America Arbitration Association No. 02-24-0004- 3112) – On or about April 30, 2024, Rios Investment Group LLC filed a demand for arbitration against Voodoo Licensing LLC d/b/a/ Voodoo Brewing with the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”).”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “This matter has settled and no longer pending. Shannon M. Shelton v. Voodoo Licensing, LLC and Voodoo Licensing Southern LLC. (America Arbitration Association No. 01-24-0008-5235) – On or about October 31, 2024, Shannon M. Shelton filed a demand for arbitration against Voodoo Licensing LLC and”
Parent, affiliates, master franchisor and subfranchisor
Pending (1)
NERco, LLC et al v. Voodoo Licensing Southern, LLC et al.
pendingBrought by a franchisee · Voodoo Licensing Southern, LLC, Voodoo Brewing Co., Inc. and individuals · filed 2024-12-12 · United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama · 1:25-cv-00069-JB-B
“… (United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, Civil Action No. 1:25-cv-00069-JB-B) On December 12, 2024, plaintiffs, NERco, LLC, George Cordell and Maureen Cordell (“Plaintiffs”)”Page 13 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
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.
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?