Alaska Employment Law

The Alaska franchisee of Avis sued its parent (Cendant), after the parent bought the Budget chain and, through Budget, competed with Alaska Avis (Rent-a-Car).  U. S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess has now resolved most claims in favor of Cendant, via summary judgment.  In the process, Burgess addressed a variety of legal issues that sometimes arise in employment litigation, including the following:

* choice of law

* piercing the corporate veil (both alter ego and “mere instrumentality” varieties)

* breach of contract

* state Unfair Trade Practices Act

* state Trade Secrets Act

* state and federal anti-trust acts

* fraudulent inducement

* interference with prospective economic advantage

The lengthy opinion (31 pages) is found at Alaska Rent-a-Car, Inc. v. Cendant Corp., 2007 WL 2206784 (D.Alaska July 27, 2007).

Susan Orlansky of Feldman Orlansky & Sanders was local counsel for Alaska Rent-a-Car; local counsel for Cendant were Diane Vallentine and Howard Trickey of Jermain Dunnagan.