Client Testimonials

If a client has been damaged or is wrongfully accused, that client needs the best possible lawyer to make things right.

From a franchisee in the home-construction sector who called on Camen to form an independent franchisee association and to arbitrate grievances against a franchisor that was represented by the Washington, D.C. area office of one of the world's largest law firms -
55 Advanced Lane Middleburg, PA 17842 570-837-3955 April 30, 2009 Mr. Carmen D. Caruso Stahl Cowen Crowley Addis LLC 55 West Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois 60603 Dear Carmen: I wanted to take this opportunity to express in writing my appreciation for your efforts on behalf of the members of the National Association of Precast Wall Manufacturers (the "Association"), of which Advanced Concrete Systems, Inc. ("ACS") was a member. Your extensive knowledge and experience of franchise law, including having represented both franchisors and franchisees in previous cases, litigation skills, and strategic guidance enabled the Association to develop an effective strategy and game plan that resulted in a very favorable settlement. This was even more impressive given the frequently divergent goals of the members of the Association. From the perspective of ACS, we were able to achieve all of our desired goals that we set at the outset of the formation of the Association. Not only did we improve our economic position and elminate the vast majority of onerous provisions in the license agreement through protracted negotiation and arbitration, we successfully brought about a systemic change in the franchisor's system - namely conversion to a licensee/licensor model and restructuring of their organization. In the process we were able to rewrite the operative documents in a fashion that was far more favorable to the franchisee/licensees - which elicited comments from the opposing counsel that the ending document was the most pro-licensee/franchisee agreement that he had ever seen or been involved with. Perhaps the most unexpected yet gratifying outcome was the recongnition by the franchisor's senior management team of the quality of ACS's organization and newfound respect for our business operations and market vision. Lastly, your professionalism and dedication, particularly as you were in the process of moving your practice from Schwartz Cooper Chartered to Stahl Cowen Crowley Addis in the middle of the litigation, was exemplary. Thanks again for all of your efforts and please feel free to refer potential clients to me should you ever need a reference. Sincerely, Michael P. Daven President Stacey Harvey President Superior Walls of East Tennessee, Inc. “Carmen has managed the unmanageable for us on a large scale, in a very complex case, with multiple clients in a common claim, but with different agendas. To say that he is of high moral fiber is an understatement. This man will not sacrifice his character or values to win a case. He will carefully manage the issues at hand and provide his clients with a gentle nudge or a precise strike, to keep them on the straight and narrow without losing focus on what really matters and that is a satisfactory conclusion. If you are on the fence and considering Carmen to represent you in a franchise litigation or mediation/arbitration, do yourself a favor and choose wisely and in my opinion, you should use Caruso, period. Stacey Harvey President Superior Walls of East Tennessee Inc.” November 4, 2009 stacey Harvey hired Carmen as a Attorney in 2004 Mark Seibert CEO The iFranchise Group “Carmen is one of the brightest and most tenacious litigators in franchising. I have had the chance to work with him as an Expert Witness in several different matters, and in each case his preparation was flawless and his arguments were well crafted. He is passionate about defending his clients. He has my highest recommendation.” Mark Siebert, CEO, The iFranchise Group Chandrakant I. "CK" Patel Vice Chairman Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) “One of the best Attorney for franchise or business related work. I highly recommend him to all of my friends.” Chandrakant I. "CK" Patel hired Carmen as a Attorney in 2006, and hired Carmen more than once
From an international retailer that Carmen defended against charges of fraud in the inducement of a franchise relationship, that then turned to Carmen and his partners for representation across the board - PETLAND, INC.
	Corporate Headquarters 250 Riverside Street P.O. Box 1606 Chillicothe, OH 45601 (740) 775-2465 (740) 775-2575 FAX
In early 2004, we needed a new law firm and a great litigation attorney for a particularly difficult franchise matter. Carmen Caruso flew to Ohio to meet with us only two days after our initial phone call. He took time to understand our situation and to explain his approach to litigation. Carmen's guidance, counsel and style yielded the desired results. We prevailed on our lawsuit in Federal Court and were awarded a significant judgment entry, protecting the value of our franchise brand and validating the reasonable non-compete provisions of our Franchise Agreement. Carmen Caruso has represented us on subsequent litigation matters, all with successful results for our company. Additionally, the firm's franchise attorneys have thoroughly reviewed and revised our Franchise Agreement and Uniform Franchise Offering Circular to better serve and protect our business interests. Carmen and his team of seasoned attorneys have earned our complete confidence. We now rely on their guidance and direction on all franchise and general corporate matters. We look forward to working with this law firm for many years to come. Petland, Inc. Greg Hudson Chief Operating Officer

*From the president of the Nebraska State Bar Association, who engaged Carmen as his co-counsel to prepare for trial in a difficult matter -* I have been practicing law soley in the field of litigation for almost 38 years. I recently hired Carmen Caruso to assist us in a franchise/legal malpractice lawsuit that was fraught with problems on several fronts. He became very actively involved from the beginning and successfully attacked the claimed damages issues such that we were thereafterable to effecuate a mediated settlement that never would have been reached without Carmen's efforts in the depositions. Carmen was a delight to work with. He was always available for discussion and he displayed a wide ranging knowledge of franchise law. If the situation presented itself again, I would hire him in a heart beat! Mike Kinney Attorney Cassem Tierney Law Office Omaha, Nebraska President Nebraska State Bar Association - 2009

*From a recent Defense Client who as charged with profesional liability* (Name withheld upon request) - "This whole thing turned around when you (Carmen Caruso) joined the team. I am sure we would never have reached a settlement without your expertise and talent. When I am in Chicago I will call and buy you a good Irish drink."
From a national insurance brokerage firm that needed emergency injunctive relief to protect a significant book of business in its local agency - HILB ROGAL & HOBBS


We found our local insurance agency, AVA Insurance, about to lose its historically most important insurance carrier relationship. Not only did AVA face the loss of this market, but the carrier was also threatening to sell AVA's business to another appointed agency (and one of our largest competitors). Carmen Caruso stepped into this unsettled situation and achieved a great result for us through litigation and negotiation at a reasonable cost. We easily could have spent three times the money litigating and still not be near a decision as favorable as Carmen negotiated.

Daniel T. Buelow, President AVA Insurance Agency Walter L. Smith, former Senior Vice President, Business Practices & Quality Assurance Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Company

From a successful strategic product development firm based in Chicago, that was embroiled in an employment contract dispute with a former president



Our firm had been involved in a contentious employee contract lawsuit for a year. This lawsuit was consuming an extensive amount of time and resources, and threatened the viability of our company. We switch legal counsel after one year of making no progress on the resolution of this case. Carmen Caruso and his associates introduced aggressive new defenses which led to a settlement of this case within our target range. This settlement had enabled our firm to concentrate on our core business, which is product design, not litigation defense. Carmen and the team was persistent and diligent. They also listened to their client, which was not our experience with our prior attorneys. James M. O'Brien Herbst LaZar Bell, Inc. CFO


*From the co-founder and president of a thriving nurse employment agency based in Chicago, who faced litigation from his former employer that had imperiled the start of his new business -*


As we began our start-up business in the health care field, we were immediately presented with our first major hurdle - a lawsuit filed against us from our former employers. Thanks to the adept handling of this matter by attorney Carmen Caruso, my partners and I were able to focus more on developing whiat is now an extremely successful business, while Carmen handled all the legal issues. The pressures of entering a start-up business alone are overwhelming. Coupled with a lawsuit on day one would have been otherwise crippling if not for the legal expertise provided by Carmen at this critical time. Steven Golden The Nurse Agency President