Shell Oil Company, a Corporation of the State of Delaware, Plaintiff-Appellant v. Frank Marinello, Doing Business…

Summary

The New Jersey Supreme Court affirmed the trial court, modifying its judgment to hold that the lease and dealer agreement between Shell Oil and Marinello constitute a single franchise relationship and that Shell’s unilateral termination clause is void as contrary to public policy because termination requires good cause, which was not shown. The Court declined to address reformation, parol‑evidence, the statute of frauds, and the unclean‑hands defense.