June 6, 2012 – To paraphrase Winston Churchill, seldom has so much litigation owed so much to so few statutory words. Ever since Wisconsin’s Fair Dealership Law (WFDL) was enacted in 1974, dealers, representatives, suppliers, and re-sellers – and, of course, their attorneys – have argued over exactly what the legislature intended in its few statutory pages, and about how it works in the real world. It was one thing to state broadly that suppliers must treat dealers fairly, but it was quite another to sort out just who constitutes a dealer, exactly what business practices are fair, and precisely what remedy is available to which party.

The 1988 publication of the first edition of The Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law marked the first time the WFDL and its myriad issues, nuances, and applications were collected in one comprehensive volume. That book was revised and expanded in 1995 and again in 2003. Much changed in the following nine years, changes captured in this fully updated fourth edition, which integrates the text of that last edition and its 2010 supplement, incorporates subsequent developments, and updates all discussions and analysis.

The Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law is available in print to members for $190, plus tax and shipping. Subscribers to the State Bar’s automatic supplementation service will receive future updates for a discount off the regular price. Annual subscriptions to Books UnBound start at $129 per title and $649 for the full library (single-use/solo-office prices; call for law firm pricing). For more information or to order, visit the WisBar Marketplace or call the State Bar at (800) 728-7788.