Call Carl Inc. v. Bp Oil Corp‪.‬

WIDENER, Circuit Judge: In late summer of 1973, the plaintiffs, ten independent service station operators doing business in Maryland as BP dealers, were notified by BP that their leases and franchise agreements would not be renewed when their current terms expired. Business expectations frustrated, litigation was not far behind. The operators charged BP along with its parent corporation, Standard Oil Co. of Ohio (SOHIO), with terminating their franchises as part of a price fixing conspiracy in violation of § 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 USC § 1. State law claims for breach of contract and fraudulent misrepresentation were asserted as well.