Dozens of 7-Eleven franchisees are expected to join a class action against the convenience store and ANZ bank over the way they were lent money to buy their businesses.
Lawyer Stewart Levitt is filing a statement of claim in the Federal Court on behalf of a number of former and current 7-Eleven store operators.
The suit will seek "substantial" damages from both the company 7-Eleven Stores and ANZ for alleged questionable funding practices.
Mr Levitt claims the two companies had an agreement that allowed for loans to be provided to potential franchisees who wouldn't normally meet the criteria under conditions that weren't clear or obvious.
"There's an arrangement in place which effectively means the code of banking practice has been breached by ANZ bank and 7-Eleven plays an accessorial role in that position," he alleged on Friday.
"We wouldn't say it's ethical and we wouldn't say that it's proper."
The lawyer suggested the practice targeted people from India or South Asia who had limited business experience and knowledge of local labour laws.
"They're all people who would not have been able to get loans to invest in a business if it wasn't for the fact there was a special relationship between the lender, the bank, and the franchisor," Mr Levitt claimed.
7-Eleven on Friday said it intends to "vigorously defend any such proceedings".
"We are proud of the significant efforts we have made together with our franchise network to continually adapt our business and the positive results that are being achieved," a spokesman told AAP in a statement.
"We intend to continue these efforts."
A spokesman for ANZ said Mr Levitt had not engaged directly with the bank about the proposed lawsuit.
"It is difficult to comment given we have not received any legal action," he told AAP.
It comes after the convenience chain was forced to pay back millions of dollars to workers after it was revealed in 2015 that there'd been rampant wage theft across hundreds of stores.
Australian Associated Press
