Franchising
USA Guide 2024 : USA - Nationwide
Band 4
About
Provided by Akerman LLP
Akerman's franchise and licensing team assists startup, regional, national, and international franchisors, licensors, sub-franchisors, multi-unit franchisees, and other businesses, on a wide range of legal matters. The matters include structuring, acquiring, and selling franchise systems and portfolios of franchised locations; handling state franchise registrations; counseling on state, federal, and international legal compliance matters; managing, negotiating, and documenting international franchise offerings, managing franchise terminations and transfers; and resolving, arbitrating and litigating disputes. Our client roster includes businesses in a wide range of domestic and international consumer-oriented and business-to-business sectors, including hospitality, restaurant, healthcare, automotive, retail, cannabis, health and wellness, private equity, and real estate.
Akerman offers its franchise and licensing clients a team of lawyers and paralegals strategically located across the country. These lawyers and paralegals on the team assist companies of all sizes as they confront standard and non-standard legal challenges. The team offers a wide range of training modules designed to educate clients’ personnel on legal requirements, best practices, litigation avoidance, and dispute resolution.
Chambers Review
Akerman's franchise team provides expertise in state and federal regulatory compliance, developing new franchise units, arranging terminations and acquisitions. The full service law firm acts for franchisors and multi-franchise units in the restaurant, retail, private equity industries amongst others. The team can draft and negotiate master franchise agreements, license agreements and franchise disclosure documents as well as handle litigation with franchisees.
Work Highlights
- Akerman assisted Pret A Manger with the sale of its US operations to a joint venture partner and the establishment of a franchise system.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Our lawyer at Akerman listens extremely well and then truly works to solve to the objective."
"It is incredible how fast they reply. I have never had to wait more then 24 hours."
"Our lawyer at Akerman listens extremely well and then truly works to solve to the objective."
"It is incredible how fast they reply. I have never had to wait more then 24 hours."
Notable Practitioners
Robert Smith provides counsel to clients seeking to develop and expand their franchise operations.
"Robert is very smart and capable."