Franchising

About

Provided by Baker McKenzie

 Our US team and its individual members are recognized nationally and internationally for their expertise in franchise transactions, acting for many of the largest franchise companies in the world on franchise, licensing and distribution matters in the US and in dozens of jurisdictions around the world. The team represents franchisors operating solely in the US and cross-border, as well as franchisors based outside of the US in connection with their inbound franchising efforts into the US.

Diverse clientele, bespoke solutions: Our clients come from a wide range of industries: both goods and services, consumer and industrial. We have broad expertise in many sectors that use franchise or license structures as part of their domestic and global expansion strategy, including clients in the retail, restaurant, car rental, hotel, entertainment and fashion sectors. Our work in the hotel and hospitality industries complements the expertise of our tourism practice group in hotel management agreements.

We work with our clients to find the structure that best suits their business in each sector and country, be it franchise, alternative licensing, equity joint venture or company-owned units. The need to think laterally and avoid a "one size fits all" approach is critical as US and international franchising laws continue to evolve. We have also opened up many more markets for franchisors through the work that we undertake in defending their valuable trademark rights from pirates.