Kendal H Tyre

Practice Areas

Kendal handles domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, as well as licensing, distribution and franchise matters.

FRANCHISING

With over 30 years of experience, I represent franchisors throughout their business life cycle—from start-up franchise systems to middle-market franchisors and mature, global franchise systems. I also counsel companies expanding through licensing agreements and product distribution arrangements throughout the world. I have extensive experience structuring, negotiating, and enforcing domestic and international franchise, license, distribution, and acquisition agreements.

I am a frequent contributor to franchise publications and a frequent speaker at franchise programs held by the American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising, the International Bar Association, and the International Franchise Association.

I am the co-editor of International Franchise Sales Laws, a book published by the American Bar Association in February 2023; it is an authoritative yet practical resource to help lawyers navigate international franchise sales laws.

I am the executive director of the LexNoir Foundation and serve as an editor and author for the “Franchising In” international book series published by the LexNoir Foundation. My recent books include International Franchising 2016: Legal and Business Considerations, a 600-page publication that covers 41 countries and was a collaboration of over 60 legal practitioners across the globe.

REGION FOCUS (AFRICA)

I have been appointed to serve in my second term as a member of the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa (TACA), which is a US federal advisory committee that advises the US government on US trade policy in Africa.

Franchising has experienced phenomenal growth around the world and Africa is no exception. The saturation of Western markets, the relaxation of trade barriers and the globalization of business have pushed franchisors to new African markets to distribute their products and services. My franchise practice is at the forefront of this industry trend.

Career

Brown University, B.A., with honors

University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Law & Inequality

Professional Memberships

• Vice Chair of the International Bar Association, International Franchising Committee

• Officer of the International Bar Association, International Franchising Committee

• Member of the American and National bar associations.

• Member, Editorial Working Group, "International Mergers and Acquisitions Due Diligence," published by the International M&A subcommittee of the Committee on Negotiated Acquisitions of the Section of Business Law of the American Bar Association.

• Former chair of the International Law Section of the National Bar Association.

• Former president and cofounder of the Rochester Black Bar Association, an affiliate of the National Bar Association.