Will K Woods

Practice Areas

Will K. Woods is the Chair of Baker McKenzie's North America International Commercial Practice Group and leads the Firm's Franchise, Distribution & Global Brand Expansion team. He represents franchisors throughout their business life cycle: in the start-up stage; as middle-market franchisors; and as mature, global franchisors. Will represents many of the leading hotel, lodging and hospitality franchise companies and has vast experience in negotiating complex franchise and licensing transactions both in the US and in many other countries around the world and in counseling clients across industries with respect to system restructuring and related relationship issues and brand expansion.

Will has been listed in Chambers USA and Chambers Global as a leading franchise lawyer every year since 2010 and was praised by clients as a "thorough, diligent and hardworking lawyer: someone who always tries to find a solution." Chambers also noted that he "impresses with his sophisticated international transactions practice" and that he is "client-service oriented, giving practical, useful and implementable advice." He is included in An International Who's Who of Franchise Lawyers and as a Legal Eagle and one of the top 101 franchise lawyers in the US and Canada by Franchise Times. He is regularly named one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine. He was also designated by The Best Lawyers in America as a "Best Lawyer of the Year – Franchise Law" on several occasions. Will is a Certified Franchise Executive. He is the Immediate Past Chair of the ABA Forum on Franchising and serves on the Forum's Governing Committee in that capacity.

Practice Focus

Will concentrates his practice primarily in franchise and distribution law. He counsels clients on structuring and negotiating international and domestic franchise transactions, distribution of products and services and franchise registration and disclosure matters.

Professional Memberships

Dallas Bar Association

American Bar Association

Certified Franchise Executive

Publications

Co-author, "No Conflict! The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds Franchisors Can Comply with both the FTC Franchise Rule and Massachusetts' ABC Test," The Employer Report, April 1, 2022

Co-author, "Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast: Franchise compliance programs can have many benefits. Reap the rewards of a culture of compliance." Franchising World, April 2018

Co-author, "When Bold is Best: Franchise Agreements as Adhesion Contracts under the Brazilian Arbitration Act," The Franchise Lawyer, Winter 2018

Co-author, "Income Tax Considerations in Acquisitions and Combinations of Franchise Businesses", "Mergers and Acquisitions of Franchise Companies," 2nd Edition, American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, 2014

"The Dark Side of Master Franchising," International Journal of Franchising Law, Issue 5, 2013

"State Taxation of Royalties on Out-of-State Franchisors Continues: KFC Corp v. Iowa Department of Revenue," The Franchise Lawyer, Spring 2011