Franchise Law

If you own a franchise or are considering a franchise agreement, MendenFreiman can provide exceptional guidance. We provide legal services to franchisees of all sizes, multi-unit developers, area representatives and master franchisees.

Trust our attorneys to help you establish and expand your franchise. As a franchise owner, you’ll invest a significant amount of time and energy into your business. Our attorneys will work with you to understand your goals and offer solutions for your issues.

We help you understand which type of franchise may be best for you, based on risk tolerance, knowledge of the industry and business experience, local competition and other critical factors. Our business lawyers review franchise agreement from the franchisee’s perspective and provide advice regarding rights and obligations under the agreement, and which provisions should be negotiated. Furthermore, we can assist in business entity formation, selecting the proper structure within which to operate one or more franchise outlets.

Our franchise attorneys handle all matters relating to:

• Business formation, including the creation and structuring of the franchisee entity, and the drafting of shareholder, partnership and LLC operating agreements when necessary
• Integration of the franchisee businesses into the owner’s personal estate plan
• Negotiations with franchisors including the negotiation of renewals of existing franchise agreements
• Purchase of the franchise from the franchisor (or an existing franchisee), including advice on proper due diligence
• Real estate, including the review and negotiation of purchase agreements and leases, and resolution of environmental and building code issues
• Review of disclosure documents and franchise agreements
• Sale of franchises to new and existing franchisees
• Third-party agreements, including independent contractor, supplier, employment, confidentiality and non-compete agreements