We tend to focus on many service-oriented industries. Most people think of fast-food chains when we talk about franchising, but it's certainly not limited to restaurant chains. I have represented franchisors in retail, fast-food, health care, tutoring and testing services, as well as janitorial services. Associate Adam Calisoff has represented clients in the automotive and oil change, and hotel industries. Franchising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and approximately 15 different states which require some sort of registration or filing prior to a franchisor selling franchises.
Some states also require advertisements to sell franchises to be filed or approved prior to running.
Franchisors also often have trade secrets, copyrighted items, confidential or proprietary information and sometimes patents. Antitrust issues also appear with sourcing product. Many franchisors require their franchisees to obtain certain goods only from the franchisor or approved sources. Many state laws also regulate how a franchise may be terminated. My job is to address the general business issues that routinely arise in the business environment of a franchise, and then find solutions to quell the potential problems before they arise.