3 Key Takeaways | Is Franchising Doomed? The 2024 Version
AGG Talks: Cross-Border Business - Navigating Inbound Franchising in the U.S.
One Month to More Effective Compliance on Business Ventures - Day 19 - Franchisor Compliance
This Am Law 200 partner is using Twitter to build his practice and authority - Legally Contented podcast
5 Key Takeaways | Franchising in the USA: Challenges for Latin American Brands
Is Franchising Doomed?
Starting an Esports Franchise With Guests Brett Diamond and Annie Scott Riley of Version1 and the Minnesota ROKKR
6 Key Takeaways | National Labor Relations Board Issues New Final Rule on Joint Employers
Strategies for Negotiating with a Franchisee and Franchisor
II-27 - Our 1st Anniversary Special: Bringing Back Our Inaugural Guest to Discuss What Was and What Will Still Be With President Trump
Inside NFL's Jaguars Owner's Fulham FC Purchase
Before committing to a franchise business, consider...
The SBA Franchise Directory is officially back online from June 1, 2025, and with it comes a series of critical updates for franchisors and franchisees discussed in the virtual briefing led by Stephen Olear, Senior Franchise...more
This week I am continuing to provide some takeaways from a few of the many sessions I attended at the International Franchise Association’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas earlier this month. Google Head of Data Measurement...more
While the Court found that the bundled costs did not constitute a franchise fee, the MFA may apply to franchisees located outside the state of Minnesota. Pennsylvania based distributor, M&M Creative Laminants’ (M&M) bought...more
In May of last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sought to ban non-compete agreements in most employment contracts. Franchise agreements were an exception. However, before the rule could take effect in September, a...more
Last year saw non-compete agreements come under repeated scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission. On April 23, 2024, the FTC issued a final rule banning non-compete agreements in most employment contracts....more
On January 31, 2025, Delegate Marc Korman of Montgomery County introduced Maryland House of Delegates Bill 992, entitled the Franchise Reform Act, which would make the first significant changes to the Maryland Franchise...more
With a Republican-controlled Congress and White House, business lobbyists are seizing the opportunity to push for permanent clarity on the issue of joint employment. The International Franchise Association (IFA) is advocating...more
In a win for businesses, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) has ruled that individuals in true franchisor-franchisee relationships are independent contractors....more
A federal law requires franchisor and franchisee business entities to disclose personal information and photographs of persons with ownership and control over their business....more
When the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued its long-awaited final rule banning virtually all noncompete clauses between workers and employers, it also published 500-plus pages of commentary....more
As the deadline for the Minnesota Anti-Poaching Update draws near, franchisors are reminded to update existing franchise agreements pertaining to non-soliciting and no-poaching restrictions....more
The food industry is generally considered recession-resistant and less susceptible to economic downturns than other sectors, making it an attractive investment for private equity firms seeking stable returns. The increasing...more
Most franchisors have thorough financial vetting requirements before allowing any person or business to become a franchisee. However, how many of these same businesses perform compliance due diligence on their prospective...more
On March 24, 2022, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (“SJC”) held that the Commonwealth’s independent contractor test applies to the franchisee-franchisor relationship. In Patel v. 7-Eleven, Inc., the Court found that...more
Consider the business risk for JVs. It begins with the business reason for setting up the JV. The US company wants a connected, well-placed partner who can gain them influence in the foreign market. That foreign partner may...more
Global growth opportunities - In recent years, most of the major US-based hotel brands have sought growth opportunities abroad, particularly in emerging market locations. These opportunities may come in the form of...more
On March 14, 2018, the U.S. Senate approved the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, a bipartisan bill that would repeal or modify certain provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and eliminate or ease a...more
Labor and Employment - Plaintiff Wage and Hour Lawsuits Continue to Climb - Wage and hour litigation has become what some call the new "workplace revolution." Data from the Federal Judicial Center indicates that...more
California will notch another franchise regulatory distinction come January 1, 2016: home to the toughest franchisee-protection law in the nation. On October 11, 2015, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill amending the...more
In This Issue: - SEC Pays First Whistleblower Award to Audit and Compliance Professional - Supreme Court Allows Affordable Care Act Contraceptives Religious Exemption - EEOC Adopts New Pregnancy...more
To begin 2014, we remind franchisors of the Government's response to the changes to the Franchising Code recommended last year. On 6 January 2014, Small Business Minister Bruce Billson advised that the Coalition advocated...more
Imagine you own a successful business with retail locations in several Southern California cities offering desserts in a unique fun-filled party atmosphere operating under the name Dessert Dreams. A Chicago investor...more
No one enjoys being the center of attention when that attention is coming from federal regulators. Yet that’s where franchise systems have found themselves of late – especially in the hospitality sector, which accounts for a...more
Earlier this week, Jim McGrath, writing in his Internal Investigations Blog, posted a blog entitled “Human Trafficking Concerns for 7-Eleven in Wake of Payroll Scam”....more
McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to offer “Distribution in China – Legal Issues*,” a one-stop resource covering distribution in China, including: The business models and legal structures most commonly used for...more