Franchise Law

Franchise Law

The Gordon & Rees Franchise Law Group consists of lawyers located throughout our 17 U.S. offices, handling all aspects of litigation for a comprehensive range of businesses involved in the franchise industry. Our team has extensive experience providing litigation services in the franchise and distribution law field. We assist franchisors, licensors, and suppliers in the myriad of complex relationships that support the national and international franchise industry.

Comprehensive Client Base and Scope of Services

The majority of our clients are franchisors and distributors that manage networks ranging from dozens to thousands of outlets, and we cover all critical related areas of law as our Franchise Practice lawyers work very closely with colleague lawyers in our Tax, Employment, Bankruptcy, Intellectual Property, Securities, Leasing, Hospitality, Class Action, and International Law practices to provide clients with a full range of services. Lawyers in our Franchise Law Group have handled a wide range of matters for franchise clients in many industries, including automobile service, consumer products, equipment rental, financial services, food service, health care, hospitality, insurance, lodging, manufacturing, real estate, retail, employment staffing, among many others.

Practice Leader Expertise

The Franchise Law Group is led by partners who have an intimate knowledge of this unique business model. The national practice is anchored on the East and West Coasts with co-Chairs located in New York and California.

• Ronald Giller, the co-Chair in New York/New Jersey was the former Vice President of Litigation and Regulatory Affairs for a global provider of real estate services where he also oversaw the company's compliance with state and federal franchise disclosure requirements. The company included real estate franchising, brokerage, relocation and title services - collectively, the franchise system had approximately 14,400 offices and 270,000 sales associates doing business in 93 countries around the world.
  
  
• Calvin Davis, the co-Chair in Los Angeles has more than 25 years of complex business litigation experience, with a focus on franchise law that has led to his current position on the California State Bar Franchise Law Committee. He has successfully litigated numerous matters for national franchisors involving prosecution of royalty claims against franchisees (including securing attachments and other provisional relief), defense of vicarious liability actions and trademark infringement lawsuits (including securing restraining orders and preliminary injunctive relief).

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Our experience includes litigating, arbitrating and mediating a broad spectrum of issues arising out of the franchise relationship, including royalty issues, termination, trademark disputes, rights to future lost profits, transfer issues, breach of contract, unfair business practices, enforcement of standards, disclosure issues, area development matters, encroachment matters, environmental issues, fiduciary duty, advertising/marketing funding, site selection, restrictive covenants, product liability, alternative distribution and exclusivity issues, franchisee-franchisor competition, and implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing claims.

Gordon & Rees has a particular expertise in franchise-related dispute resolution. We have defended franchisors in matters filed by consumers, individual franchisees, vendors/suppliers, and territory developers, as well as regulatory matters and investigations involving government agencies. We also have recent class action experience relating to franchise litigation. Our team includes a partner who is a certified and active arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, particularly in franchise law matters, and has recently been an appointed Arbitrator in franchise matters involving the fast food, medical personnel placement, and spa industries.