Work Highlights
Advising a UK-based fast food franchisor on the termination of one franchise agreement (of 8 which the franchisee held) for consistently failing to maintain standards. Successfully defended an injunction applied for by the franchisee to try to stop the franchisor from forcing closure of the store and then negotiated a buy back by the franchisor of all 8 territories held by the franchisee, enabling the franchisor to remove an underperforming franchisee from key central London territories in order that the franchisor could refranchise to better performing franchisees.
Work Highlights
Advising a US-based casual dining concept on the termination of master franchise agreements for several central European countries which resulted in a very acrimonious dispute. The franchise agreements obliged the parties to engage in mediation before any court proceedings could be issued and we successfully resolved the dispute at mediation, enabling the parties to continue to work together.
Work Highlights
Operating as a trusted advisor and extension of the small in-house legal teams for several large UK-based franchisors, regularly advising on issues such as termination of agreements, franchisee unrest, enforcement of post-termination and in-term non-compete restrictions, and franchisee underperformance.
Work Highlights
Advising a US quick-service restaurant concept on its European and Asian franchise expansion, including ongoing brand management, the restructuring of its UK distribution and supply chain, franchisor and franchisee relationships with delivery partners, and ongoing franchise network management issues.
Work Highlights
Working with a UK children’s clothing, toys and related products business on its franchise expansion into over 40 countries, including redrafting and negotiating its franchise and market entry documentation, restructuring its global supply chain, the integration of a global e-commerce offering into both the corporate and franchise business, and ongoing franchisee and distribution partner contractual and relationship issues.
Work Highlights
Supporting a global hotel brand on its EMEA franchise and hotel management agreements, including data protection advice and the integration of new technologies into the hotel operating arrangements. Further support and advice has included the appointment of a celebrity chef in certain markets and arrangements for the use of various hotel kitchens and food & beverage facilities.
Work Highlights
Advising a prestigious independent boarding school in England on a franchise deal that involved it partnering with a Hong Kong-based group to establish a string of co-curriculum schools across China, Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The arrangement involved the use of legal structures with no direct equity ownership, the joint ownership of IP, and future-proofing the structure of the school roll-out plan.
Work Highlights
Advising a multi-branded UK B2B service franchisor on the restructuring of its franchise agreements to reflect system-wide changes and legal updates, and to make the agreements more concise and easier to understand. The project involved interviewing senior management to understand the unique procedures and processes used in the franchise and ensuring that these were reflected in the franchise agreement and ancillary documentation.
Work Highlights
Fortnum & Mason - on its growth in continental Europe and the restructuring of its business in the USA and Japan.
Work Highlights
Lighterlife - various franchise related issues including drafting of agreements and dispute avoidance advice.
Work Highlights
TGI Friday's Inc – acted on the franchise aspects of the sale of its 66 UK restaurants to Electra, which will operate the chain under a franchise development agreement.
Work Highlights
Domino's Pizza UK - on the structuring of their UK and German businesses.
Work Highlights
Live Comedy Club concept - cross-border dispute in relation to an under-performing master franchisee in Asia.
Work Highlights
Wellington College - on the establishment of sister schools in China.
