FRANCHISE LAW
Franchise Law Articles
Plain-English analysis of FDD reviews, franchise agreements, exit strategy, and ongoing counsel for franchisees and franchisors.
477 articles
Franchise Broker Ethics: A Compliance Checklist
For a franchise broker, “ethics” is mostly a legal-compliance question — the FTC Franchise Rule, earnings-claim limits, disclosure timing, and state …
Franchise Broker Negotiation Checklist for Franchisors
When a broker helps negotiate one of your franchises, the franchisor stays legally responsible for what the broker says — so the negotiation checklist is really …
Franchise Broker Networking: The Legal Side
A franchise broker’s “network” is really two sets of legal relationships — written broker agreements with franchisors on one side, and …
Franchise Broker Referrals: Compliance Checklist
A franchise broker’s referral program is regulated franchise selling — testimonials from “satisfied clients” must follow the FTC endorsement …
Franchise Broker Rules: A Legal Market Guide
A franchise broker is a “franchise seller” under federal law — not a neutral matchmaker — and that single fact defines the market a broker works in. …
Franchise Broker Sales Pitch Checklist
The best franchise sales pitch is persuasive and compliant at the same time — and the compliance part is what most checklists leave out. Because a broker is a …
Franchise Broker Service & Scope Checklist
A franchise broker’s services should be defined as much by what they don’t do as by what they do — they match candidates, generate leads, and …
Franchise Broker Social Media: Compliance Rules
When a franchise broker markets a franchise on social media, those posts are regulated franchise sales — the FTC’s Item 19 earnings-claim limits and its …
Franchise Broker Technology: Compliance Tools
The best franchise broker technology does double duty — it runs your pipeline and it proves your compliance. A CRM that just tracks leads is half a system. The …
Franchise Broker Training Checklist for Franchisors
Before a franchise broker ever pitches your brand, they need to know enough about franchise law and your specific system that their training becomes your …
Franchise Default: What Happens If You Breach
If a franchisee fails to comply with the franchise agreement, the consequences escalate in a predictable order: a notice of default, a chance to cure, then …
Franchise Financial Analysis: A Buyer's Checklist
Analyzing a franchise’s finances means working the numbers the FDD already gives you — the total initial investment in Item 7, the recurring fees in Item …
Franchise Lease Addendum: What It Is and Why
A franchise lease addendum is a rider attached to your commercial lease that gives the franchisor specific rights over the space — most importantly, the right …
Franchise Liquidated Damages Clauses Explained
A liquidated damages clause sets, in advance, the dollar amount one party owes the other if it breaches the franchise agreement — most often what the franchisee …
Franchise Location Evaluation Checklist
Use this checklist to score a potential franchise site across four areas — market fit, site quality, lease terms, and the FDD territory and buildout provisions …
Franchise Non-Compete Clauses: Are They Enforceable?
A franchise non-compete is usually enforceable when it is reasonable in time, geography, and the activity it restricts — and courts strike it down or narrow it …
Franchise Ownership Changes: Sale, Death & Transfer
A franchise agreement handles a change in ownership through its transfer clause — the section that controls what happens when the franchisee sells the business, …
Franchise Renewal Disputes: Your Rights When Denied
A franchise renewal dispute happens when the franchisor refuses to renew, or offers renewal on terms you believe are unfair or improper — and your rights turn …
Franchise System Standards: A Guide for Franchisors
Franchise system standards are the operating requirements every unit must meet to keep the brand consistent — and for a franchisor they are not optional, …
Franchise Territory Rights: How They're Defined
Territory rights define the geographic area tied to your franchise — and, just as importantly, whether the franchisor and other franchisees can sell into that …
