Best Law Firms in the United States for Franchise Law

Luther Lanard, The Franchisee Lawyers, provide services to franchise owners nationwide, helping clients with the entire lifecycle of being a franchise owner. That assistance starts with evaluating a franchise opportunity, to negotiating a lease, to acquisitions and sales, to outside general counsel services as well as dispute resolution and litigation.

Madigan, Dahl & Harlan is an agile, results-focused Twin Cities-based law firm serving many long-standing clients in Minnesota and across the country. Clients value our legal team's deep knowledge and experience, practical business perspective, creativity and proven strength in high-profile litigation.

Applying more than 100 years of collective experience, our Minneapolis-based business litigation attorneys are adept analysts, strategists, negotiators and trial practitioners. We have built a national reputation in the realm of alcohol beverage law while representing a broad range of clients in other diverse business sectors. Reaching favorable resolution of franchise, dealer and distributor disputes is a specific forte for our firm.

We offer comprehensive business services from business entity formation to mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance and enforcement matters. We handle all manner of commercial, real estate-related and employment disputes. Whether you are pursuing a major transaction or involved in a controversy that demands decisive action at any level of the court system, you can depend on our alignment with your goals.

We are hardworking professionals who practice law with vigor and integrity. Partners in our firm have been perennially recognized with AV Preeminent* ratings from Martindale-Hubbell, inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers publications, and various other honors. To discuss your immediate legal concern or ongoing needs, we invite you to contact us and schedule a consultation.

*AV Preeminent and BV Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards.

At Taft, we work as one team, driven and committed to helping you succeed. Our attorneys understand that innovative, value-creating solutions help our clients reach their goals. Our collaborative approach, advanced technological resources, and depth of services can transform what you expect from your legal team.

With more than 1,100 attorneys, Taft has offices in Chicago, Illinois; Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Delaware, Ohio; Aspen, Denver, and Colorado Springs, Colorado; Detroit and Southfield, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota.; Indianapolis, Indiana; Covington, Kentucky; Phoenix, Arizona; Stuart and West Palm Beach, Florida; and Washington, D.C.

Taft attorneys serve individuals and businesses worldwide in both mature and emerging industries.

The firm practices across a wide range of industries in virtually every area of law, including:

• Business
• Bankruptcy and Restructuring
• Employment and Labor Relations
• Energy
• Environmental
  
• Health Care
• Intellectual Property
  
• Lending and Finance
• Litigation
• Private Client
• Real Estate
• Tax

Since 1885, Taft has maintained a constant focus: to provide clients, both large and small, with legal advice and services that meet the highest possible standards.

Affiliated Businesses

As an additional service to our clients, Taft attorneys often partner with members of our affiliated businesses to provide comprehensive service to our clients. Our affiliated businesses include:

• Ginovus
• Taft Advisors LLC
• Taft Business Consulting
• Taft Infrastructure Advisors

Through these businesses, clients can access business consulting across a variety of disciplines, from general planning and forecasting to government relations and public policy.

Awards and Honors

Taft has received numerous awards and honors:

• 108 Taft attorneys and 45 practice areas are listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

• Eight Taft attorneys are listed in Chambers High Net Worth (HNW), and the firm is named a leading law firm in the HNW guide in Private Wealth Law for Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio.

• Taft is ranked among the Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms." Taft received 20 national Tier 1 rankings, and Tier 1 rankings by metropolitan area in 154 practice areas.

• 363 Taft attorneys were honored with inclusion in the most recent edition of The Best Lawyers in America, with an additional 136 attorneys honored in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

• 112 Taft attorneys were named to the most recent list of Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers magazine.

• 78 Taft attorneys were named to the most recent list of Rising Stars by Super Lawyers magazine.

• Taft is rated a Highly Recommended Firm in Ohio and Indiana as well as a Recommended Firm in Minnesota by Benchmark Litigation, and Taft attorneys hold 22 rankings by Benchmark in one or more categories.

Main Areas of Practice:

Business: We provide legal services to public, private, and non-profit clients in a wide variety of industries, including banking, construction, distribution, finance, health care, housing, insurance, manufacturing, private equity, professional sports, real estate, retail, and utilities. Members of the group represent clients of different sizes, from emerging companies to Fortune 500 companies, on issues ranging from local matters to transactions with national and international implications.

Bankruptcy and Restructuring: We represent debtors, lenders, committees, suppliers, real estate owners and developers, equipment lessors, receivers, trustees, buyers and sellers, and other parties in connection with a wide assortment of transactions and litigation. We have extensive experience in the automotive, steel, telecommunications, basic manufacturing, retail and wholesale goods, and distressed-debt trading industries.

Employment and Labor Relations: We represent clients in a wide range of legal services to manage the complex relationship between employers and employees, including labor management relations, employment litigation, day-to-day counseling, benefit plans and ERISA compliance, workplace safety and health, immigration and citizenship, and workers’ compensation.

Energy: We provide full-service representation to a broad range of energy providers, public utilities, transmission-only utilities, independent power producers, developers, regional entities, and other energy-sector participants.

Environmental: We provide services in the areas of trial practice, Superfund defense and negotiation, enforcement defense, cost-recovery for plaintiffs and defendants, criminal environmental defense, environmental insurance and toxic tort litigation, mold and sick building litigation, lawsuits involving environmental problems discovered as a result of real property transfers or mergers and acquisitions, Brownfields redevelopment, defense of claims of occupational exposures, and administrative proceedings before state and federal agencies.

Health Care: We advise individual and institutional healthcare providers, research institutions, and pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology clients in multiple areas of law, including business and finance, employment and labor relations, malpractice litigation, insurance, regulatory and administrative law, ERISA, third-party reimbursement (Medicare, Medicaid and private payers) and hospital financing (tax-exempt bond financing).

Intellectual Property: We counsel and assist clients with patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, intellectual property, and pharmaceutical and life sciences litigation, including Hatch-Waxman litigation, biosimilars, computer software and internet-related issues.

Lending and Finance: Lenders and borrowers alike need lawyers that understand market dynamics and help simplify the complexity of transactions wherever possible. Clients trust our team to bring a practical, business-oriented approach to each transaction. Our team represents lenders and borrowers in all types of financing transactions, including asset-based lending, mezzanine finance, traditional working capital and equipment finance, acquisition finance (senior and mezzanine), capital call lines of credit, real estate finance, equipment leasing, regulatory compliance, investigations and enforcement, and consumer financial services and lending.

Litigation: We represent clients in pretrial, trial and appellate litigation in federal and state courts, before regulatory agencies and arbitration panels, and in alternative dispute resolution in a full range of matters, including antitrust, appellate, bankruptcy, construction, ERISA, education, estates, trusts and fiduciary, environmental, FCPA and international anti-corruption, First Amendment and media law, government contracts, insurance, intellectual property, pharmaceutical and life sciences, product liability and personal injury, securities, sports, and corporate compliance and white collar criminal defense.

Private Client: We counsel owners of family businesses in establishing organizational structures to satisfy current and long-term needs, to plan for the transfer of the business to the next generation (whether during the owner's lifetime or upon death), and to implement strategies. We also represent clients on personal planning, taking into account estate and income tax issues, closely-held businesses, second marriages, and planning for special needs of children and other heirs.

Real Estate: We represent clients in all services related to the acquisition, disposition, financing, leasing, management, and use of real estate, including lease, financing agreement, construction contract, and purchase and sale agreement negotiations, land use representation and litigation, and tax valuation representation and litigation.

Tax: We represent public corporations, financial institutions, domestic joint ventures, new business ventures, non-profit and tax-exempt organizations, and individuals in tax matters such as business transactions, employee benefits and executive compensation, international taxation, mergers and acquisitions, state and local tax, and tax controversy and litigation.

National Trial Lawyers, Commercial Litigators, and Franchise Law Attorneys

Zarco Einhorn Salkowski, P.A. is a nationally recognized business trial law, complex commercial litigation, and franchise law firm. Zarco Law represents franchisees, franchisee associations, dealers, distributors, licensees, entrepreneurs, and business owners throughout the United States and internationally in high-stakes litigation, arbitration, mediation, and other complex business disputes.

Known as "The Great Equalizers," our attorneys have spent decades leveling the playing field for business owners and franchisees facing larger and better-funded adversaries. We are sophisticated, trial-tested litigators who have successfully handled disputes involving some of the nation's largest franchisors, manufacturers, distributors, licensors, and commercial enterprises. Our attorneys are known for developing innovative legal strategies in challenging matters where others believed success was unlikely. We combine sophisticated courtroom experience, strategic advocacy, and business insight to protect our clients when significant financial, operational, and reputational interests are at stake.

The firm is nationally recognized and award-winning for its franchise law practice representing franchisees and franchisee associations, while also maintaining a broad commercial litigation practice involving complex business disputes across numerous industries, including hospitality, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, automotive, real estate, and service-related businesses.

Complex Business, Franchise, and Commercial Disputes

Many of the matters we handle arise within ongoing business relationships and involve issues such as:

• Breach of contract
• Breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing
• Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) violations and franchise sales fraud
• Fraud in the inducement, fraudulent concealment, and business tort claims
• Encroachment and market cannibalization disputes
• Wrongful termination and non-renewal claims
• Liquidated damages disputes
• Unreasonable renewal conditions and transfer restrictions
• Dealer, distributor, and license agreement disputes
• Supply chain sourcing, vendor, and pricing disputes
• Restrictive covenant and non-compete litigation
• System-wide policy and operational changes affecting franchisees, dealers, distributors, and licensees
• Business divorce, partnership, shareholder, and ownership disputes
• Emergency injunctive and other extraordinary relief proceedings

Courtroom Strength Backed by Business Insight

What distinguishes Zarco Einhorn Salkowski, P.A. is our unique combination of legal and business experience. Our attorneys and professionals bring backgrounds in economics, accounting, banking, finance, and business operations, allowing us to evaluate disputes from both legal and commercial perspectives.

This multidisciplinary approach helps clients develop practical, cost-effective strategies designed to protect profitability, preserve enterprise value, and advance long-term business objectives.

The firm regularly represents clients in state and federal courts throughout the United States, as well as before arbitration panels and mediation forums, including matters administered by AAA, JAMS, and other alternative dispute resolution organizations.

Additional Areas of Representation

Our attorneys regularly handle:

• Complex commercial litigation
• Franchise litigation and franchise dispute resolution
• Commercial real estate and construction defect disputes
• Landlord-tenant and lease-related litigation
• C-suite and complex executive employment disputes
• Partnership, shareholder, and business ownership litigation
• Corporate, franchising, licensing, dealership, and distribution matters
• Complex business transactions and contract negotiations
• Emergency injunction and temporary restraining order proceedings
• Intellectual property, trademark, and unfair competition disputes

We also assist clients with the formation and structuring of businesses and the review, negotiation, and drafting of critical business agreements, including:

• Franchise Agreements
• Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs)
• Dealer and Distribution Agreements
• Licensing Agreements
• Large Commercial Leases
• Purchase and Sale Agreements
• Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreements
• Non-Compete and Restrictive Covenant Agreements
• Personal Guarantees
• Shareholder, Partnership, and Operating Agreements

National and International Reach

Zarco Einhorn Salkowski has represented clients across more than 500 franchise systems, as well as numerous dealership, distribution, licensing, and independent business networks throughout the United States and in more than 20 countries worldwide.

The firm has represented clients throughout North America, South America, Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, providing strategic counsel in complex domestic and international business matters.

More than 40 franchisee associations have sought the firm's counsel regarding franchise law, association governance, commercial litigation, and complex business matters.

Recognizing that litigation costs can sometimes prevent businesses from pursuing legitimate claims, the firm maintains an efficient boutique-firm structure and, in appropriate matters, may explore alternative fee arrangements, including partial contingency, blended, and success-based fee structures where appropriate.

Representative Clients and Industries

The firm has represented franchisees, franchisee associations, dealers, distributors, licensees, and business owners in the restaurant, hospitality, retail, automotive, healthcare, fitness, education, home services, real estate, and professional services industries.

Representative matters have involved businesses associated with nationally recognized brands including McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Dunkin', Subway, Little Caesars, Papa John's, Domino's, Pizza Hut, KFC, Arby's, Church's Chicken, Johnny Rockets, TGI Fridays, Hard Rock Cafe, Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Ramada, Best Western, Quality Inn, 7-Eleven, RE/MAX, Sotheby's, Harley-Davidson, Servpro, Camp Bow Wow, Carvel, Tutor Time, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and numerous others.

More than 40 franchisee associations—including organizations affiliated with McDonald's, Subway, Home Instead, Massage Envy, Edible Arrangements, Little Caesars, Johnny Rockets, Papa John's, 7-Eleven, TCBY, Wood You Furniture, and Roto-Rooter—have sought the firm's counsel regarding franchise law, association governance, commercial litigation, and general business representation.

Whether through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, or trial, Zarco Einhorn Salkowski, P.A. remains committed to helping business owners, franchisees, franchisee associations, dealers, distributors, and licensees level the playing field and protect what they have worked so hard to build. We invite you to review our Client Testimonials, explore our Blogs and Videos, and learn more about our firm and client-focused advocacy that have helped make us the nationally recognized leader in franchise law and complex commercial litigation.