Whether a client is looking to move into a pre-existing space or develop land specifically for their needs, our lawyers can guide them through every aspect of the transaction. We advise buyers and sellers in the structuring, negotiation, and closing of real estate purchase and sale transactions.

We counsel franchisors in the development of corporate locations, managing communications with landlords, developers and construction firms, and also protect the assets, business operations and brand of franchisors in situations of franchisee defaults. Franchisees utilize our attorneys to negotiate with franchisors, lenders, and landlords on a variety of leasing matters.

Our firm’s franchise attorneys combine in-depth knowledge of local and regional markets with a broad understanding of the legal, regulatory and economic issues affecting our clients. This deep experience we’ve gained by working on both sides of real estate transactions and franchisor/franchisee relationships means that we understand the market dynamics at play and the most critical compromise points. We strive to understand a franchise’s business so we can provide the most effective advice to our client in the context of the franchise’s particular business model.

Our Services

We offer a comprehensive range of services to our franchise clients involved in the leasing, purchasing, selling, developing and financing of real estate.

  • Purchase and sale transactions: preparation and negotiation of acquisition, disposition and financing documentation; review of title insurance commitments, surveys, entitlement reports, land use approvals and environmental site assessments; real estate issues involved in M+A transactions; counsel on global inbound commercial real estate investments in conjunction with our global business practice
  • Transaction due diligence: review of title insurance commitments, surveys, entitlement reports, land use approvals and environmental site assessments
  • Real estate financing: traditional commercial financing; syndicated lending; mezzanine financing; mixed-financing projects; loan restructuring; acquisition and disposition of distressed debt
  • Zoning, land use and development: understanding economic development tools; leveraging local, state and federal tax incentives; real property taxes and valuation; legislative and administrative zoning matters; working with local governments and design and development professionals to develop land

Our Clients

The clients we typically represent are regional or national franchises, primarily in service businesses, including food service, retail, education, child care services and the health service industry. In real estate deals, we have represented community, regional and national lending institutions, including community banks, national banks and life insurance companies, and as counsel to borrowers, we also represented some of the area’s most prominent local, regional and national real estate developers, property managers and brokerages. Our attorneys work with a diverse range of public and private owners, commercial developers, lenders and borrowers regionally and nationally, and this experience benefits our franchising clients.

We represent not only franchisors, but also franchisees, and this gives us a unique perspective. As opposed to specialist practices, our approach and experience allows us to offer holistic advice in the context of our clients’ overarching business strategies. Because of the depth and breadth of our experience, we often act as outside general counsel to our clients, as we understand how franchising can educate corporate structure and employment strategies, and drive business decisions.

Contact Us

For more information on our services for franchisors and franchisees, please contact Kacie N. Davis.