Our practice focuses on: franchises, dealerships, and business opportunity law, including motor vehicle franchises, beer distributor dealerships, PMPA issues, and store and service based franchising. We develop offering materials for start-up franchisors, and provide review and negotiation for beginning, selling and purchasing franchisees. We also provide mediation, litigation, arbitration; trademark prosecution and licensing services.
Since earning a JD from the Tulane University Law School, I have obtained 30 years of experience as a franchise and trademark lawyer. I have worked with many start up franchisors, and franchisees, which enables me to see the business from many angles.
I have been a Licensed Real Estate Broker in Illinois since 1994. I was corporate counsel for Chart House, Inc. (Diversifoods, Inc.) and Entre Computer Centers, Inc. from 1981-1985. I was a speaker and co-author of "Avoiding and Addressing Wrongful Termination of Your Franchise" and "Don't Give Away The Store:—The Purchase and Sale of a Franchise" at the American Franchise Association Legal Symposium in 2001. I was co-author of "To Litigate, Arbitrate or Mediate...That is the Question!" in American Franchise Association Quarterly (Volume 1, Issue 3, Autumn, 1993) and "The Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing" in November 1994 VIEWS-Periodical for the National Association of 7-Eleven Franchises. I wrote "The Franchise Transfer from Hell" for American Franchise Association Blast Fax, March 2002 and "Subway's Train Stopped, A Case Study," American Franchise Association Blast Fax, April 2003. I was a Founding Affiliate Member of the American Franchise Association.
I have and currently represent franchise, dealer, seller representative, business opportunity and other business clients in various transactional, and, court matters, arbitration and dispute resolution involving statutory claims including improper disclosure and wrongful termination, breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unfair franchise practices, trademark and copyright infringement, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, RICO, and unfair product allocations. I also handle leasing; copyright; right of publicity; contractual and business tort issues; corporate law, business formations, business transactions, and appellate work.