Practice areas

Our franchising group acts for clients across a broad range of industry sectors but with an emphasis on the food and drink sectors. Expertise is drawn from across the firm which allows us to meet the requirements of clients not just in the execution of franchises, but also the wider needs of clients whose business is franchising (both as franchisor or franchisee) or the granting of concessions.

Whether clients are creating a franchising network for the first time, are refranchising or otherwise dealing with their estate, the sector demands skills across the disciplines ordinarily defined by lawyers - real estate, employment, tax, IP and commercial contract skills are all required. What differentiates our group is our recognition that clients want one point of contact wherever possible for efficiency and continuity purposes, and we meet that desire through the considerable efforts and skills of our lawyers, mindful always of the need to ensure the delivery of first-class advice and thus bringing in various specialist lawyers as required.

Alongside the principal franchise agreements, we advise on the full range of ancillary services necessary to exploit the relevant opportunity. In order to ensure that we deliver practical advice that is of genuine benefit to clients, we have continued for a number of years a programme of secondments from the group to clients so that our lawyers see first-hand how their advice is implemented and the environment in which it is received.