Nationwide Franchise Evaluation Lawyer | United States Security Agreement Attorney

Evaluation of Franchise Documents

Helping Businesses Grow For Over 25 Years

Review and Evaluation of Franchise Documents

How do you know if purchasing a franchise is a good business investment?

...your involvement was one of the best decisions that we have made as we’ve entered this new world of franchise business ownership...

Dear Nancy,

I can’t thank you enough for your input, legal advice and council during the review and negotiations of our franchise agreement. As you know, I initially wavered about using a lawyer because I felt comfortable negotiating the contract on my own. I’m glad I made the decision to use you. Without question, your involvement was one of the best decisions that we have made as we’ve entered this new world of franchise business ownership and well worth the money.

Your understanding of franchise law from both the franchisee and franchisor perspective gave us the comfort level we needed throughout the process. You were there for us every step of the way.

Thanks again and we look forward to a long lasting relationship with you as our business attorney.

Sincerely,

Wendy Brown-Blau
Cherry Hill NJ

The answer to that question is most likely buried somewhere in the detailed and complex franchise documents a potential franchisee receives from the franchisor. A skilled franchise attorney can review and explain these franchise documents so you can move forward confidently with the purchase or pursue other opportunities.

At the Law Offices of Nancy L. Lanard, we have reviewed hundreds of franchise documents. Let us put our skills and experience to work for you. Contact a franchise lawyer at our firm today about your franchise opportunity.

Required Documentation

A potential franchisee will be provided with several legal documents which should be reviewed by an experienced franchise attorney prior to being signed. You may be presented with the following types of documents:

Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC) disclosure document consisting of 23 required items and other important information
Franchise agreement
Promissory notes
Security agreement
Software licensing agreement

A Meticulous Review

We review the UFOC to gain an understanding of the franchise and the franchisor's background, litigation history, bankruptcy filings, and other important concerns.

We check the status of the trademark(s) to make sure they are federally registered.

We thoroughly review the franchise agreement and make note of obligations (financial, reporting, advertising, and others) that the franchisee will have to the franchisor.

We suggest revisions to negotiable franchise agreements which would make them more favorable to you.

Modifications may include:

Providing a standard of reasonableness when franchisor approval is required
Providing adequate notice prior to the franchisor’s exercise of its remedies upon default
Insuring that any required indemnification by the franchisee to the franchisor is limited
Requiring that the franchisor provide indemnification to the franchisee for any trademark infringement actions or claims.

Why should I use an attorney if the franchisor won't negotiate the documents?

Many franchise systems do not negotiate their documents. However, it is clear that even when a franchise agreement is not negotiable, it is important to retain experienced franchise counsel to assist you with this process. It is important that an experienced franchise attorney explain to you your obligations under the agreement and that you understand exactly what you are purchasing. You are undertaking a large financial obligation and it is extremely important to know that someone is on your team putting you in the best possible legal position in which you can be. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Nancy L. Lanard, P.C. will look forward to being your teammate.

Our advice includes counseling on any potential issues, advising on forming the proper legal entity to run your franchised business, and reviewing and negotiating the lease for your business location. Once your business is operating we can help you develop employment policies, assist you with any legal needs of your business and eventually assist you with the sale of your business.

Please contact one of the experienced franchise lawyers at our firm today.

The business and franchise lawyers at the Law Offices of Nancy L. Lanard, P.C. serve clients all over the United States, including the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Regionally, we remain committed to representing clients in the counties of Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, Berks, Lehigh, and Lackawanna, including communities such as Abington, Allentown, Ambler, Bethlehem, Blue Bell, Bryn Mawr, Cheltenham, Dover (DE), Doylestown, Dresher, Easton, Elkins Park, Ft. Washington, Glenside, Harrisburg, Hatboro, Horsham, Jenkintown, King of Prussia, Lancaster, Lansdale, Lower Gwynedd, Maple Glen, Media, Norristown, North Penn, North Wales, Oreland, Paoli, Plymouth Meeting, Reading, Springfield, Spring House, Upper Gwynedd, Villanova, Warrington, West Chester, and Willow Grove.