To Brand or Not to Brand: Legal Dimensions of Franchising, Branding, and Dispute Resolution (Presented by HospitalityLawyer.com)

Andrew J. Sherman | Brown Rudnick

Andrew J. Sherman is a partner in Brown Rudnick’s Transactions Practice Group and co-practice group leader of the firm’s Emerging Growth Companies & Venture Capital group. A recognized authority on the legal and strategic aspects of business growth, Andrew’s practice is concentrated on domestic and international franchising, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate counseling.

Andrew focuses his practice on issues affecting business growth for companies at all stages, including developing strategies for licensing and leveraging intellectual property and technology assets, intellectual asset management and harvesting, as well as international corporate transactional and franchising matters.

He has served as a legal and strategic advisor to dozens of Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of emerging growth companies across a number of diverse industries, including leisure and hospitality, food & beverage, retail, financial services, energy, manufacturing, health and life sciences, sports, entertainment and music. He has represented U.S. and international clients from early stage, rapidly growing startups, to closely held franchisors and middle market companies, to multibillion-dollar international conglomerates. He also counsels on issues such as franchising, licensing, joint ventures, strategic alliances, capital formation, distribution channels, technology development, and mergers and acquisitions.

Andrew has written nearly 30 books on the legal and strategic aspects of business growth, franchising, capital formation, and the leveraging of intellectual property, most of which can be found on Amazon. He also has published many articles on similar topics and is a frequent keynote speaker at business conferences, seminars, and webinars. He has appeared as a guest commentator on CNN, NPR, and CBS News Radio, among others, and has been interviewed on legal topics by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, and other publications.

Andrew serves as an adjunct professor in the MBA programs at the University of Maryland, as well as the Georgetown University Law Center. Andrew is a multiple recipient of the University of Maryland at College Park’s Krowe Excellence in Teaching Award.

Samuel C. Wolf | Brown Rudnick

Samuel Wolf is an associate in the firm’s Transactions Practice Group and a member of the Franchise Group. Sam’s practice centers on negotiating and drafting corporate and franchise-related agreements, preparing franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements, area development agreements, area representative agreements, closing acquisition and sale transactions, and advising clients on franchisee/franchisor relational matters in mergers and acquisitions. Sam also has experience resolving regulatory problems for franchisors, drafting beer distribution agreements, and designing nationwide exemption-based franchise plans.

Prior to joining Brown Rudnick, Sam was a senior counsel for a national firm and an associate at Lewitt, Hackman, Shapiro, Marshall & Harlan specializing in franchise and distribution law.

Sam is a Certified Specialist in Franchise and Distribution Law designated by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and has been recognized as one of Southern California’s Rising Stars in Franchise and Dealership law by Super Lawyers.

I. Trademark fundamentals in franchising | 1:00pm – 1:20pm

II. Franchising as a growth strategy | 1:20pm – 1:40pm

III. Franchise structures & agreements | 1:40pm – 2:00pm

Break | 2:00pm – 2:10pm

IV. Regulatory framework | 2:10pm – 2:40pm

V. Dispute resolution in franchising | 2:40pm – 3:10pm