Retail and Franchising

This is a dedicated team of attorneys with experience in areas critical to retail, restaurant and franchise businesses providing a streamlined, cost-effective approach for addressing virtually any legal need that may arise. The team is skilled at taking retail and restaurant clients through every step of the process, from becoming a newly established entity, to franchising the concept and opening locations in multiple new markets.
The team regularly advises clients on issues related to leasing, franchising and licensing, tax and e-commerce, acquisitions, financing, construction, zoning, intellectual property, labor and employment and litigation. This structure provides a distinct advantage to clients, having an attorney experienced in each area serving as a resource as business legal needs grow and evolve.

Snell & Wilmer’s retail and franchising group is comprised of attorneys from individual practice areas, who focus their practice on issues related to the retail, restaurant and franchising industries. The group works as a team for each client, with a specific attorney serving as lead, while others are called upon when needed, and are quickly brought up to speed on an issue. Each attorney shares the common goal of providing the highest-quality legal services to clients in the most consistent, efficient and cost-effective manner. Our retail and franchise attorneys have handled a variety of disputes for numerous franchising clients in a variety of industries, including restaurant, fast food, hospitality, real estate brokerage, retail products, home services and automobile dealerships. Our cases range from disputes with individual franchisees or dealers to matters affecting the entire franchise or dealership system. We routinely litigate at hearing and at trial the issues that are specific to franchise litigation.

Attorneys practicing with the retail and franchising group bring extensive industry experience to our clients, including having established start-up retail/restaurant businesses; franchising these businesses; and establishing national or international programs for rapid expansion into new markets. Throughout the process, the group works closely with each client to develop efficient programs and strategies for financing, establishing and protecting trademarks and trade secrets, tax and e-commerce issues, workforce, acquisitions, zoning/land use, construction and litigation matters. Examples of franchising disputes that Snell & Wilmer has handled include: disclosure and fraud, breach of contract / breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, territorial and encroachment, non-competition, dealer/franchisee termination, tortious interference, trademark and copyright infringement, antitrust, labor and employment, environmental, bankruptcy, and technology disputes. Because Snell & Wilmer’s attorneys know the retail, restaurant, and franchise industry, we are able to react quickly and economically to address the wide variety of legal situations that arise in business.