Last week, I attended the Annual Forum on Franchising. As always, it was a great chance to connect with peers, share stories, and stay in tune with what’s happening across the franchise industry.

But something stood out this year.

The two most crowded sessions focused on topics that should raise concern for any current or

Sometimes, the law doesn’t come down to pages of statutes or hours of courtroom drama.
Sometimes, it comes down to one word.

We had a case like that. And honestly—it was a blast to argue.

Our client worked for a marketing company. He applied for a job that had been publicly posted. Nothing secret.

At first, everything was great.

You built something from scratch with a friend, family member, or business partner. You split the responsibilities. You shared the risks. You dreamed big.

But now, things are not so great.

There is tension over money. (Ironically often when success occurs). Disagreements over direction. One person thinks they are doing

Let’s talk about frustration.

Not the kind you feel when your coffee spills on the way to a meeting. I am talking about the deeper kind—the kind that builds over months, sometimes years, during business litigation.

If you are in the middle of a business dispute—or headed into one—there are three truths you need to

A business owner walks in with a pitch. He wants to “sell” you a piece of his company. The idea sounds solid. The opportunity feels right. You shake hands, cut the check, and walk away thinking you just became a business owner.

Then reality hits.

Nothing is in writing. No contract. No terms. No guarantees.

Franchising is booming.

Private equity firms are snapping up franchisors faster than ever. Recently, we have seen Jersey Mike’s secure a massive $8 billion private equity deal and Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers now reportedly exploring a sale. The stakes are high, the money is flowing, and the pace of change is staggering.

But

A Texas court has issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the Corporate Transparency Act and the “Reporting Rule” implementing it. The judge stated in his ruling that the Act and the Reporting Rule are likely unconstitutional and the compliance deadline of the end of the year is stayed.

Read the full Order from the Judge

In the summer of 2021, the NCAA implemented a groundbreaking policy. For the first time in the tenure of college athletics, student-athletes were permitted to earn income from their name, image, and likeness. This process of college athletes earning income has become commonly known as “NIL.” While many believed this rule was the change necessary

In an era of increasing sophistication in scams, fraudsters have found a new tactic: exploiting real business names and lawyer identities, likely scraped from Secretary of State websites or public records, to bolster their credibility. This scheme not only tarnishes reputations but also endangers unsuspecting victims who may unknowingly engage in fraudulent dealings.

I recently