Joining a franchise is a tough decision. After all, you’ll be investing a huge amount of time, money, and effort in the hopes of securing a better future for you and your loved ones. Franchise lawyers can help you make better decisions to protect you from joining unscrupulous franchisors. How? Read on.
Tasks of Franchise Lawyers
Franchise lawyers simplify the Franchise Disclosure Document to make it easier to understand. They negotiate franchise documents, so you get better deals from your franchisor and inform you of your franchise rights. They can also help with legal research and writing projects, assist you with annual renewal, and more.
Required Education
Franchise lawyers need to complete an undergraduate and Juris Doctorate degrees and must pass their state’s bar exam. They must be good in the following skills: critical thinking, negotiation, analytical reasoning, public speaking, project management, accounting, and writing. They must also be adept at using Westlaw, LexisNexis, and relevant tools and apps.
Associations They Join
As a would-be-franchisee, you probably want to know which associations these attorneys are joining. Franchise lawyers typically join local, national and international associations, whether offline or online. Among the associations they join are the International Franchise Lawyers Association (IFLA), the American Bar Association, and the International Bar Association. Younger lawyers aged 45 and below join the Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats – International Association of Young Lawyers.
They also join associations relevant to the industry of their clients. For example, lawyers whose clients are into the automotive industry join Automotive Industry Professionals Worldwide and Automotive Management Professionals, among others.
Qualities of Good Franchise Lawyers
Proficient in Franchising Laws
You might think that any lawyer can be your franchise attorney. This is one of the most common mistakes new franchisees make. The truth is, good franchise lawyers must specialize in franchising. They must have an excellent understanding of the legalese used in franchise documents, manuals, and advertisements. Franchise laws and regulations may vary from state to state, depending on the industry. Only a franchise lawyer has the necessary experience and knowledge to ensure you comply with the law, from the state, federal, and international levels.
Relationship Builders
But they should not be limited to the technical aspects of the job. They must be understanding and really willing to help both you and your franchisor build a good working relationship. They must be patient enough to help you comprehend the implications in franchise documents. If a franchise lawyer refuses to explain legal terms of clauses, walk away.
Eager to Learn
Good franchise lawyers update themselves on any franchise law developments and inform you of those that apply to you, the franchisee. They help you weigh the pros and cons of decisions you are about to make. Additionally, they are eager to learn from other franchise lawyers for the benefit of their clients.
Available
Good franchise attorneys do not take more clients than they can handle. Unless they have a huge team, of course. This is to ensure they’ll be available to answer your questions, do research for you, attend conferences with you, and so on.
Would-be franchisees like you need to be aware of what franchise lawyers do, the educational requirement they need, the associations they join, as well as the qualities of good attorneys. This way, you have the necessary information if you need to hire one.
DetailXPerts respects the work of franchise lawyers and their contribution to the development and shaping of the franchise industry. Franchise lawyers are needed to keep the balance of interests between franchisors and franchisees, so that each side can operate and prosper with a peaceful mind. This is why we encourage our candidates to consult with a franchise lawyer before completing our green franchise application process.
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