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Fisher & Zucker LLC

E-mail: Firm@FisherZucker.com www.franchise-law-firm.com www.FisherZucker.com

Fisher & Zucker LLC is a full-service law firm with a national practice dedicated almost exclusively to franchising and business licensing matters. The firm has offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Georgia. Our lawyers have devoted their practices to franchising and also have extensive experience in commercial litigation, arbitration and mediation. The firm litigates throughout the country and provides advice on franchise development, regulatory compliance, distribution and trademark licensing and protection matters. Philadelphia Magazine named the firm's two partners, Lane Fisher and Jeffrey Zucker, as Pennsylvania Superlawyers in its June 2004 and June 2005 issues.

Lane Fisher For over 15 years, Lane has represented franchisors in business transactions and complex litigation including matters related to trademark and copyright infringement, franchise development, and regulatory issues. Lane has also litigated the enforcement of franchise agreement obligations on behalf of franchisors, including non-competition covenants, collections, under-reporting and encroachment claims. Lane holds a BBA in finance and an MBA in international business from George Washington University. Lane is a frequent speaker at franchise conferences, has written extensively on franchise-related issues and appeared on CN8 and CNN-fn. Lane is a member of IFAs Board of Directors, its Executive Committee and is the chair of IFAs Supplier Forum Advisory Board and its Franchise Business Network Task Force. He is a member of the New Jersey Bar Association Franchise Law Committee and Philadelphia Bar Association Franchise Law Committee. Lane is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Jeffrey Zucker Jeff has been representing clients in businessrelated matters for over 15 years - first as an accountant and for the past 10 years as an attorney. While Jeff practices in the area of commercial law generally, he has concentrated on franchise-related transactions, litigation and pre-litigation counseling. He frequently represents franchisors in litigation regarding trademark, posttermination covenants and related issues and assists franchisors and other commercial clients in reaching effective, common sense solutions to business problems. Jeff served on the Franchise Law Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association and was the Vice Chair of the Franchise Law Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association. Jeff is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

J. Samuel Choate, Jr. Sam is a nationally recognized authority on consumer finance. Over the last 20 years he has represented corporate and association clients in drafting and lobbying to passage over 40 state laws regulating consumer finance transactions as well as defending consumer finance and other class actions. Sam joined the firm after 4 years as General Counsel to Check Into Cash, Inc., of Cleveland, Tennessee. During his tenure at Check Into Cash, Sam helped found the Community Financial Services Association of America, Inc., the national trade association for the payday advance industry. Sam is admitted to practice in Georgia, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

F. Joseph Dunn Joes practice focuses on business transactions and commercial litigation with an emphasis on franchise matters. Joe is a former corporate counsel for AAMCO Transmissions, Inc. and is experienced in regulatory compliance, intellectual property, licensing agreements and employment law. Joe frequently represents franchisors and other commercial clients in litigation involving the enforcement of franchise system standards and non-competition covenants. Joe is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Laurence Kagan Larrys practice concentrates on litigation and alternative dispute resolution in franchise matters, regulatory compliance, franchise transactions and business counseling. Larry also represents commercial landlords and tenants and buyers and sellers in real estate transactions and dispute resolution and business clients in commerce lending transactions. Larry is admitted to practice in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

David J. Allsman Daves practice focuses on business transactions and commercial litigation with an emphasis on franchise matters. Dave counsels franchisors on matters including franchise disclosure and regulatory compliance and the enforcement of franchise agreements and commercial contracts. Dave is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Howard Gottlieb Howards practice focuses on business transactions and commercial litigation with an emphasis on franchise matters and trademark disputes. Howard is also our principal drafter of federal and state disclosure documents for start-up franchisors. Howard was formerly the Associate General Counsel at Alco Industries, Inc. Howard is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Alexander Krasnitsky Alexs practice concentrates on franchise litigation and on transactional matters including franchise disclosures, regulatory compliance, contract drafting, intellectual property law, and day-to-day business counseling. Alex is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Christopher Anderson Chriss practice focuses on franchise disclosure and regulatory compliance, state franchise registration, business transactions, contract drafting, trademarks, day-to-day business counseling, litigation, and alternative dispute resolution. Chris is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania.

Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Phone: 404-815-3623
Fax: 404-815-6932
rgreenstein@sgrlaw.com

Smith, Gambrell & Russell's Franchise and Distribution Group is recognized as a national leader in franchise and distribution law.

The Franchise and Distribution Group represents companies in a broad range of industries and sizes, from start-up companies to established large-scale domestic and international franchisors.

Our Franchise and Distribution Group is full-service, and includes acquisition, tax, and litigation specialists. Focused on franchisors and distributors, SGR attorneys serve as sole legal counsel for many top companies. The Franchise and Distribution Group at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP offers significant experience and expertise in the following areas:

  • Structuring franchise programs, including preparing franchise offering circulars, complying with federal and state regulatory requirements, and registering franchise offerings with state regulatory authorities.
  • Drafting and negotiating franchise agreements, as well as preparing area development agreements, subfranchise agreements, master franchise arrangements, and related joint ventures.
  • Advice regarding the acquisition of franchise systems including due diligence investigations and drafting and negotiating purchase documents.
  • Structuring international expansion through franchising and other ventures.
  • Structuring distribution programs and relationships that avoid federal and state franchise disclosure and business opportunity laws.
  • Providing creative legal and business solutions to franchise and distribution problems.
  • Ongoing compliance with applicable federal and state regulatory requirements.
  • Co-branding relationships.
  • Structuring in-house compliance programs and providing "hands-on" counseling to executives and franchise sales representatives.
  • Advice with respect to trademark availability, trademark registration, software protection, trade secret protection, enforcement of trademark rights, and litigation of trademark infringement disputes.
  • Effective use of alternative dispute resolution methods and counseling with respect to alternative distribution channels and legal compliance related to such channels.
  • Advice on transfer, renewal, and termination of franchises.
  • Advice on electronic commerce issues and their effect on franchise companies.