Resources
INDIANA
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 IFA�s Board of Directors, its Executive Committee and is the chair of IFA�s Supplier Forum Advisory
Board and it�s 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
� Joe�s 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
� Larry�s 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
� Dave�s 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
� Howard�s 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
� Alex�s 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
� Chris�s 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.