Experience and Approach

With experience representing franchisees, advising franchisors, and leading businesses, Brian understands the challenges on all sides of the franchise relationship.

Brian brings more than 30 years of experience in franchising, dispute resolution, and business leadership. Early in his career, he represented franchisees and franchisee associations in negotiations and disputes. He later held senior legal and business leadership roles with national and international franchise systems, where he managed disputes, oversaw operations, and negotiated resolutions involving everything from individual-unit level issues to system-wide challenges.

This combination of legal and business experience gives Brian a practical perspective on how disputes affect both individual operators and brand systems. His focus is on helping parties reach fair, workable agreements designed to preserve and support future success.

Mediation Approach

  • Neutral: Represented both franchisors and franchisees as an attorney, providing an insider’s view of what motivates resolution.

  • Practical: Focused on aligning legal, financial, and strategic interests for realistic, workable outcomes.

  • Business-Oriented: Experienced with the unique pressures faced by both franchisees operating day-to-day and franchisors managing brand systems.

Representative Dispute Resolution Experience

·         Franchise Relationship Issues: Single and multi-unit terminations, post-termination matters, defaults, and territory disputes.

·         Litigation & Claims: Franchise class actions, misrepresentations in the sales process, contract disputes.

·         System & Operational Issues: Ad Fund and marketing matters, brand standards, supply chain disputes, operational challenges, failure-to-provide-support claims.

·         High-Stakes Resolutions: Helped parties resolve high-stakes and complex disputes through negotiated settlements, avoiding protracted litigation and legal expense.

Active in the franchise community through the ABA Forum on Franchising and the International Franchise Association, with a focus on improving franchisor–franchisee relations and promoting collaborative solutions..

Education   

University of San Diego Law – San Diego, California
Juris Doctor (completed law school in 2.5 years, a semester early)

University of Notre Dame – Notre Dame, Indiana
Bachelor in Business Administration

Personal

Philosophy: “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

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