Start Your Franchise with Confidence
Understand the legal side of starting, joining, or expanding a franchise and protect your investment of time, money, and energy using TOS Franchise Legal Services
Starting a franchise is exciting and risky.
When you’re thinking about exploring this new venture, it’s common to ask the following questions:
How do I start a franchise?
What are the legal requirements?
Should I expand my business into a franchise?
Is joining an existing franchise smart?
How do I choose the right franchise model?
What are the risks?
Will I be successful at this?
The answer to these questions really depends on your unique situation. However, the Law Office of Temi Siyanbade is dedicated to providing legal services that help you answer these questions and build a franchise confidently.
Why Should I hire a Franchise Lawyer?
There are different risks associated with joining or starting a franchise. Falling for one of these risks could result in a costly lawsuits, poor PR, and the loss of peace of mind. When you hire a Houston franchise attorney from the Law Office of Temi Siyanbade to help you create your legal documents as a franchisor (original owner), or negotiate as a franchisee (the individual buying the duplicate), you have a trusted advisor on your side, whose main interests is keeping you protected and successful. Use our franchise legal services to help you:
Evaluate whether your franchise opportunity is as good as it sounds,
Understand what your potential legal risks as a new franchisor or franchisee,
Comply with federal and state requirements for franchises,
Negotiate important documents like franchising agreements,
Create and protect the trademarks associated with your franchise,
Defend franchise disputes in court, and
Successfully navigate the world of franchise ownership.
The Process
We will schedule an initial consultation where we discuss the franchising opportunity. During this consultation, we will do a preliminary review of the feasibility of this current franchise based on the opportunity and your unique desires.
Next, we take an in-depth look at the systems actually being implemented in the business. We take the time to understand the business so that any documentation or negotiation that occurs is true to what works for the business in question.
We continue with a more thorough review or assembly of important documents like the Franchise Disclosure Document or Franchise agreement. As we conduct this assembly of documents, we will assist you in making key decisions about what you want in your franchise system.
We negotiate important terms within the agreements to best suit the franchisee and franchisor.
The firm then oversees the finalizing of the franchise arrangement.
Finally, we conduct annual reviews to ensure that the franchise documents are still in compliance with state and federal laws.
Most Common Franchise Components
Franchise Disclosure Document:
Drafting & Review
What is a franchise disclosure document? A franchise disclosure document is legal disclosure document franchisors are required to give to potential franchisees at least 14 days before any money is exchanged. Failure to properly disclose required elements can put a franchisor under consumer protection laws, deceptive trade practice laws, anti-trust laws and a host of others. If a franchisee does not adequately understand this complex document, they could find themselves legally tied to a dying franchise. Either way, neither franchisors or franchisees can afford to overlook this critical document.
Franchise Agreement:
Drafting & Reviews
What is a franchise agreement? The franchise agreement is the binding contract that outlines the terms of the franchise arrangement. Each party should be able to read the contract and understand what the franchisor is responsible for and what the franchise is responsible for.
Trademark Registration and Licensing Agreements
Trademark and licensing is a critical component in franchise systems. These are some of the key elements franchisors need in order to develop and protect a franchise brand others want to invest in. Additionally, licensing agreements explain how and to what extent a franchisee can use the brand name, logo, and other important intellectual property.