FDD/Franchise Agreement Due Diligence, Questions, and Negotiations?
Elite Advocacy for Franchisees
Our franchise attorneys bring exceptional experience in FDD due diligence and enforcing franchisee rights. We represent franchise clients in purchases, negotiations, and litigation.
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Recognized by leading industry organizations
Renowned As The “Go-To” Franchise Law Firm
Our franchise attorneys are experts in FDD due diligence and enforcing franchisee rights. We have successfully represented hundreds of franchise clients in purchases, negotiations, and litigation.
Schedule Your Free Consultation Today
Recognized by leading industry organizations
Renowned As The “Go-To” Franchise Law Firm
Our franchise attorneys are experts in FDD due diligence and enforcing franchisee rights. We have successfully represented hundreds of franchise clients in purchases, negotiations, and litigation.
Schedule Your Free Consultation Today
Recognized by leading industry organizations
Protect Your Franchise Investment.
Franchise investments and franchisee–franchisor disputes can become financially overwhelming without experienced franchise counsel. Our franchise attorneys help protect your investment, navigate disputes, and ensure you receive fair and lawful treatment. With more than 30 years of combined franchise law experience, we have represented hundreds of franchisees nationwide, from first-time owners to large multi-unit operators.
What Sets Us Apart:
- Purpose-Driven Attorneys
- Deep Subject Matter Knowledge
- Exceptional Credentials
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Years of Franchise Law Experience
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Franchise Industries Served
$0m+
Recovered in the Past Two Years
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Business Clients Served
Represented Franchisees in Hundreds of Brands
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Protecting Your Franchise Every Step of the Way
What Our Franchise Clients Think
We are proud to have represented hundreds of clients with sensitive franchise law matters. We believe we are the best franchise law firm in the nation. Don’t just take our word for it. Hear directly from the people we’ve helped.
Will helped us with our Non-Solicit against a very large company. They were seeking 1.5 million and we settled pre-lawsuit in 30 days paying nothing to the previous employer. Thank you Will for the help and guidance with our new business! Definitely recommend
Trevor Skeens
I am so appreciative of the efficient experience I had working with Will Cantrell and Michael Alvarez. Without hesitation they were able to answer all of my questions and guide me on all concerns relating to my severance from my prior employer. I would absolutely refer them to anyone who asked me for an employment attorney in the future.
Samantha Barker
I whole-heartedly recommend Will Cantrell and his firm. Will provided me with excellent legal advice and guidance throughout the process. He is timely with his responses and never looked to do extra work that wasn’t necessary at the time. I always felt he had my back and had my best interests at heart. Will is very professional and an exceptional employment lawyer.
Brad Surminsky
I highly recommend Attorney Will Cantrell and his legal team for anyone that encounters a serious business dispute or employment law issue. True professionals who love what they do.
Cappy Law
I had the opportunity to work with Warren and Will on an employment matter. Had a very successful outcome. I would highly recommend the firm.
Rob Brehl
I’ve had great experiences with Will and his team. Will is always thorough in responding to my questions and is very attentive to detail. I was very satisfied with the last legal advice and information that he provided to me and feel confident as a new business owner seeking his expertise. He is very knowledgable about employment and business law and is always a great resource to have. Will and his team are highly recommended.
Chinazom Onubogu
Meet Our Franchise Law Attorneys
Matthew A. Ceriale
Stetson Law, JD, magna cum laude
Jordan L. Behlman
UM Law, J.D., magna cum laude
Jackson Olsen
Georgetown Law, J.D., cum laude
Christiane L. Nolton
Vanderbilt Law, JD, Dean’s Award
Jay Lechner
UF Law, JD, cum laude
Jemma Takx
FSU Law, JD, cum laude
Michael Schuette
Stetson Law, JD, magna cum laude
William Cantrell
FSU Law, JD, magna cum laude
Have Questions? We Have Answers.
What are the benefits of an FDD Review?
The benefits of hiring us for your FDD review cannot be overemphasized. For example:
We often save our clients over $100,000 in terms of less fees they pay the franchisor and/or negotiating provisions that mitigate a franchisee’s financial risk.
- We highlight and explain the most important FDD disclosures and franchise agreement provisions.
- We highlight legal and business concerns.
- We highlight non-traditional and unfair provisions that can often be negotiated.
- We help you better understand the investment and opportunity costs.
- We provide detailed recommendations for additional due diligence to help ensure a successful investment.
Contact us today at 1-877-858-6868 or coordinator@caklegal.com
What does an FDD Review Include?
It includes one of our experienced franchise lawyers: (i) reviewing and analyzing the relevant sections of the FDD; (ii) conducting a deep dive call with you to provide detailed feedback and recommended due diligence (usually 2-3 hours long); (iii) providing you with a video/audio recording of the call; and (iv) providing a detailed due diligence checklist. On your call, one of our experienced franchise attorneys will:
- Review the FDD and franchise agreement, excluding only inapplicable addendums.
- Highlight and explain the most important FDD disclosures and franchise agreement provisions.
- Highlight legal and business concerns.
- Highlight any non-traditional and unfair provisions in the franchise agreement.
- Ensure you better understand the franchise investment’s pros and cons and provide detailed recommendations for additional due diligence.
We also provide meaningful feedback on the business side of the transaction so you can make a more informed decision before investing.
Please be aware that some law firms merely provide a high-level summary of your rights and obligations. But how is a summary helpful when you can and should read the FDD and franchise agreement yourself?
We do much more than merely summarize what you could read for yourself. We act as your legal counsel to provide detailed guidance on whether a potential franchise opportunity is a good business opportunity, what due diligence you should perform, and which franchise agreement provisions should be negotiated. Upon request, we also negotiate on your behalf.What is the cost for an FDD Review?
We generally charge a flat fee for FDD and franchise agreement reviews. The fee, which depends on the length of the FDD and franchise agreement and the franchisor industry, generally ranges from $2,900 to $3,500. Extra charges may apply if requesting expediated services or after-hours or weekend calls.
Our flat fee and hourly rates are competitive. We do not try to be the “cheapest” option. Our franchise attorneys are some of the most experienced and credentialed in the nation. Prospective franchisees retain us for the best legal services value. We provide discounts for reviewing multiple FDDs.
What is the process?
Send us a copy of the FDD. We will provide you with a quote. After being retained, we schedule a call for about one to two weeks later. We may be able to provide expedited services for an additional cost.
What is the cost for a franchisee-franchisor dispute?
The review, assessment, and deep-dive consultation is usually a relatively small flat fee or based on an hourly rate, with the total often about $3,000. After that initial work, we often offer alternative fee structures, betting on ourselves and our clients. These fee structures include customized alternative blended fee arrangements, flat fees, success fees, and other results-driven incentives. Few firms offer alternative fee structures. We believe it is important to align our interest not with billable hours but with results. Please note, we also offer discounts on our hourly rates and fair flat fees for clients who use for other matters, such as employment law matters.
What is the cost for starting a franchise?
The cost to create a franchise varies significantly for each client, although flat fees are generally offered. That includes preparing the FDD, Franchise Agreement, applicate state disclosures, and a host of other required documents and filings. We also partner with non-legal franchise vendors that help businesses owners with the non-legal aspects of starting a franchise, including operations manual, operations, sales, and more.
Let's Get Started
- Initial call with one of our franchise attorneys.
- You send key documents and information.
- We get to work.