Franchising & Distribution Law Blog

Once again, the ABA Forum on Franchising will be recognizing former Greensfelder partner John Baer through the award of a scholarship in his name.

The John R. F. Baer Scholarship for International Civility and Professionalism will be awarded to a member of the Forum on Franchising who has demonstrated an interest in international practice in the field of franchise and distribution law and has demonstrated civility and professionalism in the practice of law. Applications should include:

The International Franchise Association’s annual Legal Symposium took place May 15-17, 2016. Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale attorneys Dawn Johnson, Beata Krakus, Kim Myers, Abby Risner and Leonard Vines attended the program in Washington, D.C, where industry speakers presented programs on important topics in franchising.

On Monday, May 5, 2014, Doug Neville will be presenting, “The Affordable Care Act and Immigration: What Every Franchise Lawyer Needs to Know,” at the 47th Annual IFA Legal Symposium in Chicago, Illinois. Doug and his co-presenters will discuss what affect the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will have on franchisors and franchisees, best practices franchisors and franchisees should follow to comply with, and to reduce liability under the ACA, and how franchisors can help franchisees achieve their immigration objectives.

Also during the IFA Legal Symposium, on Tuesday, May 6, 2014, Beata Krakus will be facilitating a roundtable addressing social media policies in franchising. During the roundtable session entitled, “Social Media Policies in Franchising: Structuring, Protecting the Brands and Enforcing Long Term,” attendees will have the chance to share challenges, questions and solutions surrounding the topic.

Other Greensfelder attorneys attending the 47th Annual IFA Legal Symposium include John Baer, Leonard Vines and Dawn Johnson.

On Friday, April 11, 2014, Dawn Johnson will discuss some of the surprising ways that Big Data has impacted cases and identify strategies for using Big Data to your advantage while avoiding costly pitfalls in her presentation, “Big Data: Opportunities and Challenges in Litigation,” at the American Bar Association Petroleum Marketing Attorneys’ Meeting. Greensfelder is a Platinum sponsor for the event. Other Greensfelder attorneys attending the Petroleum Marketing Attorneys’ Meeting include Dan Garner, David Harris, John Petite and Abby Risner.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2013 Distribution Symposium. Below are some key points for you to keep in mind when bringing your products or services to the market. We look forward to seeing you at the 2014 Distribution Symposium.

• Be prepared to adapt to change quickly to continue growing your business.

• Keep in mind Dave Peacock's principles for effective distribution:

• Transparency: Always be clear on intentions and expectations

• Accountability: Consequences for failure to perform

• Discipline: Routine, financial, "inspect what you expect"

• Integrity: Do what you say you are going to do

• Ambidexterity: Must be able to adapt/change with business

• Ownership: Active owners are key - owners make the difference

• Great People: Great people attract more of the same

• Make sure your contracts are adapted to your business and reflect your current practices.

• Ensure objectives are communicated down the distribution chain and that information is sent back up.

• Make your company a learning organization: track failures and what you learned from them. If an initiative is unsuccessful, be sure to record your learnings so they are not lost.

Breaking Distribution Barriers
Bringing Your Goods & Services to the Market

Date: September 18, 2013

Location: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Join Greensfelder for an afternoon of knowledge sharing on important business issues and legal developments impacting the distribution of products and services.

Who Should Attend?

Executives, business leaders, management and in-house counsel at companies that distribute, supply and/or manufacture products or services will not want to miss this year's program.

Questions? Contact Jessie Fenton at 314-335-6835 or jlf@greensfelder.com.

Here are some key points identified by the speakers at the 2012 Distribution Symposium on navigating through the legal landmines in distribution:

State revenue enhancement: The states are desperate for money and trying to collect more revenue using a variety of approaches. For example, some states are trying to attribute nexus status to a parent because an affiliate has an office in the state. Other states are using the escheat laws to recover old credits and refunds due to a customer, such as from unused gift cards.