The franchising department at Fieldfisher advises clients across the retail, automotive, food and beverage, fitness, hotel, leisure, and education sectors on an impressive array of franchising matters, receiving a regular flow of instructions on multiunit and multi-brand franchises, disputes work, global expansion via franchising, and drafting and negotiating commercial franchise structures and contracts, as well as corporate acquisitions and sales and joint ventures involving franchise businesses. The team is under the ‘excellent leadership’ of London-based David Bond and Gordon Drakes. Bond draws on decades of franchising and licensing experience to support domestic and international clients in international expansion through franchise and licensing models, boasting particular expertise in supporting established franchise networks with strategic growth and territory development. Drakes is a key port of call for both franchisors and franchisees on the development, expansion, and management of franchise networks domestically and internationally, including master franchise arrangements, brand entry into new markets, and dispute resolution within franchise relationships. Dual-qualified in Germany and England, Vicky Reinhardt is lauded for her assistance with hotel franchises and the overseas expansion of UK school brands. Rachel Bowley, Sara Stewart, and Kate Williams are other key figures within the group.

The team at Freeths LLP is well-equipped to advise businesses on the full array of franchising matters, with a particular focus on regional and international expansion. It is well-regarded for its work on structuring and drafting multi-unit franchise models, supporting overseas market entry, and developing modular franchise contract suites. Credited for his ‘great commercial skills’, Iain Bowler spearheads the team in London, leveraging extensive franchising experience to support clients in business format franchising and market delivery strategies, as well as structuring multi-jurisdictional joint ventures, partnerships, and strategic alliances for franchise expansion. Adept in handling disputes is Philippa Dempster, and Iona Silverman is a key contact for clients in the beauty and personal care industry.

Hamilton Pratt is a ‘well respected firm in the franchise sector’, supporting both domestic and international  franchisors and franchisees across a range of sectors, including construction, food and beverage, health, retail, and education. Noted as standing a ‘head and shoulders above everyone else’, founder and practice head John Pratt maintains a leading reputation as a franchising expert. Co-head Nick Seddon excels at the intersection of franchising and M&A activity, while co-head and qualified solicitor-advocate James Barrett is a specialist in franchising disputes. Andrew Ward is lauded for his M&A transactional work within the franchising space, and Sophie Peasley excels in drafting and negotiating franchising agreements.

Noted for its sector expertise in supporting clients active in the retail, hospitality, wellness, and education industries, Stevens & Bolton LLP fields a team that is well-equipped to handle a comprehensive range of franchising work. It is regularly instructed to handle the preparation of franchise documentation, adapt international franchise agreements for UK use, advise on franchising as a strategic growth route, handle franchising disputes, and guide businesses through domestic and international expansion through master franchising, licensing, and distribution. Praised as ‘helpful, available and ready to discuss every issue’, Guilford-based Nicola Broadhurst heads the team and particularly excels in supporting clients from the fashion, luxury brands, and casual dining sectors. Her thorough work-load encompasses setting up franchise networks, adapting international franchise agreements for compliance with UK law, and advising on multi-unit franchise investments, as well as regularly assisting clients with their expansion strategies, international agreements, and franchise documentation. An expert in domestic and international expansion matters, Catherine Penny frequently advises on franchise networks, while also boasting expertise in reviewing and adapting international franchise agreements for compliance with English law.

The Norwich-based firm Ashtons Legal is notable for its work with domestic and international clients in both international expansion and bringing overseas brands into the UK. The team frequently handles the construction of franchise models and managing franchise documentation, including issuance and renewals, as well as franchise disputes and franchising litigation in the High Court. The team is headed by ‘seasoned professional’ Damian Humphrey, who leverages his extensive international brand expansion experience to advise franchisors in the entertainment, food and beverage, education, and pet care sectors on establishing and growing their franchise networks.

Leveraging the bench strength of the firm’s international reach, Dentons‘s franchising team offers the full range of franchising services to a blue-chip client base of both franchises and franchisees, particularly in the retail, automotive, entertainment, and hotel industries. Headed by Babette Märzheuser-Wood, the team collaborates with colleagues internationally on franchising disputes, investment franchises, constructing master and unit franchise agreements, franchise disclosure documents, and specific competition law advice. Global head of the firm’s franchising offering Märzheuser-Wood brings dual qualification in Germany and the UK; her workload consists of complex multi-jurisdictional franchise, licensing, agency, and concession agreements, with a particular focus on IP-rich joint ventures and strategic expansion into emerging markets. Anna Copeman sits as head of the trademarks department, co-heading the franchising group, and she is well versed in handling international franchising, distribution, and manufacturing arrangements.

Lewis Silkin hosts a team which stands out for its work in the retail, fashion, leisure, advertising, and marketing sectors, often working on the full lifecycle of franchising, from structuring and negotiating franchise agreements, to tax planning, brand protection, data privacy, and dispute resolution. The team is overseen by Simon Entwistle, whose key strengths include franchising and cross-border expansions, with a strong emphasis on international franchise arrangements in the Middle East. Adept in acting for both franchisers and franchisees is Gemma Jones, a key contact for international restaurant franchises.

Adept at representing clients in all stages of brand development is Simons Muirhead Burton; the team regularly acts for a diverse range of clients, from luxury retailers and publishers, to schools and charities. The practice excels in helping clients develop national and international franchise networks. Praised for being a ‘head and shoulders above the rest’, team head Maninder Gill is particularly active in advising on franchising disputes, IP rights, and commercial contracts, bringing specialist expertise in the publishing, education, and food industries.

TLT is notable for its franchising work in the retail and leisure space, housing a team that draws on the firm’s cross-departmental international capabilities to cover the full range of franchising matters for UK and international clients. The structuring, drafting, and advising of agreements, as well as managing franchise networks and international franchising expansion plans, are key elements. The team is headed by ‘one of the most knowledgeable franchise solicitors in the UK’, Pauline Cowie; she is a leader in the franchising space who boasts deep experience in strategic franchising, brand exploitation, and international expansion, with particular expertise in innovative franchise structures and luxury hotel franchise agreements. Perran Jervis is a key port of call for clients in the retail sector, and Miles Trower specialises in the automotive retail sector.

Downs Solicitors LLP excels across the full range of strategic franchise legal services, including risk auditing, franchise agreement drafting, re-sales, renewals, and international structuring, acting for a broad client roster of businesses including SMEs, large companies, OMBs, partnerships, and sole traders. Julian Harvey and Richard Clapham co-head the department; both are experienced corporate lawyers with a strong focus on franchising, regularly advising both franchisors and franchisees, often internationally, on franchise structures, transactions, and acquisitions. The team was strengthened by the arrival of renowned franchise experts Kate Matthews and Helen Boddy in October 2024.

First Twenty divides its offering between acting as the in-house lawyer for a BFA accredited franchising consultancy, and handling a range of franchising issues, including international master franchising, new franchise setups, terminations, enforcement, territory issues, and franchisee disputes involving misrepresentation, breaches, and restrictive covenants. Richard James oversees the practice, drawing on extensive experience in the field to advise on both contentious and non-contentious national and international matters.

Foot Anstey boasts a varied workload, with its offering encompassing assistance with the drafting of franchise documentation and domestic and international franchising arrangements, and providing an end-to-end service to a client roster of start-ups to multinational corporations, notably in the travel, restaurant, and café sector. The practice is headed by Sam Elworthy, an active franchising expert credited for his ‘imaginative yet meticulous approach’, who handles franchising arrangements for major food and beverage operators in travel hubs, international hotel licensing deals, and franchising disputes. Peter Singfield frequently acts for franchisors and franchisees in disputes concerning issues of underperformance, financial difficulties, franchisee exits, and business sales, while also advising on consumer law and reputation management.

Harper Macleod LLP’s franchising offering is largely focused on global and UK-based brands, particularly in the food and drink sector, where the team excel in offering expertise in international master franchise agreements, social franchising, and licensing arrangements. The ‘very knowledgeable’ practice head, Scott Kerr, is a key contact for franchisors and franchisees who boasts expertise in intellectual property, commercial contracts, and brand exploitation, particularly within the food and drink sector, as well as assisting in structuring franchise agreements and licensing arrangements for global brands.

Providing ‘practical, commercial advice’, the team at Spencer West LLP is well-equipped to assist clients with a range of franchising-related mandates, including corporate structuring, shareholder agreements, property leases, employment matters, and dispute resolution. David Kaye heads up the group, combining extensive experience in business law and franchising to represent a client base in the retail, food and beverage, health and fitness, and care sectors. Andrew Fraser is a key contact for international roll-outs, particularly the negotiation of franchising documents and securing master franchising rights.