Franchising Law

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Advising Franchisees On Franchise Agreements

At Stone Group Lawyers, we have assisted many franchisees achieve that exciting goal of becoming a business owner. Our team will provide you clear advice and guide you through every step of the transaction, assisting to minimise risk.

We can assist franchisees and master franchisees in all aspects of franchise law including:

Working with you to determine whether franchising is right for your business objectives;
Providing business structuring advice about operating as sole traders, companies, trusts and partnerships;
Reviewing, advising on and negotiating franchise agreements if you are a new or renewing franchisee;
Acting on the sale and purchase of existing franchised businesses;
Assisting in your due diligence;
Advising on leases and occupancy licence agreements;
Giving advice on day-to-day operational issues and regulatory compliance;
Responding to and issuing breach notices and notices of dispute;
Resolving disputes between franchisees and franchisors through negotiation, mediation and litigation;
Advising on competition and consumer (formerly trade practices) issues and conducting seminars to inform you and your business about your obligations under the Competition and Consumer Act and the Australian Consumer Law, and assisting with implementing compliance programs in your business;
Advising you on exit strategies.

Are You A Prospective Franchisee?

For prospective franchisees who are considering entering a franchise, our team will guide you towards that exciting goal of becoming a business owner. We will first liaise with you and your accountant to determine the best structure for your business. For a fixed and competitive cost, our experienced lawyers will then:

carry out a full review of the franchise documents;
give you plain-English written advice on the key terms and considerations to ensure you have a concise, clear and pragmatic understanding of the transaction;
meet with you to discuss the review and answer any questions you have about franchising;
liaise with your franchisor to clarify your questions and negotiate amendments to the franchise agreement; and
help you sign the documents once you are ready to proceed with the deal.

If you are also entering into a lease or other type of occupancy agreement, we can offer a similar process to assist with that aspect of your transaction.