FRANCHISE AGREEMENT REVIEW
DESCRIPTION
We offer two levels of agreement review, depending upon the age and suitability of your existing agreement. The first is an overview from a franchising “best-practice” perspective, and ensures consistency with your own required systems and processes. The second level includes a specific legal opinion – obtained through review by a highly experienced franchise lawyer, and combines the requirements and aspirations of the franchise business set against a background of current legislation, franchising precedent and regulatory control.
In either case a comprehensive review is necessary at least every five years (ideally more frequently) and the agreement can then be quickly and easily updated to reflect the issues identified and to take the business to the next level.
OUTCOMES
- Improved protection by the Franchise Agreement
- Clearer understanding by all parties of the current legislation
- Consistency between all documents used within the franchise
- Fewer disputes or negotiations when agreements are being signed
- Opportunities to re-sign existing franchisees onto the “new” agreement
PROCESS
Audit
The current agreement is compared with the franchisor’s working practice including:
- The franchisee recruitment process
- Franchisee training
- Franchisee support and management
- The franchisee business model and operating system
- The franchisor business model and operating system
- The operations manual(s)
- The BFA Code of Ethics
- Changes in the law affecting Block Exemption and other relevant legislation
- Recent landmark legal opinions
Report and implementation
Depending on the level of detail required, the final output of this audit can be a series of written recommendations for discussion with your own legal advisors. Alternatively a suitably qualified lawyer can be briefed to redraft or amend your existing agreement. In either case, likely costs and timescales will be agreed in advance enabling you to retain control of the budget for the programme.
