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Master Franchisee Buyouts Become More Popular Internationally
Franchise attorneys are quite familiar with management buyouts ('MBOs') and have perhaps assisted or consulted in such transactions. Now comes along a new phenomenon in international franchising: master franchisee buyouts ('MFBOs'). An introduction to MFBOs follows, using examples of two recent transactions.
In May 2007, the owners of the Master Franchise for ChipsAway in the United Kingdom, ChipsAway International Limited ('ChipsAway UK'), signed a deal with its U.S. franchisor, ChipsAway, Inc., under which ChipsAway UK bought the global intellectual property rights ('IPRs') from ChipsAway, Inc., including the ChipsAway trademarks and the 'secret formula' for its paint and lacquer products which make the ChipsAway repair system unique. ChipsAway, Inc. retained the IPRs for use in North America only. ChipsAway UK can therefore now exploit the entire global market, excluding only North America. This deal not only substantially increases the value of the UK business, but it also provides more stability for the UK franchisees and boosts the value of all their businesses, while relieving the U.S.-based franchisor of the unwanted burden of running an international franchise network.
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough
There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It
Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?
Judge Rules Shaquille O'Neal Will Face Securities Lawsuit for Promotion, Sale of NFTs
A federal district court in Miami, FL, has ruled that former National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal will have to face a lawsuit over his promotion of unregistered securities in the form of cryptocurrency tokens and that he was a "seller" of these unregistered securities.
A Lawyer's System for Active Reading
Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.
Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners
Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.