Akerman Adds Five Franchise Lawyers in Five Months; Expands in Denver, Houston and Washington, D.C.
Akerman LLP a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, has expanded its Franchise and Licensing Practice with five lawyers in five months, most recently adding Robert Smith in Washington, D.C. He brings decades of experience leading complex financial transactions for U.S. franchisors expanding internationally.
Smith follows the addition of Franchise and Licensing Practice Co-chair Kevin Hein, special counsel Trish MacAskill, and associate Leilani Argersinger in Denver, and litigation partner William Sentell in Houston. Together they bring a deep knowledge in U.S. and international franchise and distribution matters.
Smith focuses his practice on representing U.S. franchisors expanding internationally and serving as franchise counsel in a variety of complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, revising and re-branding franchise programs, regulatory Franchise Disclosure Document compliance, workouts, dispute resolution, master franchise and development agent programs and refranchising. He is ranked among the nation’s leading franchise lawyers by Chambers USA, which cites clients who commented that he “has a tremendous amount of experience and has a great business mind. The value he brings to our company is extraordinary.” Clients appreciate that “he makes himself available—it almost feels like he’s our in-house counsel and he’s in the office down the hall.”
Akerman’s Franchise and Licensing Practice assists start-up, regional, national, and international franchisors and licensors, as well as subfranchisors, and other businesses, on a wide range of matters, including structuring, acquiring, and selling franchise and licensing systems, handling state franchise registrations, counseling on state, federal, and international legal compliance matters, and resolving and litigating disputes. Its client roster includes businesses in a wide range of consumer-oriented and business-to-business sectors.
