Hendershot Cowart P.C. Hendershot Cowart P.C.
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Franchise Agreement Attorneys In Houston

Texas Franchise Lawyers With 100+ Years Of Combined Experience

Franchise agreements and disputes can put a lot on the line, including the success of your livelihood. Whether you are seeking advice on a franchise agreement or FDD to protect your interests and reduce risks, or you need to take immediate action to resolve a dispute through mediation or arbitration, working with experienced legal representation can make all the difference.

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Proactive Legal Counsel For Franchisees

Proactively establishing safeguards is critical to protecting your rights and interests, and having grounds for legal remedies when things don’t go as planned.

Our franchise attorneys advise clients on a range of proactive measures relating to:

  • Reviewing, and negotiating franchise contracts (royalties, fees, reporting, audit, default, etc.)
  • Franchise disclosure documents (FDD) reviews
  • Business formation, franchise sales and purchase
  • Partnership / employment agreements
  • Confidentiality, nondisclosure and non-compete agreements
  • Independent contractor / work-for-hire agreements
  • Transactions
  • Transfer restrictions / conditions
  • Regulatory compliance with federal and state laws
  • Indemnification
  • Intellectual property and trade secret protection

Ready To Sign a FDD? Let Us Review It First.

The FDD and legal agreements contained within were drafted by the franchisor’s attorneys to protect the franchisor. Our experienced franchise lawyers can review the FDD with an eye on protecting your rights and to ensure that the franchisor’s responsibilities to you are fully and clearly expressed.

Common provisions that may need to be negotiated or clarified prior to signing include:

  • Ambiguous language about the franchisor’s obligations to support the franchisee
  • Territory rights, which can help protect your business from competition within the franchise
  • First right of refusal on the option to establish another location in an adjoining territory
  • Dispute resolution and forum selection clauses. If there is a dispute, the franchisor will often select an arbitration forum in the city of its headquarters, requiring the franchisee to incur travel expenses to dispute the matter. Instead, negotiate a forum convenient to you.

In addition to establishing the legal obligations for both the franchisor and franchisee, the franchise agreement should clearly outline your renewal rights, rights respecting transfer or sale, and termination rights. If any of these rights are ambiguous or missing, our attorneys can help you clarify or negotiate these provisions.

At Hendershot Cowart P.C., our Texas franchise lawyers have earned national recognition for their ability to protect the interests of clients with proactive and responsive legal counsel.  Contact us today.

Responsive Representation For Franchise Disputes

Our firm helps enforce, defend, and mediate or arbitrate a range of franchise disputes using legal strategies tailored to the situation, needs, and available options of our clients.

We have extensive experience helping clients dispute, resolve, or defend against franchise matters involving:

  • Breach of franchise agreements
  • Breach of fiduciary duty
  • Copyright, trademark and patent infringement
  • IP ownership disputes
  • Non-compete violations
  • Enforcing nondisclosure agreements
  • Theft of trade secrets
  • Fraud and misrepresentation

Our franchise dispute lawyers can review your franchise disclosure document and franchise agreement to determine whether there has been a breach and review the dispute resolution provision. Most franchise disputes are resolved through arbitration. We can help you navigate the arbitration process and negotiate a favorable settlement.

Why Choose Our Team? Unwavering Commitment to the Success of our Clients
  • We Shoulder the Legal Burden.™
    And let you get back to business.
  • We Want to Be Your Law Firm for Life.
    We take a vested interest in our clients' success – from start to finish.
  • We Believe in Prompt, Personal Attention.
    As a boutique law firm, we unite real experience with personal attention.
  • We Serve Clients Throughout Texas and the Nation.
    We handle matters from the Red River to the Rio Grande and beyond.
  • In Business Since 1987.
    Let us put the full force of our 100+ years of combined experience to work for you.

Contact the Franchise Agreement Lawyers at Hendershot Cowart P.C.

At Hendershot Cowart P.C., you can rely on us for guidance, perspective, and resolution in and out of the courtroom. Our law firm, founded in 1987, has a reputation for providing only the highest-quality legal representation possible. We understand the stakes in each matter we handle, and we are well-known for our ability to handle extremely challenging legal situations.

Our Clients Share Their Experiences

Your Stories Drive Us to Continuously Improve

    “These folks represented me well and Ray was awesome. Ray was extremely easy to communicate with and was easy to get ahold of Ray also made himself available when I had questions or needed clarification on things. 10/10 would recommend.”
    “Philip has been nothing short of amazing! He genuinely cares about his clients and is very accessible, a quality that is rare to find in other lawyers. He is meticulous and efficient, which are great qualities to have. I cannot recommend him enough.”