Philip Zeidman was honored for his vast contributions to the practice of law and consistently outstanding performance in the publication’s annual rankings.
On May 15, 2017, Philip Zeidman, a franchise partner with DLA Piper, was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Who’s Who Legal. Zeidman was honored for his vast contributions to the practice of law and consistently outstanding performance in the publication’s annual rankings.
Who’s Who Legal honors a single individual every year who has attained a record of high achievement and is highly regarded by peers and clients. This is the third time a Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented, with Zeidman following in the footsteps of previous winners Theodore and Rodgin Cohen.
“His nearly 50 years of private practice have seen him be a pioneer, and then a market-leading authority, in franchising law. Philip was Who’s Who Legal Franchise lawyer of the year nine times in a row from 2005 to 2013, and we now crown this incredible achievement by presenting him with our Lifetime Achievement Award,” Rupert Wilson, the editor of Who’s Who Legal, said in a press release.
Zeidman, who devotes his practice to domestic and international distribution, licensing and franchising law, served as general counsel to the International Franchise Association throughout his career, was the first chairman of the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section’s Distribution and Franchising Committee and was the chairman of the International Bar Association’s Franchising Committee.
He also serves as counsel to a number of U.S. and foreign companies and trade associations, and has advised many international governmental organizations on techniques for international development and the privatization of state-owned enterprises, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Center for Public Enterprises, the International Executive Service Corps, the US Agency for International Development, the Middle East Investment Initiative and the World Bank. Prior to entering private practice, he spent ten years in public service, including serving as Special Assistant to the Vice President of the United States.
In addition, he is heavily involved in pro bono and community service efforts. Zeidman serves on the board of New Perimeter, DLA Piper’s non-profit affiliate that provides long-term pro bono legal assistance in under-served regions around the world. Zeidman is a founding member of Appleseed, a non-profit network of public interest centers in the U.S. and Mexico that aims to address systemic legal and economic problems, and also served as Appleseed’s general counsel. He is an honorary life member of the Council of the International Bar Association.
