Franchise Legal Players: David Almeida of Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP

Name: David Almeida 

Firm: Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsalmeida/

About Your Firm:  Benesch is an AmLaw 200 law firm with offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Hackensack, Shanghai and Wilmington. The firm is known for providing highly sophisticated legal services to national and international clients that include public and private, middle market and emerging companies as well as private equity funds, entrepreneurs, not-for-profit organizations, trusts and estates. Our practice areas include Privacy, Marketing & Class Action Defense, Business Succession Planning & Wealth Management, Commercial Finance & Banking, Corporate & Securities, Executive Compensation & Benefits, Insolvency & Creditors’ Rights, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Commercial Litigation, Public Finance, Public Law, Real Estate & Environmental and Tax.

Website: http://www.beneschlaw.com

What makes your firm stand out as a resource for the franchise industry? 

Our Privacy, Marketing & Class Action and our Retail, Hospitality and Consumer Package Goods teams are as good as it gets for partnering with established and emerging franchise systems to assist them with designing and implementing effective marketing and advertising campaigns that are both compelling and legally compliant.  We work on every aspect of a given consumer outreach campaign from intake of consumer data, to storing it (and sharing it with vendors) to safeguarding it so that consumers and business partners alike can have confidence in the security of the information provided.

On the litigation front, whether defending bet-the-company class action litigation or opportunistic no-injury actions, our litigation team members are truly leaders in the class action defense bar. We have prevailed using innovative approaches, including using early summary judgment motions, affirmative motions to deny class certification and pursuing targeted absent class member discovery to defeat class certification.

What is the No. 1 thing a franchisor/franchisee should look for when identifying the right franchise attorney? 

Business acumen – too many of my defense bar colleagues put their heads down and litigate a case for a couple of years without taking the time to assess the client’s objectives and to formulate a proactive strategy at the outset.

When it comes to your work, what makes you happiest?

Working with and mentoring younger attorneys. 

What are your top concerns for the franchise industry in the next year? 

Cybersecurity concerns—both real and perceived—are top of mind for us and our clients

What are you most optimistic about in the franchise industry in the next year? 

Innovation.