Franchise Legal Players: Richard Morey of DLA Piper LLP

Name: Rick Morey

Firm: DLA Piper LLP (US)

LinkedIn: Rick Morey

About Your Firm: DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, positioning us to help clients with their legal needs around the world. DLA Piper's Franchise and Distribution practice has been a national and international leader in franchise and distribution law since modem franchising began, helping to shape the field from its inception.

Website:  www.dlapiper.com

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

By representing such a large number and variety of franchisors, from startups to the largest and most mature brands, DLA is able to understand and help shape the market and how franchisors respond to the most significant legal and business issues impacting their franchise network and the franchise model.  To put it another way, we can help answer the question “what are other franchisors doing about this?”

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

Experience.  There is no substitute for working with franchise companies all day, every day, and not just in drafting their FDDs and form agreements, but with respect to the issues they face on an ongoing basis. 

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

When I see a strategy recommendation pay off.  Franchisors are constantly planning for the future, the growth of the brand, and the evolution of their systems and processes.  This necessarily involves change, and change can scare some people and disrupt relationships.  When I can help a franchisor client formulate a strategy that helps the brand grow, and also helps the franchisees succeed and maintains a strong franchisor-franchisee relationship, it’s satisfying to know I played a small part in that success.

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

Joint employer concerns are still present, and the union-driven attacks on franchising are continuing on different fronts.  Franchisors need to be vigilant in exercising only controls that are necessary for brand protection, while still providing franchisees both the guidance and the flexibility that they need to thrive.  Also, the continued rise of institutional investment in franchisees is changing the dynamic of the relationship between franchisors and their largest franchisees, and it will be interesting to see how the institutional investors and franchisors adjust.

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

Franchising’s seemingly unending ability to adapt to new challenges.  The best franchisors and franchisees have a creative, entrepreneurial spirit that will help them not only defend the franchise model against legal challenges, but also adapt their businesses to new markets and technologies.