How the Internicola Law Firm is Flipping the Script as a Franchise Supplier

When it comes to industry suppliers, franchise lawyers aren’t typically top of mind. However, for Charles Internicola, breaking from the norm isn’t out of the ordinary.

Internicola is the man behind the Internicola Law* Firm, a specialized business and franchise law firm that assists and represents start-up, emerging and established entrepreneurs across the country. The company’s services are rooted in real-world experienced and proven practices that it’s developed over many years—the Internicola Law Firm has represented countless entrepreneurs, business owners and companies in various stages of their business cycles. And according to Internicola, that unique position—and continued success—is due to the fact that for him and his team, being a lawyer doesn’t necessarily come first.

“Everyone has a passion, and mine is genuinely entrepreneurship. I love what it represents in terms of creating opportunity for people and how it improves not just one individual’s life, but society overall,” said Internicola. “When I graduated law school, I realized that I values business and entrepreneurship more than law. That’s why my focus has always been on how to build legal products and help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Everything that we do here at the Internicola Law Firm is designed to help business owners exceed their own expectations.”

It’s clear that level of passion for entrepreneurship is evident to all those who work alongside Internicola and his team. In fact, it’s that enthusiasm for helping others succeed as business owners that continues to bring new clients through the Internicola Law Firm’s doors.

“I had known Charles for several years before engaging him to work with Toro Taxes. I knew that he was the right person for the job because people—including myself—talk very highly of him, and at the end of the day, I trust him,” said Louie Picazo, vice president of franchise development for Toro Taxes. “Ultimately, we engaged the Internicola Law Firm because as an emerging brand, we were at a point where we needed a good team behind us to get to the next level. And there’s no doubt that bringing in Charles’ expertise has helped us do just that.”

Robin Graf, director of franchise sales for SoBol, agrees with the fact that a personal investment in his clients’ success is what makes Internicola unique not just as a franchise attorney, but also as a franchise supplier.

“Charles is always well briefed on the legalities of franchising, and never fails to leave me in awe of his endless wealth of knowledge. And while that’s terrific on its own, the down to earth attitude of Charles and the entire Internicola Law Firm team makes every communication not only informative, but friendly and personal,” said Graf. “There isn’t a phone call, text or email that isn’t answered immediately when it comes to our level of communication with their team. They’re amazing in every aspect of the word, and they give new meaning to the term ‘hands-on,’ because they’re alongside us every step of the way.”

That attention to detail and commitment to guiding clients throughout their franchising and expansion journeys is built into the Internicola Law Firm’s system. And according to Internicola, that’s by design. Because the firm operates in a unique niche, Internicola decided to flip the script when providing its legal services. And so far, that approach is paying off.

“Where we specialize in franchise law, there’s a sweet spot of what we do. In terms of services for emerging franchise systems, what we’ve done is flip the legal model upside down. Everything we do starts off with a focus on a client’s brand as well as their strategic goals for the next one, two, three, four or five years,” said Internicola. “From there, we develop the support and infrastructure necessary to help them achieve those goals. Our focus isn’t about what we do or what we offer—it’s all about helping our clients successfully grow their concepts.”

By keeping its clients’ goals top of mind—as opposed to its own internal agenda—the Internicola Law Firm is positioned to continue seeing consistent success. And Internicola says that for other suppliers to follow suit, they need to take that client-first approach to business.

“As a franchise supplier, I think it’s incredibly important for people to begin with the end in mind. We have a singular purpose at the Internicola Law Firm, and that’s to help brands grow. That goal is front of mind as we carry out our services, how we structure our company and how we communicate with our clients,” Internicola said. “Our position as a supplier isn’t about our legal services—it’s about how our services help brands achieve their goals. Too many times, vendors put themselves in a position where what they do is the main focal point. But at the end of the day, our success comes down to how we can genuinely help franchise brands build their systems. That’s our number one priority.”