2025’s Top Franchise Legal Players: Joe Fittante - Larkin Hoffman

Legal Player: Joe Fittante
Firm: Larkin Hoffman

Joe Fittante, president of Larkin Hoffman, has built a career as one of the franchise industry’s most trusted legal voices. Though he never set out to become a lawyer — or even imagined himself in franchising — his business-minded background and entrepreneurial family roots shaped his path. Today, he leads a firm with a 50-year reputation for creative problem solving and integrity, helping franchisors protect their brands while supporting their long-term growth.

Known for his pragmatic approach, Fittante emphasizes accessibility, responsiveness and a focus on results. Under his leadership, Larkin Hoffman has distinguished itself as a firm that gets things done in an environment where that is often easier said than done. With decades of experience in franchise law and a strong commitment to client relationships, he continues to influence how franchisors navigate legal complexities and build sustainable systems.

1851 Franchise reached out to Fittante to learn how franchisors can protect their brand and avoid legal mistakes. Check out his insights below.

1851 Franchise: How did you fall into franchising?

Joe Fittante: Falling into it is exactly right. I had no grand plan to be a franchise lawyer, or for that matter a lawyer at all. But after determining that public service as a police officer wasn’t for me, I decided I would try to be a lawyer (against my family’s wishes). My family is made up of entrepreneurs who have lived the American dream. In fact, my father is a taxidermist and musician, and one of my late uncles owned a gun-liquor store (only in Wisconsin). From arcades to franchised grocery stores, my family has had wide and varied business experiences. In retrospect, I was lucky enough to come to a firm that was looking for a young, business-minded lawyer to help build the practice.

1851: What do you see as the most important thing franchisors should do to protect their brand?

Fittante: Focus on the customer experience that their franchisees are delivering. At the end of the day, the brand is about how customers perceive it, good and bad. The franchisors who can help their franchisees deliver the best customer experience will be the ones who win in the long run.

1851: How important is the information in Item 19?

Fittante: It is incredibly important, both from a competition standpoint as well as telling the brand’s story. Much of the Franchise Disclosure Document is centered on telling the story of the brand. Item 19 should tell the financial story of the brand, whatever that story may be. In a world where there are so many brands competing for a limited number of qualified franchisees, Item 19 can be the differentiator. Also, I do not know any franchisor that wants an uninformed franchisee in its system. To address this issue, one of the best things franchisors can do is show the financial performance of the stores in its system so that a prospect has a clear picture of the performance of the underlying business.

1851: What is the single largest legal mistake brands make?

Fittante: Failing to communicate to their legal team what is happening on the ground. I tell clients, “Garbage in, garbage out.” The failure of the brand and its lawyers to effectively communicate results in documents that are missing critical information or that do not address items that they should. In that regard, lawyers need to ask the right questions and must have the confidence to push to ensure that they are getting the needed information to protect the client’s interests.

1851: How does Larkin Hoffman stand out as a franchise law firm?

Fittante: I have been told simply that, “We get things done,” and in the current climate, that seems to be harder and harder for many to accomplish. The ability to get things done as a lawyer is becoming a lost art. I very rarely tell a client that something can’t be done. My job is to figure out how to achieve their business objectives within the parameters of the law. At Larkin Hoffman, we have built a reputation over the last 50 years of being creative problem solvers. We have a legacy of good work and integrity, and our team works hard every day to safeguard that reputation because it’s why clients continue to come to us.

1851: What is the best business advice you’ve received in your career?

Fittante: Keep showing up. As an attorney, you always need to pick up the phone and be available to your clients. They will need you at odd hours and for odd tasks, and being there for them in times of need is what builds trust. I take that same approach to leadership. As a leader, you need to be there for your team in good times and in bad. It’s easy to lead when everything’s going well, but that’s typically not when your team needs you the most. Leading with empathy when things are hard and continuing to show up for your team is essential.

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