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Franchise Legal Player:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-curran-28b877b/">Leslie Curran</a> Firm:&nbsp;<a href="https://plavekoch.com/">Plave Koch PLC</a><a href="https://plavekoch.com/attorney/curran-leslie-d/">Leslie Curran</a> has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to franchise brands navigating growth, compliance, and long-term risk. With experience advising emerging and growing franchisors across a wide range of consumer-facing and service-based brands, Curran brings a practical, business-minded approach to franchise law. Her work focuses on helping brands scale responsibly while protecting both the franchisor and franchisee experience.1851 Franchise connected with Curran to discuss what franchisors often overlook, where legal risk hides during expansion, and the lessons that continue to shape their advisory philosophy.1851: What originally drew you to franchise law, and what has kept you engaged in the space over time?Curran: I found my way into the franchise practice by accident. At a large D.C. law firm, my office was with the lawyers in that practice group, but I didn’t start out working with them. I got to know the lawyers who sat near me, and they were great people, as well as talented lawyers. The practice was very interesting. They were working with brands I knew, and they were helping those brands grow and expand into new markets.And 25-plus years later, I am still working with franchisors and other brand owners to achieve those same goals of growth and expansion, alongside building great legal and business systems to support that growth. I have stayed engaged because of the people who have crossed my path along the way — the people I work with at Plave Koch, the clients who have trusted me to be part of their teams, suppliers I have built relationships with and, yes, even many franchisor-attorney competitors and franchisee attorneys I have had the pleasure of collaborating with over the years in a variety of contexts. For me, this practice and what we do is about building great relationships all around and helping build up an industry that knows no limits in terms of growth with integrity.1851: As franchising continues to evolve, what legal issue do you see brands most often underestimating today?Curran:&nbsp;Franchise sales have gotten tighter and tighter from an absolute numbers perspective. Each year, we see more brands enter the market that want to sell franchises. However, there does not seem to be a corresponding increase in the number of prospective franchisees who want to buy franchised businesses. In a competitive franchise sales environment, in addition to traditional in-house franchise sales teams, we see a variety of outside franchise sales organizations and other third parties pushing to help franchisors close deals.&nbsp;The legal challenges presented by this intersection include ensuring disclosure documents are not only legally compliant but, where possible, also provide information that can assist with the franchise sales process. It also includes ensuring all franchise sales groups are following legal requirements, including possible upcoming broker regulation, and indemnifying the franchisor for any issues arising from sellers’ actions. It also means ensuring the brand is actually ready, from a legal and business standpoint, to onboard prospects. Brands should be aware of the legal and business issues that surround the various players in the franchise sales process and carefully review the agreements with all third-party sellers.1851: In your experience, where do emerging franchisors tend to get tripped up from a compliance or documentation standpoint?Curran: They fail to do due diligence on the legal, financial, business, franchise sales and other advisors they bring on board to help them get started. Each aspect of the startup is important, and mistakes can be very costly for an emerging franchisor. The franchisor team should take time to vet and interview each service provider and get comfortable with the people you will be working with. It’s an expensive endeavor and it’s not quick, so you’d better like those folks. Also, reach out to other franchisors and service providers for advice and recommendations.For the legal documents, franchise agreements often have a term of 5 to 10 years, so documentation that is poorly drafted is going to stick with the brand for a bit.1851: How should franchisors be thinking about risk management as they scale into new markets or add new unit growth strategies?Curran: First, ensure that the brand is able to enter the market from a franchise sales and disclosure law standpoint, either by use of registration or exemption or exclusion. From the business side, some considerations are: Does the franchisor have the operational systems in place to support the new markets or growth strategy? Has the franchisor assessed the financial viability of the new market or the growth strategy? Does the franchisor know what possible brand changes may be necessary for the franchisee to succeed in the new market? Have systems standards, including supply chain issues, been reviewed and updated as necessary?The risk of failure in a new market, especially for an emerging brand, is very significant. Failure in one growth market beyond a brand’s core current market can make it very difficult to expand further in later efforts. In addition, a lack of planning can lead to increased complaints from franchisees who sign up and assert that the franchisor’s foresight and support may be less than anticipated. Those failures and complaints can divert resources and are likely to make additional growth plans take a back seat.1851: What distinguishes your approach or philosophy when working with franchise clients?&nbsp;Curran: Hospitality is important to me. By that, I mean focusing on what is important to each client. I strive to meet clients where they are in terms of knowledge and expertise. No two clients are equal in that sense. While every client is different, at the simplest level, every client wants to be heard and helped when they need you.It sounds simple, but we must listen first to what the client is trying to achieve and only then formulate a reply with all of the options, along with the risks. Never assume you know better than your clients or dismiss their concerns. The advice needs to be relevant, practical and actionable.1851: Looking back, what lesson from your legal career has had the greatest impact on how you advise clients today?&nbsp;Curran: It’s a lesson that sounds simple: Smart lawyers keep clients by being useful. Figure out how to be useful. That will impress your clients and more will follow.Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com/">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

2026 Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know: Leslie Curran — Plave Koch PLC

1851 Franchise’s annual roundup of the Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know is back for 2026, spotlighting the legal minds helping shape the future of franchising. 

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Franchise Legal Player:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-robinson-2646422b/?originalSubdomain=ca">Frank Robinson</a> Firm:&nbsp;<a href="https://cassels.com/">Cassels Brock &amp; Blackwell LLP</a><a href="https://chambers.com/lawyer/frank-robinson-canada-20:1546303">Frank Robinson</a> has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to franchise brands navigating growth, compliance and long-term risk. With experience advising emerging, scaling and mature franchisors across restaurants, hotels, consumer products, automotive, home care, fitness, home services and other consumer-facing industries, Robinson brings a practical, business-minded approach to franchise law. Their work focuses on helping brands scale responsibly while protecting both the franchisor and franchisee experience.1851 Franchise connected with Robinson to discuss what franchisors often overlook, where legal risk hides during expansion, and the lessons that continue to shape his advisory philosophy.1851 Franchise: What originally drew you to franchise law, and what has kept you engaged in the space over time?Frank Robinson:&nbsp;The practice of franchise law is dynamic, the clients we serve are talented, creative and diverse, and the franchising sector continues to evolve and create new opportunities for all stakeholders. As a franchise lawyer, our clients require advice and support in a broad range of areas, including franchise compliance, intellectual property, M&amp;A, real estate, litigation and so on. This keeps the practice varied, interesting and never dull. Our clients span an immense spectrum of industries, from restaurants and hotels to consumer products, automotive, home care, fitness, home services and more. We benefit from being able to participate in so many different businesses. More recently, increased interest in the franchise model from private equity, public markets and other capital partners has fostered areas of growth and opportunity that pull our clients — and us with them — into new and exciting places. It has never been a better time to be a franchise lawyer.1851: As franchising continues to evolve, what legal issue do you see brands most often underestimating today?Robinson:&nbsp;Whether it has to do with the evolution of franchising, or not, an often-overlooked area — that can create downstream legal risks — is the tolerance of deviations from quality standards, often small to start, that erode the integrity of the system and relationship dynamics over time. Many new franchisors regret or resist having to “police” their franchisees, but a failure to enforce a healthy degree of respect for franchise protocols and contractual compliance can transform pesky nuisances into a widespread undermining of the system. Oversight, communication, mutual respect — and the occasional hard conversation — go a very long way.1851: In your experience, where do emerging franchisors tend to get tripped up from a compliance or documentation standpoint?Robinson: Do it once. Do it right. This is what should guide any emerging and responsible franchisor when considering documentary compliance. As a franchisor, your primary assets are the revenue-generating franchises that follow the model and receive value for their adherence to standards. While much of this is sustained by the quality of the business and relationship, it is rooted in the franchise documents, especially the franchise agreement. Mistakes in the documents are multiplied by the number of franchises in the system and can compound over time. Reversing course once agreements are signed is challenging. Franchise systems should invest in quality documents from the start, and know how to use them.1851: What distinguishes your approach or philosophy when working with franchise clients?Robinson:&nbsp;Never losing sight of the client’s goals, whatever they are, however they evolve. Most clients desire growth and sustainability of the franchise system and the franchisees who make it up. Our philosophy is to fully align with clients on that path. In many ways, we see ourselves as a part of their franchise development teams, facilitating the sale and support of their networks. In all cases, our approach is founded on a deep and intimate knowledge of the business of franchising, understanding the needs and goals of our clients, offering practical, responsive and actionable advice, and sharing in and taking responsibility for the outcomes of our clients, whether celebratory or disappointing.1851: Looking back, what lesson from your legal career has had the greatest impact on how you advise clients today?Robinson:&nbsp;Working in a law firm, most problems are answered with a legal response. But, our clients operate in a dynamic and integrated environment in which the legal implications to any problem are one of a multitude to be considered when choosing a way forward. The effectiveness of a lawyer is increased dramatically when he or she can develop the sense and confidence to understand the place and limitations of the law in the context of a complex business problem — and then offer solutions that work in real time.Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com/">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

Frank Robinson — Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

2026 Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know: Frank Robinson — Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

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For&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ainsley-hightower-7b230133/">Ainsley Hightower</a>, the path to business ownership was completely unexpected. With a background in journalism and a long career in marketing strategy and fundraising, the mother of three simply wanted an outlet to find herself amidst the chaos of early motherhood. She started out taking fitness classes and eventually became an instructor at the&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/extraordinary-brands">NEIGHBORHOOD barre</a> in Memphis. When the original owner offered to sell her the struggling studio, Hightower hesitated at first. Thanks to some soul-searching at a yoga retreat&nbsp; and encouragement from her father, owner of multiple restaurant franchises, she realized it was the opportunity of a lifetime.&nbsp;Despite taking over the business at an incredibly busy time in her life, Hightower leveraged her marketing background and the brand's franchise support to completely turn the studio's finances around, bringing it out of the red and into profitability within just seven months. Now, three years after taking the reins, she has driven 30% year-over-year growth. Building on this incredible turnaround, Hightower recently signed a lease to open her second&nbsp;<a href="https://neighborhoodbarre.com/franchise/">NEIGHBORHOOD barre</a> studio, fulfilling her long-term goal of bringing the fitness brand to her home community of Germantown, Tennessee.1851 Franchise spoke with Hightower about her unexpected journey into business ownership and her plans for the future. Here’s what she had to say:1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?Ainsley Hightower:&nbsp;I went to the University of Mississippi for journalism and had a long career in marketing strategy and fundraising. My path to becoming a barre business owner had nothing to do with what I’ve done in my career. About five years ago, a friend who was an instructor at the studio asked if I would be interested in coming in and doing some teaching. I have three little boys, and I had just had my second child, so I thought it would be great to do something that let me find myself a little bit. I auditioned, became an instructor, and eventually left my full-time career to work freelance from home and teach classes. Then, six months after my third son was born, the original owner of the Memphis studio came to me and said she was selling the studio and offered to sell it to me.1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?Hightower:&nbsp;When the owner first offered to sell me the studio, I declined because I had a six-month-old and two other little boys. Around the same time, my yoga studio was running a yoga teacher training I completed, and I felt a pull on my spirit. I realized that I did want to own a fitness studio. Two weeks later, the owner came back and said she still thought I should buy it. My husband, who is a commercial banker, looked at the numbers and was hesitant because the studio was in the red. I talked to my dad, who owns a couple of food franchises, and he told me it's not every day someone basically gives you a business. I knew what it took, and I knew I could do it, so I went back to my husband and said, "We're doing it!" He got on board- he knows when I set my mind to something, I won’t allow myself to fail.1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?Hightower:&nbsp;I honestly didn’t have much knowledge of franchising. Because I didn't expect to be a business owner, I knew almost embarrassingly little information—I didn't even know that I was going to have to pay royalties. However, I will always tell people that I could not have done it if it weren't a franchise. The support, the guidance, and the built-in team are big reasons my business is successful. The resources taught me so much about running my business, making money, and meeting my goals.1851:&nbsp;What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?Hightower:&nbsp;From a barre lover's perspective, there is no other brand with the variety of formats that our brand has. You don't find that anywhere else. I really appreciate that the brand and leadership are constantly looking to keep that evolution going so that we don't get pigeonholed.&nbsp;It's really exciting that no matter what's trendy or what people are looking for, you can make a client's experience match their needs. I also love that our classes are so accessible. There's a modification and an advancement for every single thing we do, so everyone is making the class their own.1851:&nbsp;What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?&nbsp;Hightower:&nbsp;We actually just signed the lease for our second studio. People in Memphis kept asking if I was going to open a location in the suburbs where we live. We noticed a space with a "for lease" sign right near our house, and all the pieces fell into place. Opening a second location has been the goal for so long and there’s still so much to do, so that’s still the dream.&nbsp;Beyond that, my main goal is for someone to hear NEIGHBORHOOD barre and know exactly who we are and where we are in my community. I want to build brand recognition around Memphis and for people to associate our studio with an effective, inclusive and all-around fun workout&nbsp;1851:&nbsp;What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?Hightower:&nbsp;My best advice for other franchisees is not to be afraid to pay for help and delegate. If you have to pay more for help and take home less so your quality of life is better, it's worth it every time and you won’t experience burnout as often.&nbsp;I also tell people that your franchise is only as successful as much as you are present. People have to know your face and associate you with the business. At the same time, remember it's still just a job. I'm a mom and a wife first, so those things are still top priority. You have to find a good balance of showing up and staying on top of everything, without feeling like you have to do it all and control it all.About NEIGHBORHOOD barreFounded in 2011 by Katy Richardson, NEIGHBORHOOD barre delivers a fresh, modern approach to fitness, one that is welcoming, effective, and rooted in community spirit. With studios across the United States, NEIGHBORHOOD barre combines low-impact, high-result training with an inclusive atmosphere that empowers clients of all fitness levels. For more, please visit <a href="www.neighborhoodbarre.com">www.neighborhoodbarre.com</a>.

image of ainsley hightower, franchise owner of neighborhood barre memphis

Starting as an instructor as an outlet outside of motherhood, Ainsley Hightower took a leap of faith to purchase the Memphis studio and is now preparing to open her second location in the suburbs.


‘It’s Not Every Day Someone Gives You a Business’: How This Franchisee Turned an Unexpected Opportunity into a Multi-Unit Success with NEIGHBORHOOD barre

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Franchise Legal Player:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanefisher/">Lane Fisher</a> Firm:&nbsp;<a href="https://fisherzucker.com/">FisherZucker</a><a href="https://fisherzucker.com/our-practice/our-attorneys/lane-fisher/">Lane Fisher</a> has built a reputation as a trusted advisor to franchise brands navigating growth, compliance and long-term risk. With experience advising early-stage and growth-oriented franchisors across multiple franchise-driven industries including health and beauty, home services, fitness, food and senior care, Fisher brings a practical, business-minded approach to franchise law. His work focuses on helping brands scale responsibly while protecting both the franchisor and franchisee experience.1851 Franchise connected with Fisher to discuss what franchisors often overlook, where legal risk hides during expansion, and the lessons that continue to shape their advisory philosophy.1851 Franchise: What originally drew you to franchise law, and what has kept you engaged over time?Lane Fisher:&nbsp;Franchise law is inherently multidimensional; it sits at the intersection of licensing, trademarks, corporate work, regulatory compliance and dispute resolution. That’s what drew me in initially, but what’s kept me here is the people and the growth curve. Franchising attracts entrepreneurial founders and strong operators, often in family-run businesses, and I enjoy helping them scale in a disciplined way. And because franchising cuts across so many industries — health and beauty, home services, fitness, food and senior care, just to name a small sample — you’re always learning. If your client’s brand grows, your work grows with it, and you can be part of that story from launch through an exit.1851: As franchising evolves, what legal issue do you see brands most often underestimating today?Fisher:&nbsp;If I had to pick only one, I’d say the impact of AI, and the jury’s still out on how the issue develops.Brands are racing to use AI in marketing, franchise development, screening, pricing, scheduling, performance benchmarking, etc. But a lot of franchise documents were written pre-AI and don’t clearly address who owns the data, who can aggregate it and how it can be used or monetized.There’s also a risk layer people miss: AI tools can create real-world expectations. If prospects rely on AI-generated performance projections or comparisons, you can end up with disclosure and misrepresentation issues, including “implied” financial performance claims.1851: Where do emerging franchisors tend to get tripped up from a compliance or documentation standpoint?Fisher:&nbsp;The biggest mistake is treating the FDD like a marketing brochure instead of a regulated disclosure document. Early-stage brands sometimes plug in estimates for initial investment without real calculations and then don’t update those numbers as actual experience comes in. They also underestimate training, especially around what salespeople can and can’t say and how to handle financial performance representations. If you’re offering Item 19, you need clean data, clear assumptions and documentation behind it.1851: How should franchisors think about risk management as they scale into new markets or add new growth strategies?Fisher:&nbsp;Prioritize quality over quantity. The fastest and easiest way to create long-term risk is awarding franchises to undercapitalized or mismatched operators. Strong franchisee selection and validation solve a lot of problems before they start.1851: What distinguishes your approach or philosophy when working with franchise clients?Fisher:&nbsp;I’m not interested in being an “FDD factory.” A franchise system should reflect a real, replicable business, so we’re candid with clients about readiness, and sometimes that means telling someone to wait. We also spend real time understanding the underlying unit economics. If a client is making an Item 19 disclosure, our job is to help them normalize the data, define the assumptions clearly and communicate it in a way that’s accurate and useful.More broadly, we coach clients to grow smart. Initially, that might mean selling smaller deals to better operators, disciplined expansion and, of course, documentation that matches how the business actually runs.1851: Looking back, what lesson has had the greatest impact on how you advise clients today?Fisher:&nbsp;Two things: (1) franchising isn’t for everyone and (2) preventable problems are expensive.The best systems respect the reality of independent business owners and are designed to motivate and support them, not just control them. And when disputes happen, the quality of the documents and the advice you got early on really matters. So we really counsel clients on disciplined growth: resist the temptation to “sell the most” and instead award franchises to better-capitalized, more capable operators. A little restraint upfront saves a lot of pain later.Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com/">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

2026 Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know: Lane Fisher — FisherZucker

1851 Franchise’s annual roundup of the Top Franchise Lawyers You Should Know is back for 2026, spotlighting the legal minds helping shape the future of franchising.

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Big O Tires Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2026

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: Big O Tires is a full-service auto care franchise offering tires, brake repair, alignments, oil changes and preventive maintenance under a nationally recognized brand.

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