Top Franchise Lawyers: Mike Drumm of Drumm Law, LLC and BeerAttorney.com

1851 Franchise interviewed Drumm Law, LLC and BeerAttorney.com’s Mike Drumm about the state of franchising, what he loves about the industry and the challenges facing franchisors.

About Mike Drumm

Mike Drumm, Attorney at Drumm Law, LLC and BeerAttorney.com started Drumm Law in his basement in 2010 after he left a big law firm. Drumm’s main priority when establishing his own firm was to run it like a business, which at the time was quite unique in the legal field. Drumm Lac, LLC embraces the trademark, “Different is Good.” 

About Drumm Law, LLC (from firm’s website):

Billable hours. High overhead. Excessive staffing. Most law firms are inefficient and outdated. We challenge the status quo. Drumm Law began with the idea that a law firm should be treated like a business and run like a business. We rely on technology, specialization, quality people and low overhead to provide high quality affordable legal services to our clients. We are attorneys with personality. Attorneys that don’t wear suits and ties. Attorneys that you don’t mind talking to. We pride ourselves on giving sound, business-based legal advice. Our lawyers treat your money like their own and work on providing efficient and practical legal services.

 

Drumm Law is a virtual law firm. We do not have an expensive downtown office and the overhead that goes with it. We call, email, text, Skype, chat, “goto,” webinar, Facebook, Linkedin, meet, tweet, and greet our clients. Our attorneys are located throughout the country. While we do have conference rooms available when needed, we much prefer to meet our clients over lunch or drinks.

1851 Franchise: What drew you to franchise law and what are some of the things you like about working in the field?

Mike Drumm: The great thing about franchise law is that you get to work with entrepreneurs and support businesses that help other entrepreneurs. From a business standpoint, franchise law is great because it includes guaranteed legal work, like annual franchise disclosure document updates.  

1851: What is something you think every franchisor should know about franchising?

Drumm: You succeed when your franchisees succeed. Work with them, look for red flags, and try to find the iceberg before the ship hits it. The best way to avoid litigation is not always within the terms of your franchise agreement. Keep in mind that successful franchisees are less likely to sue franchisors than unsuccessful franchisees.

1851: What is something you think every prospective franchisee should know about franchising before diving into the industry?

Drumm: It is important for franchisees to remember that you are buying into someone else’s system that you are required to follow. You are also locked into that system for the term of the franchise agreement. If you are not happy with the business, you cannot just shut it down or try a different business.

1851: What do you expect to see as a result of the new NLRB joint-employer ruling?

Drumm: I would advise franchisors to make sure they are not being overly-controlling towards their franchisees. You need enough control to ensure system conformity, but you are not running each individual franchisees business. You have to continually ask yourself, “Do I really need to control this aspect of the business in order to protect the brand?”

1851: What do you see as the biggest or most interesting topic in franchising over the next year and why?

Drumm: I believe the biggest topic in franchising will be the changes in various state laws. Many of these will have a negative effect on the franchise industry, such as California’s independent contractor laws. These changes in state laws will result in lower unemployment rates and higher minimum wages. I’m interested in seeing how franchisors will use technology and other methods to innovate and adapt to these changes.