Franchisor and Franchisee Expert
Mr. Kurtz' practical hands-on experience includes the development and administration of 22 quick service restaurants as a co-franchisee in a regional food service chain; serving as a founder, officer and director of his franchise system's franchise advisory council, independent franchisee association and marketing and new products committees; and serving, over a period of years, as outside franchise counsel, chief operating officer, vice president of national and international franchise expansion and general counsel of a national retail franchisor with 100+ units producing in excess of $60 million in annual sales.
Mr. Kurtz has represented clients on a wide range of subjects, including the review and preparation of Uniform Franchise Offering Circular (UFOC) franchise registration and disclosure documents; the structuring of franchisors, franchisees, management teams and affiliated companies; work-out arrangements with distressed franchisees in lieu of termination of the relationship; the development and enforcement of system-wide standards; franchisor and franchisee litigation and termination matters; acquisitions and dispositions of franchised and independent units and businesses; commercial real estate leasing and
acquisitions; and the development and implementation of regional, national and international franchise expansion programs.
A graduate of UCLA (1970) and Southwestern University School of Law (1973). Mr. Kurtz has been a member of the American Bar Association Section on Business Law and Forum on Franchising since 1982 and was a member of the International Franchise Association's Legal/Legislative Committee from 1991 to 1998. In addition, Mr. Kurtz served as an appointed member of the Franchise Law Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar of California from 1983 to 1985 and was re-appointed to the Committee for a three year term in 1998. Over the years,
Mr. Kurtz has also presented programs on the fundamentals of franchising and franchising in the fast food business for the American Bar Association and the UCLA Extension School and on the development and implementation of demographic and information systems for franchise site selection for the National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives. Mr. Kurtz was certified as a mediator by Pepperdine University, School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, in June, 2001.
Nicola McDowall, an accomplished franchise lawyer, assists Barry Kurtz. Since 1994, Nicola has focused on
domestic and international franchise registration and compliance, and has represented franchisors and franchisees
in all stages of business development. Her operational and management experience in franchise sales, operations,
retail development, budgeting, finance, and marketing covers a range of industries and gives her a unique perspective
on everything from legal issues to strategic business management.
