As a leader in franchising, HWL Ebsworth provides a comprehensive value added service to clients beyond our legal services – covering documentation, forums, workshops, and instant updates.
HWL Ebsworth’s team of industry
specialists offer commercial and legal advice on all disciplines relevant to
franchising, licensing and retailing. Our expertise extends from setting up
business and preparation of contracts to exit strategies and ASX listing.
With experts based in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, HWL Ebsworth assists
clients nationally by providing advice on:
- The establishment of franchise and distribution systems and structures
- Intellectual property commercialisation and documents
- Drafting and review of franchise system documentation, including agreements
and disclosure
- Preparation of national and international licensing advice and documentation
- Agreement reviews for prospective master franchisees looking to develop an
Australian concept or to import an overseas franchise system to Australia
- Franchise disputes including mediation and litigation
- The Franchising Code of Conduct
- Trade Practices compliance and issues
- Crisis management – including terminations, product recalls, investigations
and legal action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Elisabeth Ritchie, Lead Partner of HWL Ebsworth’s Franchising team is an active
member of the New South Wales committee for the Franchise Council of Australia.
In 2000 she was presented with a national award by the FCA for "Outstanding
Contribution to the Franchise Education". In 2006 she received the NSW
"Contribution to Franchising" award from the FCA and in 2007, she was selected
for "The International Who's Who of Franchise Lawyers 2008" publication.
Why is HWL Ebsworth different to other franchising service providers?
FranTrack (Franchising Extranet)
A thorough and diligent approach is essential to signing franchisees.
Franchisors must adhere strictly to disclosure and other requirements under the
Franchising Code and ensure documentation is correctly completed and executed.
HWL Ebsworth has developed a streamlined online system to take you through the
steps of signing up franchisees. We also deploy an online franchise tracking
service, FranTrack, to complete franchise arrangements quickly and efficiently
and enable clients to track the process closely through all stages.
HWL Ebsworth’s documentation and online support systems are designed to avoid
those simple mistakes and oversights that can prevent your franchise agreement
from being enforced – for example, the failure to execute the document
correctly, or to identify guarantors properly.
Some of FranTrack’s key features include:
- A mechanism for uploading instructions to sign up new franchisees
- A timeline of all stages of the transaction, which clients can access on the
Internet at any time with secure password protection
- An external database of all franchisees in your system
- Ready access to copies of your franchise agreements and premises agreements
Franchisor Forums
HWL Ebsworth’s client support goes far beyond the realm of legal services. With
the Franchise Systems Group, we have developed the Franchisor Forum, which is
held quarterly in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Franchisors are given the opportunity to work on the business, not just in the
business, as they discuss common issues and share ideas in a confidential
environment.
Forums are run with a key speaker of specific interest to each group, followed
by question and answer sessions and discussion groups on topics chosen by the
participants. The emphasis is on sharing experiences.
Franchising Workshops
For people who are considering the franchising model to expand their businesses,
we hold regular full and half day workshops in each state covering the
fundamentals of franchising and how franchising works.
We take you through the necessary steps to evaluate whether your business is
suitable for franchising and how to set up a franchise system.
The Latest Updates
Keeping up to date with changes to the law is essential for our franchisor
clients. HWL Ebsworth provides regular e-newsletters to clients and instant
updates on any key changes.
Full service commercial firm
HWL Ebsworth is a full service law firm offering advice to clients on all areas
of commercial law.
Other service areas HWL Ebsworth can offer to franchisors include:
- Taxation (including income tax, capital gains tax, goods and services tax,
fringe benefits tax, stamp duty, land tax and payroll tax)
- Workplace Relations (including occupational health and safety, contracts,
performance management and WorkCover)
- Commercial/retail leasing and sub-leasing documentation and advice
- Insurance advice