Owen White Solicitors in bfa specialist seminar talks

Franchise solicitors Owen White have been appearing at a host of bfa franchise seminars across the UK in recent weeks, keeping British franchisors abreast of the latest cases, rulings and thoughts in franchise law.

In February, franchise team director Russell Ford spoke to the largest ever audience of 90 guests at a bfa (British Franchise Association) specialist seminar, discussing whether franchisors can be sued for the acts or omissions of their franchisees and updating franchisors on how legal claims can be funded.

More recently leader of the franchise team Jane Masih was invited to speak at a bfa’s specialist member’s seminar entitled ‘Embracing Innovation and Managing Change’. The seminar looked at topics including the legal considerations of introducing technology, the benefits of moving to an online operations manual and handling the renewals process.

Russell Ford said,
‘It is vital that franchisors are kept up to date with the latest court rulings affecting franchising and, as founder members of the bfa and their current legal advisors, we are delighted to be part of these seminars. Owen White Solicitors have been at the centre of three of the six leading franchise cases at the High Court in the last few years, meaning we have first-hand knowledge of the latest rulings and how they might affect a franchise operation and we are delighted to share the findings with other bfa members.’

Leader of franchising at Owen White Jane Masih said,
‘We were delighted to be given the opportunity to demonstrate practical applications of the law in practice at these recent bfa events. Our advice isn’t limited to case law and litigation but, as we saw at the seminar on introducing new technology, we are able to use our expertise to provide a practical perspective, demonstrating how knowledge of the law and your agreement, can enhance innovation in your business’.

Commenting on the importance of using a franchise-specialist solicitor Jane said, ‘Owen White has been practicing franchise law since 1977, giving us 37 years of experience of understanding the strange alchemy that is the relationship between franchisor and franchisee, a relationship that is not replicated in any other commercial relationship. Our experience allows us to understand this relationship and to build workable franchise contracts and solve potentially tricky disputes quickly and efficiently.’

Pip Wilkins, head of operations for the bfa, said,
‘Our seminars are consistently cited as a key benefit of bfa membership, where franchisors can network, discuss issues and discover new and dynamic ideas, solutions and growth opportunities. The success of the seminars depends on the high quality of the speakers at our events and the expertise they bring. Owen White has been contributing to our events for several years thanks to a comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of current legal issues affecting the franchise sector. We’re grateful to them for their time and look forward to seeing them at future bfa seminars.’