While franchising can be a powerful way to grow a brand, the complex and varied laws and regulations governing franchising can intimidate even the most experienced businessperson seeking to expand their business.

Over the past two decades, Manning Fulton has helped over 100 franchisor clients launch, grow, and protect their brands through franchising. We can take care of every regulatory aspect of franchising, from preparing franchise disclosure documents (“FDDs”) and franchise agreements, to filing federal trademarks, navigating the franchise registration process in all states, and maintaining FDDs to address changes in each client’s system and the evolving legal landscape.

Business opportunity laws may apply to your franchise system in one or more states, including in Franchise Non-Registration States. Those laws may require additional registrations, compliance, disclosures, or exemption fi lings. Discuss with Manning Fulton franchise attorneys how the business opportunity laws apply to your franchise sales

Our franchise law team routinely advises franchisors on franchise registration and compliance issues such as:

  • Representing emerging franchisors in developing their initial franchise disclosure document and franchise agreements
  • Assisting franchisors in obtaining and maintaining their state franchise registrations
  • Developing area developer and master franchise programs
  • Acquiring franchise systems
  • Conducting franchise compliance audits
  • Acquiring franchised units
  • Refranchising franchisor-owned locations
  • Preparing franchise transfer documentation
  • Preparing and negotiating supplier arrangements
  • Advising franchisors and executive management on development of franchise system policies including site selection policies, internet and social networking policies, and franchisee audit procedures
  • Technology licensing agreements
  • Trademark registrations
  • Intellectual property protection
  • Franchise terminations
  • Services to help non-compliant and inadvertent franchisors

Our clients enjoy the benefits of working with a franchise team that has prepared, reviewed and registered hundreds of FDDs, has a deep understanding of federal and state regulations, and has a working relationship with regulators from every registration state. We understand that no franchise system is perfect, and therefore, our lawyers are experienced in dealing with state regulators to bring non-compliant and inadvertent franchisors into compliance. With various pricing options, including flat fees, we take the complexity out of franchising so our clients can focus on what they do best—growing their brand.

Photo of Ritchie Taylor, CFE Ritchie Taylor, CFE

Ritchie founded and leads the firm’s franchise practice where for 20 years he has served as the primary franchise counsel to hundreds of franchisors, franchisees, and dealer networks in their franchise and business matters. He has decades of experience helping domestic and international…

Ritchie founded and leads the firm’s franchise practice where for 20 years he has served as the primary franchise counsel to hundreds of franchisors, franchisees, and dealer networks in their franchise and business matters. He has decades of experience helping domestic and international franchisors design and grow their franchise systems with innovative, but compliant, franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements, area development agreements, and master franchise agreements.  Ritchie’s clients benefit from his wealth of experience representing both sector leading franchisors as well as innovating emerging concepts.  He has substantial experience representing franchise systems operating in the hospitality, restaurant, retail, and home services industries.

As the leader of the largest franchise law practice in the Carolinas, Ritchie represents franchisor clients as their strategic advisor through all phases of growing and protecting their brand including franchise compliance, advertising fund administration, and state enforcement actions.

Ritchie guides franchise clients through mission-critical transactions including equity and debt transactions as well as mergers and acquisitions. He has served as the member of deal teams conducting merger, acquisition, and joint venture transactions in almost all 50 states and internationally, with aggregate transaction value exceeding $3 billion.  Private equity funds retain him to both advise them on franchise due diligence during a transaction and to represent their franchisor portfolio companies post-transaction.

Ritchie is a recognized thought leader in franchising across the Carolinas and nationally. He supports franchising through his active involvement in the International Franchise Association (“IFA”) as a long-time member of the IFA Membership and Legal/Legislative Committees. Ritchie also serves on the IFA Supplier Forum’s Board of Directors and as a member of the IFA’s Emerging Franchisor Task Force. Additionally, he is the first North Carolina attorney to receive the Certified Franchise Executive (“CFE”) designation awarded by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives (“ICFE”). For the last 6 years, Ritchie served on the ICFE’s Board of Governors, which develops the CFE curriculum as the premier training program for franchise executives. He recently acted as the Facilitator for the Franchise M&A:  Trends, Tensions, & Transformation discussion at the 2026 IFA Legal Sympoisum.

He is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Business Law Section Council and is the founding chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Committee on Franchising. For the last decade, Ritchie has been the course planner and taught continuing education programs on franchise law for other North Carolina attorneys.  Ritchie’s peers chose him as the first North Carolina attorney ever listed in both Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America for his work in franchise law.

Read more about Ritchie Taylor, CFEEmail
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