Richard E. Johnson—One of America’s Foremost Franchise Lawyers

Making deals happen. At home and abroad.

Some attorneys simply pass legal work off to associates. Not Rick Johnson. Rick was a business professional before he became an attorney. He invests his time and attention to detail to understand the nuances of your business. He combines this knowledge with his franchise law and business experience to help you achieve your goals.

As one multinational franchisor observes:

“There are two kinds of lawyers: lawyers who make deals happen, and lawyers who stop deals from happening. Rick makes deals happen.”

Global perspective. Personal service.

Having a middleman is sometimes considered negative. Not in the business of franchising. As every investor, entrepreneur, or business owner knows, the key is finding the right middleman to secure a successful deal. That is where Rick comes in. Whether you are an experienced franchisor or an entrepreneur first considering franchising, you can benefit from Rick’s business experience and his hands-on domestic and international franchise law experience.

Global firm attorney. Boutique firm price.

When you work with Rick, you get the skill and experience of a “big firm” lawyer—at a boutique firm price. With over 30 years of legal experience and 10 years of business experience, Rick provides big firm experience at small firm prices. Clients are treated as valued partners, not billable time. Rick’s experience means he can answer many of your franchise law questions without time-consuming and costly research.

Rick tells this story:

“A franchisor wanted to hire me. He interviewed me first. He asked about the franchise registration laws of Indiana. I described the laws and Indiana’s single-sale exemption. He was silent for a moment, then said ‘My current attorney told me the same thing. But he billed me eight hours of research time for the answer you gave me off the top of your head’.”

A commitment to excellence.

Rick’s skill, value, and work ethic are summed up by a U.S. franchisor:

“In a time when mediocrity abounds, we find ourselves at a loss for words over the service, advice, and detailed care you have given both us and our business. Time and time again you have come through for us, mentored us, and looked out for our interests. I know you may feel that this is what we pay you for, and it’s just your job, but we wanted you to know that we recognize your commitment to excellence in everything that you do for us. You always give more than we expect.”

Rick has consistently been named a “Franchising Legal Eagle”—a top franchise professional—by Franchise Times magazine.

Professional. To the core.

Publications

Should You Franchise Your Successful Business?, published in Leaders, Fall 2002
Achieving Victory Through Prearrangements: Supplementing Covenants Not to Complete, published in the Franchise Law Journal of the American Bar Association, Vol. 22, No. 1, Summer 2002 (co-authored with Richard Greenstein)

Bar admissions and memberships

The Florida Bar, 1991
Supreme Court of the United States, 1996
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida, 1996
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1991
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, 1997
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 1995
State Bar of Georgia, 2000

Education

J.D., University of Florida College of Law, 1990
B.A., Honors, English, Rockford College, 1988 (Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Alpha Theta, summa cum laude)

We are where you need us to be.

We are located near metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. However, we represent franchisors across the United States, and franchisors from international jurisdictions that franchise in the United States.

Franchise law in the United States is both federal and state. The federal rules governing franchising apply in every jurisdiction in the United States. In addition, many states have their own franchise laws. We are experienced in the requirements of those laws, because we have represented franchisors in transactions across the United States.

We have state-of-the art technology. As a result, we can do business on the far side of the world almost as easily as we can do business across the conference table.

Contact us today

If you want to take your business to the next level through domestic or international franchise development, streamlining your current franchise operations, maximizing your revenue streams, or minimizing your risk, contact The Johnson Franchise Law Firm today at 762-445-1226.