Profile: Gayle E Cannon

Franchise

Biography: Franchise

Ms Cannon has over 25 years' experience in counselling franchisers, area developers, master franchisees, franchisees and trade associations. Her breadth of experience includes serving as in-house counsel for a publicly traded franchiser, the owner of a franchise for 10 years; and working in private practice for 17 years.

She has counselled clients on domestic and international franchise laws; alternatives to franchising; compliance with regulatory requirements in the offer and sale of franchises (domestic and many foreign countries) and business opportunities; franchise relationship matters, including transfers, renewals, terminations, good faith and fair dealing and discrimination; development of advertising cooperatives, franchise advisory councils and associations; supplier arrangements; use of the internet; mergers and acquisitions of franchisors and the sale and purchase of franchised businesses. Ms Cannon has advised franchisors in the development and maintenance of their systems through start-up, growth and maturity.

Ms Cannon is a member of the ABA Forum on Franchising, Antitrust Section and the Franchise and Distribution Law Section of the Dallas Bar, of which she is a past president and board member. She has spoken and written on franchise and distribution law issues at the ABA Forum, roundtables, the State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Law Institute, and the Dallas Bar Franchise and Distribution Law Section, among others.

Ms Cannon obtained her JD from SMU Dedman School of Law in 1965, having received a BA from Southern Methodist University in 1961. She was admitted to practise in Texas in 1965.

She has been selected for inclusion in the following publications: Who's Who in American Law (2005-2006); 'Best Lawyers in Texas' for D Magazine (2005); The Best Lawyers in America (Franchise Law, 1995-2005); and 'Best Lawyers in Dallas & Fort Worth' (Woodward & White, 1997-2005).

Ms Cannon is a member of the Dallas Bar Association Section on Franchising and Distribution; the Texas State Bar Association Intellectual Property Section; and the American Bar Association Intellectual Property Section and Forum on Franchising.