Profile: Bret Lowell

Franchise

Biography: Franchise

Bret Lowell is a partner with the franchise and distribution group of DLA Piper. An internationally recognised leader in franchise and distribution law, he is based in the firm's Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia offices.

Mr Lowell is a former editor of the prestigious Franchise Law Journal and a former chair of the largest franchise law association in the US, the ABA Forum on Franchising. His law degree is from Georgetown University Law Center.

Mr Lowell represents both American and foreign businesses, including some of the world's leading franchisers, manufacturers, and distributors. His clients operate across a broad spectrum of industries, including automotive, restaurants and food service, hotel/motel, healthcare, financial services, personnel, car rental, technology, real estate, and retail. Many of his clients are leaders in the computer, internet, telecommunications, and other high-tech fields.

Mr Lowell has testified as an expert witness on many aspects of franchise and distribution law. He has drafted domestic and international franchise, distribution and licence agreements for both start-ups and some of the largest franchisers and licensors in the world. He regularly prepares and files disclosure documents, and provides antitrust, intellectual property, termination, transfer, internet, e-commerce advice and other counsel and advice regarding the establishment and operation of franchise and distribution systems. He also assists clients in connection with acquisitions, financing, and other business transactions.

Mr Lowell is often hired to counsel, negotiate, or otherwise resolve the most difficult disputes, including sometimes those already in litigation. He is on several arbitration and mediation panels, and regularly represents clients before federal and state government agencies.

Mr Lowell has spoken and written extensively on all aspects of franchise law, including the concepts of co-branding (author of Dual Branding: The New Franchising Phenomenon), multiple-unit franchising (author of Multiple-Unit Franchising: The Key to Rapid System Growth), the UFOC and earnings claims (franchise adviser to the Franchise and Business Opportunity Committee of the North American Securities Administrators Association), the inadvertent 'franchise' (author of Drafting Distribution Agreements: The Unwitting Sale of Franchises and Business Opportunities), and international franchising (author of The Application of US Laws to International Franchise Sales, and as the delegation leader for the Citizen Ambassador Program's International Franchise Law Delegation to the Far East).

DLA Piper is one of the largest law firms in the world, with more than 3,400 lawyers in 64 offices in 25 countries. The firm is a national and international leader in franchise and distribution law, with clients ranging from entrepreneurs and start-up companies to the world's largest franchisers and manufacturers.

DLA Piper is positioned to help companies with their legal needs anywhere in the world. We are a full-service legal organisation whose principal practices include commercial contracts; corporate; employment, pensions and benefits; finance and restructuring; franchise and distribution; intellectual property; litigation and arbitration; projects and infrastructure; real estate; regulatory and government affairs; tax; and technology and media.

Our unmatched global presence enables us to meet the ongoing needs of our clients in the world's key economic, technology and governmental centres, including London, New York, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Moscow, Tokyo, Shanghai, Chicago, Singapore, Brussels, Beijing, and Washington, DC.

In the US, DLA Piper has 1,500 lawyers and offices in 23 cities, including top business and technology markets across the country, from Baltimore and Boston to Silicon Valley and San Diego. We are also located in strategic markets such as Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Sacramento, Seattle and Tampa.