Profile: Dennis E Wieczorek

Franchise

Biography: Franchise

Dennis E Wieczorek chair of the franchise and distribution practice group of DLA Piper US LLP and is based in the firm's Chicago, Illinois office. He has concentrated in US and international franchising, licensing, antitrust and distribution law matters for over 30 years. He holds a JD from Duke University and a BA from Washington University.

Mr Wieczorek has been involved in structuring franchise programmes for start-ups and existing companies seeking new methods of expansion, both in the US and overseas. He counsels franchisors on compliance issues, relationship problems with franchisees and a wide variety of business and commercial matters. He has been retained as an expert witness in franchise litigation and has served as a technical consultant in legislative matters.

Mr Wieczorek is immediate past chair of the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising. He has written extensively for franchise and other legal and business publications, including the Franchise Law Journal (published by the ABA Forum Committee on Franchising). He is a member and former chairman of the Advisory Committee to the North American Securities Administrators Association, a member of the ABA Antitrust Section and Forum Committee on Franchising, and a member of the IFA Legal Legislative Committee.

Mr Wieczorek has testified before the US Congress on the subject of franchise legislation. He has spoken at seminars and symposia for lawyers, executives, accountants and government regulators, including the Annual Forum of the ABA Forum Committee on Franchising, the International Franchise Expo, the International Franchise Association Annual Legal Symposium and the Franchise Examiners Training Seminar sponsored by the North American Securities Administrators Association. He has also spoken at a variety of IFA meetings, including the Annual Convention and Legal Roundtables, and is a member of the IFA Legal/Legislative Committee.

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.