Profile: Stafford Matthews

Franchise

Biography: Franchise

Stafford Matthews is a partner in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and represents companies engaged in the development and manufacturing of technology-based and consumer products in their commercial and intellectual property transactions. His practice focuses on establishing and enforcing domestic and international systems for the distribution and marketing of products and services; franchising programmes; antitrust and unfair competition issues; development, licensing and transfers of patents and other proprietary rights and technologies in domestic and international markets; inbound and outbound commercial transactions; and structuring and negotiating strategic alliances and other complex business arrangements, including corporate mergers and acquisitions. Among his other degrees Mr Matthews holds a post-graduate diploma in EC Competition Law from King's College, London.

Mr Matthews is dual qualified to practice law as both US lawyer and as an English solicitor (SRA No. 466691).

He has a broad range of experience in matters involving distribution and franchise programmes in the wine and distilled spirits industries, including regulations governing control and distribution of alcoholic beverages, and a recognised expertise in the legal and practical issues involved in the termination of franchise and distribution relationships. Mr Matthews has served as outside counsel for numerous public and privately held companies in the computer hardware and software, digital audio and consumer electronics, apparel, wine and beverage, industrial chemicals, wireless communications, e-commerce, automotive, marine transportation and advertising industries among others.

Mr Matthews is the vice chairman of the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California. The board is responsible for the granting and administration of all board-certified specialties in California and is a national leader in the board certification movement for lawyers. Mr Matthews recently served as chairman of the Franchise and Distribution Law Consulting Group of the State Bar, where he headed the team responsible for establishing the first certified specialty for franchise and distribution law in the United States. He also has served as co-chair of the Franchise Law Committee of the California State Bar.

Mr Matthews has written and spoken extensively in the areas of distribution and licensing. His recent publications include the chapter on international licensing issues for a recent treatise on technology transactions, and articles on managing default and termination and on standard setting organisations and patent pooling for leading legal journals in the United States and Europe.