Biography • Franchise

Thomas M Pitegoff's boutique transactional law practice in the New York metropolitan area focuses on helping companies grow by franchising. He assists companies in launching franchise operations and acquiring existing franchise systems. He drafts franchise agreements and disclosure documents, handles the franchise registration process and provides ongoing franchise compliance and transaction counselling. He also represents entrepreneurs in the purchase or sale of franchises and area development rights. He represents foreign franchisors in their US business and US franchisors expanding abroad. In addition, he helps US and non-US companies establish distribution and licensing systems that are not franchises, he acts as general US counsel for foreign companies and he provides outside general counsel services for US companies that do not have in-house counsel.

Mr Pitegoff is a member of the legal/legislative committee of the International Franchise Association, a member and former chair of the franchise committee of the New York State Bar Association's business law section, a former member of the governing committee of the American Bar Association's forum on franchising, and a former editor of the Franchise Law Journal. His publications include, "Franchising in New York After the Revised FTC Rule", NYSBA Business Law Journal (2007); "Franchise Relationship Laws: A Minefield for Franchisors", 45 Bus Law 289 (1989), reprinted in the ABA's Building Franchise Relationships (1996) and Fundamentals of Franchising (third edition 2009); "Choice of Law in Franchise Relationships", Franchise Law Journal 89 (Spring 1995); and "Ways to Avoid Being a Franchise", Franchise Law Journal (Fall 1992).