Agency, distribution and franchise agreements

Expert legal guidance on agency, distribution, and franchise agreements

Once your business is established, you’ll want it to grow. Franchising agreements, agency and distribution agreements can all hold significant advantages as mechanisms for achieving that growth – but are any of them right for you? Fortunately, we’ve got the legal and commercial expertise to help you decide.

Our experience covers a wide range of industries, from technology to manufacturing, retail and more. Recently we’ve worked with a manufacturer and software developer on setting up distribution networks in the US and Europe. We’ve also supported a major hair salon chain in managing its franchising arrangements.

Franchising agreements

A franchising agreement can help your business to expand more quickly into new geographical areas than if you had to set up new operations in different areas from scratch. The franchisor sells the right to use its business model and brand products or services to another person or business – called the franchisee. The franchisee gets the benefits of working with a known brand and the goodwill that comes with it. For the franchisor, the money paid by franchisees can be used to develop the brand and business.

Agency and distribution agreements

If you want to break into new markets, agency or distribution agreements can sometimes be the best way to move your business forward. Agencies find customers in new markets for you – and you pay them for their services. In a distribution agreement, you sell your products to a distributor and they then sell them on to new customers in a new market area.

Our expertise

Our experienced legal team can advise you on the following in relation to franchise agreements and agency or distribution agreements:

clarifying the responsibilities of all parties
exclusivity arrangements
remuneration arrangements
limitation of liaiblity
restrictions such as where the business can operate, types of good or services sold
franchise disputes such as breaches of IP
franchise resales
agreement terminations
regulations and how the law applies to the agreements
drafting agreements and reviewing existing agreements
planned exit agreements.

Comprehensive legal service

Our commercial legal team are experienced in all aspects of business law, so you can be sure of a comprehensive and joined-up service with Tees. In the event of there being a dispute regarding the agreement you’ve made, our expert dispute resolution and litigation team are on-hand to help you find a negotiated solution, or if necessary, a resolution by recourse to the courts. Our commercial team also comprises experts in employment law, commercial property and business finance.