Culp Franchise Law

I am a senior franchise lawyer and former restaurant franchisor Chief Legal & Business Officer with nearly three decades of experience advising, litigating, and leading within complex franchise systems. I have served as General Counsel, Chief Business Officer, and board member for iconic, multi-brand restaurant franchisors, and I now work with franchisors, franchisees, and executives as a fractional Franchise General Counsel and to resolve franchise disputes.

My practice is grounded in a combination of deep franchise litigation experience and long-term in-house leadership. Over the course of my career, I litigated and resolved commercial and franchise disputes nationwide for more than fifteen years before spending more than a decade as General Counsel to restaurant franchisors, where I was responsible for FDD and franchise agreement compliance, system governance, IP portfolio management, lease negotiations, and M&A transactions. This dual perspective allows me to evaluate franchise issues with clarity and commercial judgment.

Today, I focus on three core areas:

• Fractional Franchise General  Counsel for franchisors and large franchisees 
• Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and franchise agreement review for franchisors and prospective franchisees
• Franchise dispute resolution, with a growing emphasis on      mediation, where my experience on both sides of the table enables me to identify practical, durable solutions

I have negotiated and resolved high-stakes franchise and commercial disputes, including class actions and cross-border litigation, and I have led franchise systems through periods of significant operational, regulatory, and economic stress. As a mediator, I understand franchise economics and the human realities that drive conflict.

Clients and colleagues value my ability to cut through complexity, assess risk accurately, and provide advice that aligns legal strategy with business objectives. Whether advising a franchisor executive team, reviewing a franchise agreement for a prospective franchisee, or helping parties resolve a franchise dispute efficiently and constructively, my goal is the same: results.