Franchising expert leads new team at EGL

A specialist lawyer with more than 17 years’ experience in franchising and commercial litigation has been appointed to lead a new franchising team at a leading Birmingham-based law firm.

Gurmeet Jakhu joins Emms Gilmore Liberson (EGL) as a director and will work alongside a team of legal experts covering many legal disciplines that are relevant to the world of franchising.

A former company secretary at a leading franchisor with a turnover of circa £80 million, Gurmeet brings extensive experience of franchising from previous roles at a niche franchise law firm and more recently at a top 100 law firm.

Gurmeet is a published author on the topic and has lectured at numerous national and international conferences including the World Intellectual Property Organisation and the British Franchise Organisation.

EGL’s franchising team will include: Simon Jobson, commercial property director, Jon Start, corporate associate director, Elaine Howard, employment associate director and Matt Jackson, commercial and corporate associate director.

It will be based at EGL’s city centre offices in Newhall Street, Birmingham, but will work across the UK and internationally.

Gurmeet said: “I’m very much looking forward to working with this exciting new team which encompasses specialist talent handpicked from across EGL.

“Franchising creates jobs and investment and is extremely resilient to the economic climate. It is an attractive option for an increasing number of people wishing to take control of their career by becoming franchisees and for those who are expanding and growing their own business through franchising.

“EGL is committed to becoming the lawyer of choice for advice on franchising matters for both franchisor and franchisee. We will deal with a variety of franchise and commercial litigation issues, such as; dispute resolution, drafting, reviewing and interpreting franchise agreements and franchise-related contractual documentation, renewals, resales, setting up and structuring franchise businesses, IP rights (trademarks, software licences and IP protection), termination rights and enforcing restrictive covenants.”

Franchising is in robust health, weathering the financial storm of the global economic downturn. Figures from a 2015 British Franchise Association /Natwest survey reveal that franchising contributed £15.1bn to the UK economy, an increase of 46 per cent over the past decade.

More impressively, a record 97 per cent of franchise-owned outlets reported profitability, with just one percent closing due to commercial failure. According to the survey, the sector employs 621,000 people, some 70 per cent more than just a decade ago.

Martyn Liberson, partner at EGL, said: “We identified franchising as a strategic growth area that would enhance the services available to our clients regionally, nationally and internationally.

“Gurmeet has extensive experience and knowledge of franchising and licensing, he is very enthusiastic and understands the dynamics of franchising inside out.

“He also brings commercial depth and legal insight to any matter on which he is instructed, which is what we want our clients to have. His appointment demonstrates EGL’s commitment to investing in the very best talent and we are delighted that he has joined our growing team as director.”

EGL is ranked highly by leading law publication Legal 500 for its corporate and commercial, licensing, commercial litigation, commercial property, tax and probate and property litigation services. It has recently been approved as an affiliate member of the British Franchise Association, in recognition of the franchise expertises at EGL.

For more information about franchising, contact Gurmeet at: gjakhu@egl-law.com or 0121 296 3840.

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