Ritchie W. Taylor
Position: Shareholder
Direct: (919) 510-9270
Phone: (919) 787-8880
Fax: (919) 325-4624
Email: rtaylor@manningfulton.com
Vcard: Download
3605 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 500
Raleigh, NC 27612
Ritchie W. Taylor has been a member of Manning Fulton’s corporate practice group for 12 years. Ritchie’s clients appreciate his results oriented approach to the practice of law where he helps clients navigate the legal requirements to achieve their objectives.
Ritchie serves as general counsel to numerous emerging and middle market businesses including franchise/distribution, green technology, manufacturing, and software companies. As such, he helps direct each client’s legal strategy to accomplish the client’s short and long-term business objectives. Ritchie’s business practice includes routinely advising management teams and boards of directors on sensitive corporate law matters as well as transaction structure, fiduciary duties, and transaction negotiations. He frequently represents clients on corporate finance debt and equity transactions.
Ritchie has served as the member of deal teams conducting merger, acquisition, and joint venture transactions in almost all 50 states. Internationally, he has served as lead counsel in business transactions in such countries as Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Germany, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Russia. In addition to representing multi-national privately held companies with their business transactions as well as their routine corporate needs, Ritchie guides select start-up and middle market companies in structuring business transactions so as to maximize present and future opportunities.
Additionally, Ritchie leads our firm’s franchise practice and is one of the leaders of the franchise bar in the Carolinas. He serves as the primary franchise counsel to over 24 different franchise systems and dealer networks. Ritchie routinely works with franchisees in evaluating franchise disclosure documents.
Ritchie is the only North Carolina attorney to ever be awarded the Certified Franchise Executive designation by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives. Ritchie serves on the Board of Governors of the Institute of Certified Franchise Executive, which is the governing body for the CFE program and develops training programs for franchise executives. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Business Law Section Council and is the founding chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Committee on Franchising. The Best Lawyers in America©, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, list Ritchie as the only North Carolina attorney included for franchise law.
His practice also includes representing clients in other product distribution matters, including, software licensing agreements, distribution agreements, contract manufacturing agreements, and technology transfer agreements.
As a community leader, Ritchie’s community involvement includes service on the Board of Directors of the Occoneechee Council BSA as well as various leadership positions with his church.
Education
- Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, B.S.
- J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, J.D., cum laudeServed as Managing Editor of the BYU Journal of Public Law
Admitted to Practice
- State of North Carolina
- United States Tax Court
Specific Matters
Business Law
- Routinely advises management teams and boards of directors on sensitive corporate and tax matters as well as transaction structure, fiduciary duties, and transaction negotiations
- Serves as US legal counsel to privately held foreign corporations based in Canada and Europe
- Advises clients on structuring and negotiating domestic and international joint venture transactions
- Lead counsel to Canadian company in establishing global footprint through complex joint venture transaction
- Represents both issuers and investors in venture capital transactions and private placement securities offerings
- Represented client in establishing a $50 million private equity fund focused on commercial real estate investment
- Represents new businesses in selecting the correct business entity and in forming corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships and limited liability companies
Mergers and Acquisitions
- Key member of acquisition team representing buyers and sellers in merger and acquisition transactions with individual transaction values exceeding $300,000,000
- Advises clients engaging in tax-free spin-offs, divestitures, and reorganizations of business units
- Represented managed hosting company in a $140 million sale to a private equity company
- Lead counsel in sale of pharmaceutical service company for $56 million in leveraged buyout transaction
- Lead counsel to European company in purchase of private label manufacturing company with production facilities in Honduras and Nicaragua
- Lead counsel to European company acquiring US-based consumer goods company for $50 million
- Lead counsel to European company in divestiture of brands to purchasers based in United States and United Kingdom
- Represented client in corporate reorganization requiring mergers of over 1,000 corporations incorporated throughout the United States
- Product Distribution and Licensing Law
- Represents clients in intellectual property licensing and technology transfer transactions
- Represents clients in structuring domestic and international product distribution agreements
- Recently represented durable products company in negotiating exclusive licensing arrangement with Ralph Lauren
- Outside counsel to software company in licensing software to Fortune 500 companies including Wal-Mart, Costco, GlaxoSmithKline, AT&T and Walgreens
Franchise Law
- Serves as legal counsel to over 24 franchise systems and dealer networks with domestic and international locations
- Represents clients in the development and structuring of franchise systems and in the preparation and renewal of franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements, area development agreements, and master franchise agreements
- Represents franchisors and franchisees in structuring international franchise arrangements
- Represents clients in the acquisition of existing franchisors
- Serves as legal counsel to independent franchisee associations
- Routinely represents prospective franchisees in acquiring the rights to develop a franchise location as well as the sale or purchase of existing franchise locations
- Works with the firm’s litigation attorneys in resolving franchise disputes
- Assists franchisors in using the Internet to enhance their franchise systems
- Counsels franchisors on establishing state franchise advertising compliance programs
Professional Activities
- Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), designated by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives
- Listed in North Carolina Super Lawyers (2009-2011) as a Rising Star in the area of Franchise/Dealership Law
- American Bar Association
- Business Law .
- Forum on Franchising
- International Law
- Business Law .
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Business Law, Council Member
- Committee on Franchising, Chairman
- Business Law Curriculum Committee
- Business Law, Council Member
- Course Planner, Basics of Franchise Law Continuing Legal Education Course
- International Law
- International Franchise Association
- International Franchise Association Legal and Legislative Committee
- International Franchise Association Membership Committee
- J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Raleigh-Durham Chapter, Chairman
- National Business Institute, Faculty
- Listed in Who's Who in American Law
Community Activities
- Occoneechee Council Boy Scouts of America
- Board of Directors
- Endowment Committee, Chairman
- Friends of Scouting Campaign
- Vice Chairman
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
