Manning, Fulton & Skinner is pleased to announce that Ritchie W. Taylor, leader of the Firm’s Franchise and Hospitality practice, has been named a Global Leader in Franchise Law in the 2021 edition of Who’s Who Legal – Franchise (‘WWL’)
Since 1996, Who’s Who Legal’s has identified the world’s leading practitioners in franchise law.
WWL’s rigorous and independent research process is conducted using proprietary digital and in-person qualitative techniques, with 5,000 interviews with leading practitioners occurring annually and more than 250,000 third-party recommendations gathered. Only those receiving the highest number of recommendations from peers and clients are selected as ‘Global Leaders.’
In particular, WWL noted others’ respect for Mr. Taylor throughout the franchise bar and commended him for ‘helping clients navigate and avoid problems prospectively.’
WWL’s guides act as vital tools to private practitioners in search of counsel in unfamiliar jurisdictions as well as to clients in search of an expert lawyer. Accordingly, research is conducted anew each year, asking practitioners worldwide with whom they have worked recently that they would unequivocally recommend based on personal experience.
About Ritchie W. Taylor
For over 20 years, Ritchie has led Manning Fulton’s franchise practice serving as primary legal counsel to hundreds of franchisors, franchisees, and dealer networks in their franchise and business matters. Ritchie’s clients view him as a strategic advisor who helps them navigate legal and regulatory mazes to accomplish their business objectives with cost effective solutions. He has substantial experience representing both United States-based franchisors as well as serving as local counsel to international brands seeking to expand into the United States. Ritchie serves as their strategic advisor through all phases of growing and protecting their brand including franchise compliance, franchise agreement preparation and negotiation, advertising fund administration, and state enforcement actions. Private equity funds retain him to both advise them on franchise due diligence during a transaction and to represent post-transaction their franchisor portfolio companies. Ritchie’s clients benefit from his wealth of experience representing both sector leading franchisors as well as innovating emerging concepts.
While Ritchie is perhaps the most recognized franchise attorney in the Carolinas, he is nationally recognized as a thought leader in franchising through his active involvement in the International Franchise Association (“IFA”) and is a frequent speaker at the IFA and bar association programs. He served on the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives Board of Governors, which develops the Certified Franchise Executive curriculum as the premier training program for franchise executives. In 2007, he was one of the first attorneys to ever be awarded the Certified Franchise Executive designation by the ICFE. For the last 10 years, he has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America.