Manning Fulton is pleased to announce that four of its attorneys have been named Global Leaders in Franchise Law in the 2026 edition of the Lexology Index – Franchising. The firm’s honorees are Ritchie W. Taylor, Judson Welborn, Natalie Rice, and Mike Medford.
The Lexology Index, formerly known as Who’s Who Legal, has provided data and market analysis on franchise law for more than 25 years. The publication assesses law firm nominees through comprehensive research, helping legal professionals and clients identify qualified counsel. Its database spans more than 70 countries, 377 law firms, and 604 lawyers, and inclusion is reserved for practitioners recognized as national leaders, global experts, future leaders, or influential thought leaders in franchise law.
Lexology’s franchise researchers review more than 7,000 data points and consider over 130 research submissions each year, with only 55 percent of nominees ultimately selected for inclusion, underscoring the rigor behind this year’s recognitions.
About Our Franchise and Distribution Law Practice
Manning Fulton’s franchise practice has served as legal counsel to hundreds of franchisors, franchisees, and dealer networks in their franchise and business matters. The team acts as strategic advisors to clients, helping them navigate legal and regulatory complexity to accomplish their business objectives with cost-effective solutions. The practice group has experience representing both U.S.-based franchisors and international brands seeking to expand into the United States, guiding franchisors and franchisees through all phases of growth with services including franchise compliance, franchise agreement preparation and negotiation, advertising fund administration, and state enforcement actions. Private equity funds also retain the firm to advise on franchise due diligence during transactions and to represent their franchisor portfolio companies post-transaction.
Many of the firm’s franchise attorneys are actively involved in the International Franchise Association and offer ongoing education to clients through thought leadership on the FranchiseFeed.net blog and through the firm’s annual Franchise Success Summit.
About the Lexology Index
Lexology’s rigorous research process identifies the most qualified law professionals through three phases: preliminary research, main research, and post-research evaluation and selection. The process draws on a proprietary blend of digital and in-person qualitative techniques, including approximately 25,000 interviews with leading practitioners and more than 250,000 third-party recommendations annually. Only those who consistently receive the highest recommendations from peers and clients earn the title of Global Leader. Lexology is trusted by over 970,000 legal professionals from 55,000+ companies worldwide including 98% of Fortune 500 companies, all of which subscribe and are active on our platform daily.
To learn more about Lexology’s methodology, visit lexology.com/index/methodology.
