John Kellam is an associate attorney in Manning Fulton’s Corporate practice group. He practices Franchise and General Corporate law and regularly assists clients with Mergers and Acquisitions and Trademark Matters. John has experience with franchising in a range of industries, including retail, hospitality, entertainment, service-based industries, home services and other regulated professional services and regularly assists clients in the sale or purchase of franchised businesses.
John’s practice is focused on franchise and general corporate law, working predominately with franchisors and franchisees to develop and grow their brands and businesses, to comply with the complex regulatory landscape surrounding franchising, and to navigate their eventual exit.
John often assists clients in developing and protecting their brands by seeking state, federal and international trademark registrations. Most commonly, he assists clients by submitting trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, responding to USPTO office actions, monitoring the marketplace for infringement, responding to infringement, and structuring licensing arrangements.
After receiving his B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017, John came to work at Manning Fulton as a paralegal. He worked with us for two years before leaving to attend the University of Virginia School of Law, after which he rejoined the firm as an associate attorney in 2023.
John grew up in Wilmington, NC and now works out of our Raleigh, NC office. When he is not in the office he enjoys hunting, surfing and playing tennis.