Sotos LLP has facilitated and/or resolved some of the most complex business affairs within Canada, and internationally:

New Business Development / Business Growth

• Helped numerous successful restaurant concepts assemble professional management teams and develop the necessary strategies to grow into nationally-recognized franchise brands.
• Negotiated the purchase and sale of franchise systems.
• Prepared Disclosure documents and Statements of Material Change for many leading Canadian and international franchisors.
• Structured distributorship arrangements which avoid being qualified as a “franchise” under the Ontario franchise legislation.
• Represented Canadian franchisors in structuring area development and master licenses overseas.
• Represented Canadian master franchisees in acquiring foreign franchise rights.
• Negotiated on behalf of a franchisee association to create a comprehensive new relationship with a multi-billion dollar franchisor.
• Negotiated the conversion of a corporate network into a franchise system.
• Assisted in the organization of a network of Centres of Excellence funded by the federal government to coordinate arthritis research.
• Assisted a biotech company to obtain special warrant funding and a listing on a Canadian exchange.
• Retained by the African Development Bank as part of a team to advise on franchising in Africa, following extensive fieldwork.

Business Sustainability / Continuity

• Assisted troubled franchise chains in successfully restructuring leasing portfolios.
• Obtained the first Canadian injunction stopping a large-scale royalty strike by franchisees of an international franchisor, thereby ensuring the system’s continuing success.
• Won a precedent-setting injunction against multi-billion dollar auto parts manufacturer preventing termination of 40 supply contracts before trial.
• Guided national franchisee associations during the bankruptcy of their franchisors, and negotiated favourable franchise arrangements with new franchisors.

Litigation

• Settled Canada’s first certified franchise class action.
• Oversaw the successful litigation of a hotly-contested, multi-jurisdictional shareholder dispute.
• Provided expert evidence in court proceedings with respect to franchise matters.
• Acted for successful plaintiffs in certifying numerous franchise class actions.
• View listings and updates regarding our current class actions

Franchise Fairness Initiatives

• Testified on proposed franchise legislation in Ontario and P.E.I.
• Consulted to governments in two provinces on fairness legislation.
• Co-chaired Uniform Law Commission of Canada committee on nationally-consistent franchise law across Canada. (John Sotos with Frank Zaid)