(Nashville, Tennessee/April 5, 2013) For the seventh consecutive year, Joel R. Buckberg, head of the franchise and hospitality practice group of Baker Donelson, has been named a Legal Eagle by Franchise Times, a national publication for franchisors and multi-unit franchisees. An annual listing that recognizes franchise law attorneys on the basis of input from their peers and clients, the Legal Eagles list includes leading franchise attorneys from across the country. To be included as a Legal Eagle, attorneys must be nominated by their peers or clients and must meet the criteria of the Franchise Times editorial panel.
Mr. Buckberg, who practices in the Firm's Nashville and Atlanta offices, counsels business clients, particularly those in hospitality, franchising and distribution, on strategic planning, transactions, financing, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance and operations.
Active in the International Franchise Association (IFA), Mr. Buckberg will be the moderator of the opening plenary session at the annual IFA Legal Symposium in Washington, D.C., on May 6, 2013. His panel will explore the topic "Finding the Right Balance in Franchise Agreements." The panel includes experienced franchisor and multi-unit franchisee executives.
Mr. Buckberg serves as administrator for the IFA's Franchise Compliance Training Program, a remedial educational program for violators of federal and state franchise regulations. He is also a legal advisor and trainer for IFA's Fran-Guard compliance and business culture training program. Additionally, he serves as the host for the IFA's quarterly Franchise Business Network meetings in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Mr. Buckberg served as co-editor of the 2009 edition of Annual Developments in Franchise and Distribution Law, and a chapter author in the first and second editions of the treatise The FTC Franchise Rule, published by the American Bar Association. He is a regular presenter on product distribution for Strafford Publications and a frequent speaker at the annual Forum on Franchising of the American Bar Association. He is the editor of Baker Donelson's Hospitalitas electronic newsletter on franchising and hospitality, and is one of only 365 attorneys worldwide included in the 2012 International Who's Who of Franchise Lawyers, which recognizes the world's leading franchise lawyers based on feedback from clients and peer attorneys.