Joel Buckberg is of counsel in Baker Donelson's Nashville office, where he is a member of the Corporate Group. Mr. Buckberg counsels clients on corporate and asset transactions and operations, particularly in hospitality, franchising and distribution, including strategic planning and transactions, financing, mergers and acquisitions, system policy and practice development, regulatory compliance and contract system drafting. Prior to joining Baker Donelson, Mr. Buckberg was Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Cendant Corporation.
- Author – "Franchisor's Addendum Enhances Franchisee's Right to Assign Store Lease," Hospitalitas Newsletter Issue 1, February 2012
- Author – "Are Shuttle Drivers Franchisees or Employees? Ninth Circuit Wants Lower Court to Decide," Hospitalitas Newsletter Issue 5, December 2011
- Featured – "The Rights Guard: What Floats Franchise Attorney Joel Buckberg's Boat After Hours," Franchise Times, June/July 2011
- Speaker – "The Franchise System Post-Private Equity Investment," IFA 2011 Legal Symposium, Washington, D.C., May 16-17, 2011
- Speaker – "Fran-Guard: Sales Management and Compliance," 2011 International Franchise Association's 51st Annual Convention, Las Vegas, February 2011
- Author – "Oregon Affirms Commitment to Franchisee as Employee Ruling," Hospitalitas Newsletter Issue 1, January 2011
- Featured – "A Must-Read Q&A With Attorney Joel Buckberg," Franchise Times SuperBook, October 2010
- Co-author – "Healthcare and Franchising—Compatible or Contraindicated?" Business Law and Governance, AHLA, October 2010
- Author – "Tough Locations Produce Complex Litigation," Baker Donelson Hospitalitas Newsletter 2010, Issue 3, September 2010
- Co-author – "Does Your Point of Sale System Comply with PCI and New State Statutes?" The Business Lawyer, January 2010
- Co-author – "Annual Franchise and Distribution Law Developments 2009," American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, October 2009
- Author – "Franchisee Tips for Troubled Times," HotelWorld Network, March 18, 2009
- Co-author – "Disclosure Law Violations: Understanding the Penalties," Franchising World, August 2008
- Author – "Franchise Compliance Sets the Tone," Franchising World, November 2007
- Author – "When Private Equity Knocks, Will You Be Ready to Answer?" about private equity in LJN's Franchising Business & Law Alert, August 2007
- Co-author – "Legal Issues Arising from the Ownership of Competing Franchise Systems," American Bar Association Forum on Franchising (October 1999)
- Author – "Dealing with Franchisees in the Workout Process," in The Real Estate Workout Deskbook (H. Zuckerman, ed., Probus Publishing, Chicago 1992)
- Frequent Contributor to Franchise Times magazine and Lodging Business, the magazine of the Asian American Hotel Owners' Association.
- Lectured on the subject of condominium hotels at the Annual Meeting of the International Bar Association
- Frequent lecturer on domestic and international franchising and hospitality at programs sponsored by International Franchise Association, American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, The Lodging Conference, and Cardozo Law School.
- President and founder – National Franchise Council, 1998 – 2000; Chairman, 2000 – 2003
- Chairman – International Franchise Association Legal Legislative Committee and Corporate Counsel Committee, 1997 – 98
- Administrator – International Franchise Association Franchise Compliance Training Program, 2007 – 2011
- Trainer – FRAN-GUARD franchise compliance training program, 2010 – present
- Member – American Hotel & Lodging Association General Counsel Committee
- AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Franchise Law since 2008
- Named to Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers since 2009
- Named to The International Who's Who of Franchise Lawyers, 2008 and 2011
- Named to "Legal Eagles" by Franchise Times, 2007 – 2011
- Named to "20 People to Watch in Franchising" by Franchise Times, November 2001
- Texas , 1980
- Georgia , 1981
- New Jersey , 1994
- Tennessee , 2006
- Vanderbilt University School of Law, J.D. 1980; M.B.A., 1980
- Union College, 1976