Kendal H. Tyre Jr. is a partner and the co-chair of the Franchise and Distribution Group in the Washington, D.C., office of Nixon Peabody LLP, a multinational law firm with more than 700 attorneys and offices throughout the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. His practice primarily involves representing companies in a variety of legal matters relating to franchising and distribution, including international franchising, structuring and developing franchise programs, franchise sales legal compliance, general franchise relationship matters, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, intellectual property licensing and protection, and franchise dispute resolution. He is an internationally recognized franchise lawyer who has represented numerous U.S. and non-U.S. companies in various complex international transactions in over 85 countries, including both assisting non-U.S. franchisors expanding to the United States and U.S. franchisors expanding abroad.
Kendal is a member of the Governing Committee of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising. He currently serves as a vice chair of the International Franchising Committee of the International Bar Association. He has been recognized as one of the premier franchise attorneys in the United States and internationally in Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Who’s Who Legal, The International Who’s Who of Business Franchise Lawyers, and The Franchise Times (where he was named a “Legal Eagle” and one of the “Best Lawyers in America” for franchise law).
Kendal has written extensively about international and U.S. franchise law in the Franchise Law Journal (published by the American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising) and similar publications. He is a frequent speaker at professional conferences held by the American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising, the International Bar Association, and the International Franchise Association.
Kendal currently serves as an editor and author for the “Franchising In . . .” inter- national book series (published by the LexNoir Foundation). He recently served as an editor and author of International Franchising 2016: Legal and Business Considerations, a collaboration of over 60 legal practitioners from around the world. He has also served as an editor of The International Journal of Franchising Law.
Kendal received his BA with honors from Brown University and his JD from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Law and Inequality.
Michael R. Laidhold is a partner with Plave Koch PLC, a boutique franchise- oriented law firm headquartered in Reston, Virginia. He has extensive experience with a variety of domestic and international franchising, licensing, commercial, corporate, and business development matters across a diverse range of industries. He counsels franchisors, licensors, distributors, and manufacturers about transactional, regulatory, and intellectual property issues in connection with the development and growth of franchise and distribution programs in the United States and around the world. In addition to his franchise and distribution expertise, he counsels clients regarding relationship matters, dispute resolution, termination issues, and compliance with system standards, and he regularly trains executives about regulatory matters and best practices.
Michael is recognized as a leading franchise lawyer in the United States and internationally. He is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and Who’s Who Legal.
Michael has authored and co-authored multiple articles about franchising, licensing, branding, and distribution issues in the Franchise Law Journal and in other publications. He has presented at industry seminars held by the American Bar Association, the International Franchise Association, and the International Bar Association.
Michael received his BA from Miami University and both a JD and MPIA from the University of Pittsburgh.
