Skip to content .

Tree Rings

Food & beverage case studies

Gourmet Burger Kitchen    

Following its experience of working with us when they were at Pizza Express, Clapham House’s management team decided to instruct us on the internationalisation of their portfolio of restaurant brands.  We introduced the Gourmet Burger Kitchen brand to its developer in the Middle East and have recently advised them on deals in Turkey and Ireland.


 

We structured, negotiated and documented the simultaneous acquisition of 33 Pizza Express franchisee businesses by Pizza Express plc for £28 million. This enabled Pizza Express to withdraw from franchising in the UK market in accordance with its stated strategy.
 

We advised this leading family restaurant brand on the restructuring of its entire European operation throughout Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Romania.  We also advised on its entry into the Middle East.
 

We have worked with this well known food and beverage operator’s MBO team restructuring their approach to the international market, managing their international trade mark portfolio and doing deals for them in a wide variety of markets including Russia, Malaysia and France.
  We have advised this well known Italian restaurant on the structuring of its international franchise business and its launch into Ireland and the Middle East.

 

Hotels & leisure case studies

   

We represented Wyndham Worldwide in its negotiations with Malta-based Corinthia Group resulting in the conversion of a large number of Corinthia Hotels to the Wyndham and Ramada Brands. Corinthia own and manage hotels whilst Wyndham is principally active as a franchisor. Using our expertise in hotel franchising, brand protection, hotel management and real estate, we put together a structure that combined the strength of the Wyndham Brands with the local know-how and access to quality locations that existed at Corinthia. 

We advised Ramada on the negotiation of contractual documents with its German developer, Treff. Our understanding of German law and business culture was an important feature in delivery to our client of a workable franchise structure that balances security and control for the franchisor with the need for some local independence manifested by the developer.
  We advised IHG on a number of international hotel development transactions including  Romania, Slovakia, Turkey and Kosovo as well as on the much publicised brand upgrade of their Holiday Inn franchise.
 

We are currently working with Talonotel – a well-known company in the Spanish market which specialises in hotel reservations and other hotel services for customers. The company execute hotel reservations in more than 40 countries around the world, and is now developing new commercial products and hotel reservation procedures, both in Spain an in other countries. We have organised all the legal structure, IP, IT, commercial, corporate and technological structure for the company since it was created in 2005. 
  We are advising Scottish Developer FM Developments with regard to the development of a number of resort hotels on the Cape Verde Islands. Using our knowledge of international hotel franchise and management agreements we are working with FM and their destination consultants to devise a no frills legal package for its relationship with hotel management companies and investors.


Retail case studies

   

We have worked with this international retail icon to help develop its international strategy.  This involved advising upon the most appropriate structures, identifying target markets, securing worldwide protection for the brand and introducing the business’s first international developer to the client.  We have also assisted Hamleys with the enforcement of the terms of its agreement to ensure the retailers rights are not diluted. 

 
 

We have worked with Crocs protecting its designs and trade marks against infringers and grey importers across Europe and the Middle East since they first hit the market.  With the demand for this fashionable foot-wear reaching fever pitch we have worked with the client to put together a robust multi-channel international retail structure that fits their particular needs.  This has involved not only setting up their own corporate stores but also putting in place licences, franchises, concessions and shop in shop arrangements. Our years of experience have helped to guide this high profile young retailer to a future of sustained success.

 
 

Advising Lush on the structure of its franchise/licence operations and preparing standard documentation for its international partners.  Over recent months we have advised Lush on partner issues in such diverse territories as Brazil, Italy, and the Philippines and most recently have advised them on the restructuring of their German operations involving 18 retail stores in key German cities.
 
  Reiss are a long standing client of ours.  We have assisted Reiss with its worldwide brand protection strategy as well as assisting with the structuring and negotiating of Reiss’ entry into the Middle East, China, Malaysia and Singapore. Our work for Reiss also includes protecting and enforcing their intellectual property rights - crucial to the Reiss fashion business.


Service providers case studies

    We have advised the Halifax Estate Agencies Equity Partnership regarding strategic and business structuring issues for its UK franchise operation. In addition to drafting the franchise documentation for the Halifax's UK roll out, we continue to advise Halifax on its franchise expansion.
 

We have since also advised ChipsAway International Limited on its purchase, by way of an MFBO, of the global intellectual property rights of ChipsAway outside of USA and Canada from ChipsAway Inc.
   

We have advised The Dwyer Group Inc subsidiaries, Air Serv and Mr Electric, on their European roll outs, involving strategic advice on structuring, development targets and market penetration.

 
   

We were legal advisers to Myhome International plc on its admission to AIM from PLUS with a market capitalisation of approximately £30 million.  In addition to advising this international franchisor on corporate issues, we also advised extensively on its franchise structure and documentation.

We have also advised Myhome on its 2007 purchase of the ChipsAway franchise for £20 million.
    

We advised Curves, the ladies only gym concept and one time fastest growing franchise in the world, on its European and Middle East roll out.
      We represented MRI Networks, a NYSE quoted corporation, on its sale of the global intellectual property rights of MRI outside of the USA.  This deal involved the sale of the international business to UK corporations and the transfer of all of the world wide master agreements.  This involved detailed and complex negotiations and disclosure and registration programmes in some 22 countries around the globe from Australia, China, South America to Europe. This was, we believe, the first example of an MFBO on an international scale – a pioneering transaction which we developed.