Six members of Akerman's leading national Franchise and Licensing Team have been selected by Franchise Times as part of its 2025 class of Legal Eagles. The list of honorees includes Co-Chairs Kevin Hein in Denver and Warren Lee Lewis in Washington, D.C., Dale Cohen and Marc Lieberstein in New York and William Sentell in Houston, as well as Trish MacAskill in Denver.
According to Franchise Times, “These lawyers live and breathe franchising and truly understand the nuances of the unique business model.” Franchise Times has compiled a nationwide list of lawyers based on nominations and recommendations from clients, peers, and other legal professionals.
For more than two decades, Kevin has focused his practice on counseling companies that rely on franchising as part of their distribution models. He has advised on a wide range of legal issues, including state and federal disclosure requirements, compliance with state relationship laws, franchise sales compliance, restaurant and retail development, franchising in the health and wellness industries, mergers and acquisitions, corporate counseling, bankruptcy and reorganization, and dispute resolution.
In the field of franchising, Warren has authored books, studies, articles, and regulatory comments, frequently speaks at U.S. and international franchise conferences, and has testified before Congress. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Committee on Small Business of the U.S. House of Representatives have cited his studies and regulatory comments.
Dale focuses her practice on domestic and international franchising, distribution, and licensing law. She advises new emerging brands as well as widely recognized mature brands with respect to structuring and implementing their franchise, distribution, and licensing programs and advises public and private companies and private equity firms in connection with franchise-related mergers and acquisitions and whole business securitizations. Dale also routinely drafts and negotiates brand sponsorship agreements as well as commercial manufacturing, distribution, and supply contracts.
With more than 30 years of experience, Marc focuses his practice on intellectual property licensing and franchising, including the drafting, negotiation, and enforcement of license and franchise documents and agreements, as well as the implementation of branding and commercialization objectives for clients via licensing and franchising. He serves clients in the retail/consumer goods and services, fashion/apparel and accessories, food and beverage, and commercial/industrial design industries, among others. Marc regularly counsels clients on creating effective strategies for procuring, protecting, and enforcing their global intellectual property assets.
William focuses his practice on franchise dispute resolution and related corporate, regulatory, and compliance matters. He has more than 15 years of experience leading litigation cases from inception to trial. William is a co-editor of Covenants Against Competition in Franchise Agreements (4th ed.), published by the American Bar Association.
Trish focuses her practice on franchise and business transactions. She applies her in-house experience when counseling clients on business, franchising, and licensing issues. Trish has experience counseling clients on franchise regulatory compliance and negotiating commercial leases and contracts in a broad range of industries, products, and services.