The Franchise & Business Law Goup

When a business owner decides to franchise their concept, or when an aspiring entrepreneur evaluates a franchise opportunity for the first time, the most consequential decision they will make is not which brand to choose — it is whether they have the right legal counsel guiding that choice. The legal architecture underlying any franchise relationship is extraordinarily complex: a Franchise Disclosure Document alone can exceed 300 pages, contain 23 mandatory disclosure items, and carry financial and contractual obligations that span the full term of an agreement. The Franchise & Business Law Group (FBLG Law) was built precisely to solve that problem. Founded on the intertwined principles of expertise, excellence, and dedication, the firm traces its origins to the pioneering work of Jeff Thompson, who became one of the first franchise attorneys in the state of Utah and accumulated over 50 years of experience across franchise law, corporate law, and distribution law before retiring from active practice in 2023. Thompson did not simply leave — he transitioned to the role of Legacy Partner Emeritus Attorney, remaining an integral part of the firm he helped create. Today, Managing Partners Christian Thompson and Kara Martin lead a practice that has been awarded US News Best Law Firms for Franchise Law every year since 2014 and has received the Best of State award for legal services in Utah every year since 2018. The firm operates within one of the most consequential growth sectors in American commerce: the U.S. franchise industry is projected to encompass over 851,000 units and generate $936.4 billion in total economic output in 2025 alone. For any franchisor building a system or any franchisee evaluating an opportunity, the legal stakes have never been higher, and the demand for firms with the depth of The Franchise & Business Law Group has never been more acute.

The industry context in which The Franchise & Business Law Group franchise operates as a legal services provider is defined by extraordinary scale and accelerating complexity. The U.S. franchising sector is on pace to add approximately 210,000 new jobs in 2025, pushing total franchise employment above 9 million nationwide — figures that underscore how many individual business relationships, disclosure obligations, and contractual frameworks are being created simultaneously across the country. Globally, the franchise market surpassed $890 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at an average annual rate of nearly 10% in the coming years, with more than 3,000 franchise brands operating worldwide. The franchise legal services market specifically, which directly encompasses FBLG Law's business, was valued at approximately USD 0.33 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 0.78 billion by 2033, representing a compound annual growth rate of approximately 11.5% during that forecast window — a growth rate that significantly outpaces most segments of the broader professional services economy. North America is expected to dominate that market throughout the projection period. Key structural drivers of this growth include the increasing complexity of multi-jurisdictional franchise registration requirements, the proliferation of franchise broker regulation, the FTC's ongoing review of its Franchise Rule (last substantively amended in 2007), and heightened scrutiny of franchisor-franchisee relationship dynamics including non-compete covenants, confidentiality agreements, and systemwide change provisions. The Southeast continues to represent the fastest-growing regional franchise market in the United States, expected to account for nearly one-third of all projected franchise growth in 2025, led by Georgia's projected 6.7% expansion rate, which is forecast to add more than 34,000 new businesses and approximately $37 billion in economic activity driven by Atlanta's pro-business infrastructure. Every one of those new franchise relationships represents a potential legal engagement, a new FDD to be drafted or reviewed, a new compliance question to be answered.

The Franchise & Business Law Group franchise investment profile is structured around the purchase of legal services rather than a franchise unit in the traditional sense, because FBLG Law is a law firm — not a franchisor. This is a critical distinction that every reader of this analysis must understand clearly. The firm does not offer a franchise opportunity, does not charge a franchise fee to prospective owners of an FBLG Law location, and does not collect royalties or advertising fund contributions from a network of franchised units. There is no total investment range to evaluate in the way a prospective Subway or UPS Store franchisee would calculate capital requirements. Instead, the firm's clients — the people and businesses investing in the franchise legal services market — are franchisors seeking to build or expand compliant franchise systems and franchisees seeking expert legal review of FDDs, franchise agreements, territory structures, and financial performance representations. For those clients, the cost of engaging FBLG Law is the cost of legal counsel, benchmarked against the risk exposure of proceeding without it. Consider the regulatory stakes alone: California's Assembly Bill 137, signed into law on June 30, 2025 and effective July 1, 2025, increased Initial Franchise Registration fees in California from $675 to $1,865, Renewal Registration fees from $450 to $1,245, and Initial Notices of Exemption from $450 to $1,245 — nearly tripling certain costs associated with registering or renewing a franchise offering in a state of 39 million residents. Navigating that environment without specialist legal counsel creates exposure that dwarfs attorney fees. The firm's consistent Best Law Firms recognition since 2014 and its attorneys' recognition as Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Legal Eagles, and Utah Legal Elite by Utah Business Magazine collectively signal a practice that has earned its market position on measurable merit.

The operating model of The Franchise & Business Law Group is organized around a full-service legal practice specifically engineered for the franchise industry on both the franchisor and franchisee side. The day-to-day work of the firm encompasses franchise system development, Franchise Disclosure Document drafting and amendment, regulatory compliance in registration states, dispute resolution between franchisors and franchisees, mergers and acquisitions, franchise resale transactions, corporate structuring, intellectual property protection, employment policy development, and state registration filings. The firm also structures area representative agreements and area development agreements — sophisticated contractual instruments that allow franchisors to accelerate geographic expansion by sharing franchise fees and royalties with area representatives or by granting multi-unit development rights to franchisees within defined territories. Brian Jackson, an attorney at the firm, brings specialized employment law expertise alongside his franchise law practice, addressing one of the most litigation-prone areas in the franchisor-franchisee relationship. Kara Martin, as Managing Partner, focuses specifically on franchise law, licensing, and intellectual property — an increasingly critical competency as brand protection and technology integration become central concerns for franchise systems operating across dozens or hundreds of locations. Christian Thompson's specialization in franchise law, corporate law, and contract law positions him to guide clients through the full legal lifecycle of a franchise system, from initial formation through multi-unit expansion. The firm's support structure is built around attorney expertise rather than franchise field consultants, and the practice serves clients who require guidance on compliance matters that span federal FTC regulation, individual state franchise investment laws, and the evolving landscape of broker regulation under frameworks like California's Senate Bill 919.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document, because The Franchise & Business Law Group does not operate as a franchisor and does not publish a Franchise Disclosure Document for its own business. This is not an omission that reflects risk or opacity in a traditional franchise investment sense — it reflects the fundamental nature of the firm as a legal services provider rather than a franchise concept. What is available, however, is substantial market data that contextualizes the business environment in which FBLG Law operates. The global franchise legal services market, valued at USD 0.33 billion in 2024, is projected to nearly double and a half in size to USD 0.78 billion by 2033, generating significant demand for the specialized services FBLG Law provides. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the cyclical demand drivers for franchise legal counsel specifically, as franchisors and franchisees alike required intensive legal guidance to navigate evolving public health guidelines, contractual obligations, and rent negotiations — a dynamic that effectively stress-tested and validated the core value proposition of specialized franchise legal practices. Rising costs, which 86% of franchises reported as a meaningful business impact, create additional demand for legal counsel capable of renegotiating supplier agreements, structuring more favorable development deals, and resolving disputes before they escalate to litigation. With total U.S. franchise economic output projected at $936.4 billion in 2025, the transaction volume underlying demand for franchise legal services — FDD registrations, agreement negotiations, renewal filings, dispute resolutions — is at an all-time high. The firm's recognition trajectory, from its founding-era work by Jeff Thompson as one of Utah's first franchise attorneys to its current status as a two-time Best of State honoree (since 2018) and decade-long US News Best Law Firms recipient (since 2014), suggests consistent market position within its competitive peer set.

The growth trajectory and competitive positioning of The Franchise & Business Law Group reflects both the momentum of the franchise industry it serves and the structural advantages that accrue to deeply specialized legal practices in high-complexity regulatory environments. The regulatory complexity facing the franchise sector is intensifying on multiple fronts simultaneously: the FTC is actively seeking input on its Franchise Rule, California's AB 137 nearly tripled certain registration fees as of July 2025, California's SB 919 is moving to regulate franchise brokers and sales organizations with an effective date of either one year after appropriation or July 1, 2026 whichever is later, and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) has sought public comment on a proposed Model Franchise Broker Registration Act that could serve as a template for state-level broker registration requirements nationwide. Each of these developments expands the scope of legal work required to maintain a compliant franchise offering and increases the consequence of non-compliance. For FBLG Law, this regulatory proliferation represents a structural tailwind that makes deep specialization increasingly valuable relative to general business law practices. The firm's competitive moat is constructed from decades of accumulated franchise-specific expertise — Jeff Thompson's 50-plus years of practice established a knowledge base that current Managing Partners Christian Thompson and Kara Martin have extended and updated — combined with a recognition record that creates credibility with prospective clients. Technology integration, identified as a key trend driving growth in the franchise legal services market through cloud-based platforms for file management, storage, and collaboration, represents an area where modern franchise law practices are differentiating, and FBLG Law's sustained Best of State recognition suggests continued investment in service quality. The 11.5% projected CAGR for the franchise legal services market through 2033 creates a favorable demand environment for established practices with strong reputations.

The ideal client relationship for The Franchise & Business Law Group encompasses two distinct profiles, both operating within the franchise industry's expanding ecosystem. On the franchisor side, the firm serves emerging brands developing their first franchise system — clients who need FDD drafting, corporate structure formation, territory design, and state registration guidance — as well as established franchise systems requiring ongoing compliance support, FDD amendments, and multi-unit expansion structuring through area representative and area development agreements. On the franchisee side, the firm advises prospective franchise buyers who need expert review of FDDs across all 23 disclosure items, analysis of financial performance representations in Item 19, territory rights evaluation, and negotiation of franchise agreement terms before signing. Given that the one-year survival rate for new franchises is 6.3% higher than for independent businesses, the stakes of that initial legal review are significant and quantifiable. The attorneys' collective specializations in franchise law, corporate law, contract law, licensing, intellectual property, and employment law mean the firm can support clients at every stage of the franchise relationship lifecycle. The Southeast's emergence as the largest regional franchise growth market, expected to represent nearly one-third of all 2025 franchise expansion, alongside Georgia's projected 6.7% growth rate and the strong franchise growth trajectories in North Carolina, Virginia, Arizona, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Florida, Colorado, and Maryland, all point to expanding demand for qualified franchise legal counsel in precisely the markets where franchise activity is most concentrated.

The investment thesis for understanding The Franchise & Business Law Group franchise within the broader context of franchise industry analysis rests on a clear and compelling foundation: this is a highly specialized, nationally recognized legal practice operating at the intersection of two growth markets — the $936.4 billion U.S. franchising sector and a franchise legal services market expanding at an 11.5% CAGR toward a USD 0.78 billion valuation by 2033. The firm's credentials are independently verified through a decade of US News Best Law Firms recognition since 2014, five-plus consecutive years of Best of State honors in Utah since 2018, and individual attorney recognitions including Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Legal Eagles, and Utah Legal Elite designations. The leadership transition from Jeff Thompson's founding-era practice to the current Managing Partner structure under Christian Thompson and Kara Martin — with Thompson remaining as Legacy Partner Emeritus Attorney — reflects deliberate institutional continuity rather than disruptive change. Regulatory developments including California AB 137, the proposed NASAA Model Franchise Broker Registration Act, and ongoing FTC Franchise Rule review all point toward sustained and growing demand for exactly the expertise FBLG Law has spent decades developing. For investors, entrepreneurs, and franchise industry professionals seeking independent, data-driven analysis of this firm and the broader legal services market it operates within, PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that place any franchise legal services provider in full competitive context. Explore the complete The Franchise & Business Law Group franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.