Megan Center

Solutions-focused franchise and M&A counsel and strategic advisor

Megan Center is a distinguished attorney who focuses on transactional franchise law, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). With over a decade of dedicated experience, Megan provides comprehensive, results-oriented legal counsel to franchisors across diverse industries, guiding them through every stage of the franchise lifecycle. Megan advises clients on:

• The strategy and structure of franchise programs, as well as counseling on corporate formation, governance and M&A transactions.
• Preparing and maintaining franchise disclosure documents (FDD.)
• Drafting and negotiating complex franchise transactional documents.
• Ensuring compliance with state and federal franchise regulations.
• Day-to-day franchise system management, including renewal, termination, transfer, supply and relationship issues, and operational changes.
• Franchise system acquisitions and sales, including sales to, or purchases by, private equity.
• Systems designing alternatives to franchising.

As co-chair of the International Franchise Association's (IFA) Women's Franchise Network, Megan is deeply committed to fostering growth and leadership within the franchise industry. She is an active member of the IFA Women's Committee and the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising.

Megan's client-centric approach combines strategic legal counsel with a profound understanding of the franchise business model. She is dedicated to proactively addressing legal challenges, helping franchisors mitigate risks and focus on sustainable, long-term growth.

• Organizing and structuring franchise and other distribution programs, and negotiating and preparing agreements, including complex franchise, sub-franchise and distribution agreements.
• Advising on compliance with franchise disclosure and registration laws.
• Preventing and resolving disputes among franchisors, franchisees and others.
• Advising on interrelated franchise and employment law issues to avoid misclassification and joint employer status.
• Assisting in terminations of franchise and dealer relationships.
• Advising on M&A, reorganizations and other business combinations, and change-of-control transactions for sellers, strategic buyers, investors, private equity and venture capital groups.
• Facilitating joint ventures involving franchisors, franchisees and others.
• Advising on avoiding burdensome franchise sales laws by pursuing other sales and distribution methods, such as licensing, multilevel distribution, direct selling, sales representatives, joint ventures, dealerships and other business methods.