Full Name
Frank Zaid
Job Title
Franchise mediator and arbitrator; franchisor advisory board member; business operations consultant; expert witness; system ombudsman.
Company
Frank Zaid FRANlegal Support Services
Speaker Bio
During his 40 year career as a lawyer and senior partner at a major Canadian national law firm in the firm’s Toronto office, Frank started and chaired the firm’s Franchise Law Group. His business law practice was concentrated in franchise law and he was involved with over 400 franchise systems. He has been an investor in both franchisor and franchisee operations, and has served as a director and franchisor advisory board member of several leading franchise companies. Frank was consistently ranked as the most frequently recommended franchise lawyer in Canada and among the most highly regarded international franchise lawyers.
He served as Special and General Counsel of the Canadian Franchise Association, Chair of the Supplier Forum of the International Franchise Association, the first Chair of the Franchise Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association, and a member of the boards of directors and executive committees of the Canadian Franchise Association and the International Franchise Association. He was the initial recipient of the CFA’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. Frank was a Co-Chair of the Uniform Law Conference of Canada Commercial Law Strategy franchise law committee which prepared a model Uniform Franchises Act and regulations adopted by the ULCC in August 2005 and substantially followed by several provinces in drafting their respective franchise legislation.
Frank has written, spoken and been interviewed for many publications and at numerous conferences, webinars and media events concerning various aspects of domestic and international franchising and particularly, in recent years, on alternate dispute resolution of franchise disputes.
Since his retirement from active law practice at the end of 2012, he has transformed his unique business and legal experience in franchising into several support service functions through his company, Frank Zaid FRANlegal Support Services: member of the board of directors or advisory boards of franchise companies; franchise dispute mediator and arbitrator with ADR Chambers in Toronto; independent franchise system ombudsman; expert witness in franchise litigation matters; business advisor on high-level strategic domestic and international franchise structuring, relationship and growth matters; and, profile speaker/writer at franchise conferences or conventions.
Frank Zaid