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38 practice areas
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Hospitality Business Structures and Franchise Agreements: Ownership, Control & Legal Risk (Presented by HospitalityLawyer.com)

Master hospitality franchise agreements and business structures. Gain practical skills to evaluate FDDs, navigate franchisor-franchisee risks, and advise clients on ownership, control, and compliance obligations.

2026-04-27 12:00:00

1.5 hours

Program Details

2026-04-27 12:00:00

2026-04-27 12:00:00

1.5h CLE Credits

2026-04-27 12:00:00

1.5 hours

Program Details

2026-04-27 12:00:00

Program Details

2026-04-27 12:00:00

Over 1,000+ webinars

2026-04-27 12:00:00

1.5 hours

Course Overview

Navigating Hospitality Ownership and Franchise Risk

2026-04-27 12:00:00

Attorneys will learn to analyze hospitality business structures, evaluate franchise agreements, and identify compliance risks in franchisor-franchisee relationships. Gain practical tools to advise clients on ownership, control, and regulatory obligations.

Format

CLE Credit

1.5h CLE Credits

Level

Intermediate

Length

1.5

Key topics that will be covered

01
Ownership models
Examine hospitality business structures shaping operational control and legal risk.
02
Franchise rights
Review franchise agreement rights, obligations, and operational control provisions.
03
FDD requirements
Analyze Franchise Disclosure Document regulatory and compliance obligations.
04
Risk areas
Identify key risk areas in franchisor-franchisee relationships.
05
Contract negotiation
Evaluate negotiation strategies within franchisor-franchisee contract terms.
06
Legal exposure
Assess liability exposure across ownership structures and franchise arrangements.

Program schedule

clock 12:00 pm - 12:20 pm EST

Outline of Hospitality Business Structures and Ownership Models

Attorneys examine the legal foundations of hospitality business structures and ownership models, exploring how different arrangements shape operational control, liability exposure, and compliance obligations across hotel properties and hospitality ventures.

Stephen BarthStephen Barth
Jennifer NellanyJennifer Nellany
clock 12:20 pm - 12:40 pm EST

Franchise Agreements: Rights, Obligations, and Operational Control

Counsel explore franchise agreement provisions governing rights, obligations, and operational control, gaining practical insight into how these contracts allocate authority, define brand standards, and shape the franchisor-franchisee relationship in hospitality.

Stephen BarthStephen Barth
Jennifer NellanyJennifer Nellany
clock 12:40 pm - 1:00 pm EST

Franchise Disclosure Documents and Regulatory Compliance Requirements

Participants review Franchise Disclosure Documents and regulatory compliance requirements, learning how to evaluate FDDs, identify material disclosures, and advise clients on federal and state franchise registration obligations applicable to hospitality operators.

Stephen BarthStephen Barth
Jennifer NellanyJennifer Nellany
clock 1:10 pm - 1:40 pm EST

Key Risk Areas in Franchisor–Franchisee Relationships and Negotiations

Counsel identify key risk areas in franchisor-franchisee relationships and examine contract negotiation strategies, gaining practical tools to address liability exposure, termination provisions, and disputed terms that frequently arise in hospitality franchise arrangements.

Stephen BarthStephen Barth
Jennifer NellanyJennifer Nellany
Stephen Barth

Stephen Barth

HospitalityLawyer.com®

Jennifer Nellany

Jennifer Nellany

Cozen O’Connor

Stephen Barth

Stephen Barth

HospitalityLawyer.com®

Stephen Barth, author of Hospitality Law and coauthor of Restaurant Law Basics, is an attorney, the founder of HospitalityLawyer.com, the annual Hospitality Law Conference series, and the Global Travel Risk Summit Series. As a professor at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston, he teaches courses in hospitality law and leadership. He is #3 on Global Guru’s Top 30 Hospitality Thought Leaders & Influencers for 2023. In addition to legal and travel risk mitigation insight, Stephen specializes in communicating the importance of Emotional Intelligence in leadership roles; and has provided valuable insight to many companies including The Methodist Hospital System, Wyndham Worldwide, Dine Equity, Business Travel News and Aramark. His fun, fast-paced presentations provide practical information and solutions to enhance your personal and professional life.

Education & Credentials

He earned a B.A. in Economics, an M.A. in Communications, and a J.D. from Texas Tech University. His faculty profile also describes decades of work in hospitality law and leadership education, alongside litigation-support and expert-witness work in hospitality-related matters.

Recognition & Leadership

He has received University of Houston teaching recognition, including the Career Teaching Excellence Award, and other teaching honors noted in his professional materials. He has also been recognized by Global Gurus in its hospitality rankings, including being listed as the #1 hospitality professional for 2022 and appearing in the 2023 and 2024 lists.

Professional Involvement

His work includes building HospitalityLawyer.com as a platform serving hospitality lawyers and industry leaders with legal, safety, and risk-management resources. He is also associated with industry-facing conferences and summits that convene professionals around hospitality legal risk and travel risk management.

Experience

Across more than three decades at the University of Houston’s Hilton College, his profile notes teaching and speaking activity at significant scale, including thousands of students taught, extensive publishing, and hundreds of industry presentations. His work also includes being retained in litigation contexts and contributing expertise on hospitality-related standards of care and operational risk.
Jennifer Nellany

Jennifer Nellany

Cozen O’Connor

With nearly 25 years as a practicing attorney, both as in-house counsel for public and private companies and in private practice at a full-service international law firm, Jennifer Nellany combines deep experience in real estate matters with practical corporate knowledge. She assists clients with drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements, structuring debt and equity transactions including M&A transactions and joint ventures, advising on corporate governance matters, drafting compliance materials, and advising on domestic and cross-border legal and regulatory issues. She has extensive experience providing legal advice on hospitality-related matters, both as in-house counsel and in private practice.

Education & Credentials

Nellany earned her B.S. in Accounting from the University of Delaware, her J.D. with a Tax Honors Certificate from Rutgers University School of Law, and her LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. She is admitted to the New York State Bar and is a member of the New York Bar Association.

Recognition & Leadership

In her personal time, Jennifer is passionate about fundraising and advocating for sarcoma research and awareness. She previously served as president of the board of directors of the Sarcoma Alliance and currently sits on the board of the Sarcoma Foundation of America.

Professional Involvement

Nellany has been an active participant in the hospitality and real estate legal communities, appearing at events including the Hospitality Law Conference in both Washington D.C. and Houston, the Family Office Formation and Structure Panel, the Family Office Real Estate Investment Breakfast, and a panel on alternative risk strategies for real estate and hospitality owners. She has also participated in programming focused on creating and managing effective outside counsel relationships.

Experience

Jennifer Nellany began her career as a financial analyst and senior tax consultant. After law school, she spent eight years as an associate with an Am Law 100 firm, concentrating on corporate law including real estate matters. She went on to serve as general counsel for a public hotel company, where she was an integral part of the acquisition and transition of a significant expansion asset, and as global general counsel and secretary for the world's largest independent provider of directory assistance, where she managed a patent and trademark portfolio, oversaw significant domestic and European patent litigation matters, and successfully completed several acquisitions during her tenure. Before joining Cozen O'Connor, Jennifer served as general counsel for a national diversified real estate owner, developer, and operator, where she was responsible for all legal matters at the company including managing its litigation portfolio. Prior to that, she was general counsel and chief compliance officer for a privately held real estate and investment company, where she oversaw legal and compliance matters across multiple business lines and launched the company's first third-party fund. She also provided legal services to the family office function at both organizations. Her practice areas at Cozen O'Connor encompass real estate joint ventures, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, real estate development, and fund formation, with a focus on the hospitality industry sector.
Stephen Barth

Stephen Barth

HospitalityLawyer.com®

Stephen Barth, author of Hospitality Law and coauthor of Restaurant Law Basics, is an attorney, the founder of HospitalityLawyer.com, the annual Hospitality Law Conference series, and the Global Travel Risk Summit Series. As a professor at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston, he teaches courses in hospitality law and leadership. He is #3 on Global Guru’s Top 30 Hospitality Thought Leaders & Influencers for 2023. In addition to legal and travel risk mitigation insight, Stephen specializes in communicating the importance of Emotional Intelligence in leadership roles; and has provided valuable insight to many companies including The Methodist Hospital System, Wyndham Worldwide, Dine Equity, Business Travel News and Aramark. His fun, fast-paced presentations provide practical information and solutions to enhance your personal and professional life.

Education & Credentials

He earned a B.A. in Economics, an M.A. in Communications, and a J.D. from Texas Tech University. His faculty profile also describes decades of work in hospitality law and leadership education, alongside litigation-support and expert-witness work in hospitality-related matters.

Recognition & Leadership

He has received University of Houston teaching recognition, including the Career Teaching Excellence Award, and other teaching honors noted in his professional materials. He has also been recognized by Global Gurus in its hospitality rankings, including being listed as the #1 hospitality professional for 2022 and appearing in the 2023 and 2024 lists.

Professional Involvement

His work includes building HospitalityLawyer.com as a platform serving hospitality lawyers and industry leaders with legal, safety, and risk-management resources. He is also associated with industry-facing conferences and summits that convene professionals around hospitality legal risk and travel risk management.

Experience

Across more than three decades at the University of Houston’s Hilton College, his profile notes teaching and speaking activity at significant scale, including thousands of students taught, extensive publishing, and hundreds of industry presentations. His work also includes being retained in litigation contexts and contributing expertise on hospitality-related standards of care and operational risk.
Jennifer Nellany

Jennifer Nellany

Cozen O’Connor

With nearly 25 years as a practicing attorney, both as in-house counsel for public and private companies and in private practice at a full-service international law firm, Jennifer Nellany combines deep experience in real estate matters with practical corporate knowledge. She assists clients with drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements, structuring debt and equity transactions including M&A transactions and joint ventures, advising on corporate governance matters, drafting compliance materials, and advising on domestic and cross-border legal and regulatory issues. She has extensive experience providing legal advice on hospitality-related matters, both as in-house counsel and in private practice.

Education & Credentials

Nellany earned her B.S. in Accounting from the University of Delaware, her J.D. with a Tax Honors Certificate from Rutgers University School of Law, and her LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. She is admitted to the New York State Bar and is a member of the New York Bar Association.

Recognition & Leadership

In her personal time, Jennifer is passionate about fundraising and advocating for sarcoma research and awareness. She previously served as president of the board of directors of the Sarcoma Alliance and currently sits on the board of the Sarcoma Foundation of America.

Professional Involvement

Nellany has been an active participant in the hospitality and real estate legal communities, appearing at events including the Hospitality Law Conference in both Washington D.C. and Houston, the Family Office Formation and Structure Panel, the Family Office Real Estate Investment Breakfast, and a panel on alternative risk strategies for real estate and hospitality owners. She has also participated in programming focused on creating and managing effective outside counsel relationships.

Experience

Jennifer Nellany began her career as a financial analyst and senior tax consultant. After law school, she spent eight years as an associate with an Am Law 100 firm, concentrating on corporate law including real estate matters. She went on to serve as general counsel for a public hotel company, where she was an integral part of the acquisition and transition of a significant expansion asset, and as global general counsel and secretary for the world's largest independent provider of directory assistance, where she managed a patent and trademark portfolio, oversaw significant domestic and European patent litigation matters, and successfully completed several acquisitions during her tenure. Before joining Cozen O'Connor, Jennifer served as general counsel for a national diversified real estate owner, developer, and operator, where she was responsible for all legal matters at the company including managing its litigation portfolio. Prior to that, she was general counsel and chief compliance officer for a privately held real estate and investment company, where she oversaw legal and compliance matters across multiple business lines and launched the company's first third-party fund. She also provided legal services to the family office function at both organizations. Her practice areas at Cozen O'Connor encompass real estate joint ventures, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, real estate development, and fund formation, with a focus on the hospitality industry sector.

Credits by state

AK1.5
AL1.5
AR1.5
AZ1.5
CA1.5
CO1.5
CT1.5
DC
DE1.5
FL1.5
GA1.5
HI1.5
IA1.5
ID1.5
IL1.5
IN1.5
KS1.5
KY1.5
LA1.5
MA1.5
MD1.5
ME1.5
MI1.5
MN1.5
MO1.8
MS1.5
MT1.5
NC1.5
ND1.5
NE1.5
NH90.0
NJ1.8
NM1.5
NV1.5
NY1.5
OH1.5
OK2.0
OR1.5
PA1.5
RI2.0
SC1.5
SD1.5
TN1.5
TX1.5
UT1.5
VA1.5
VT1.5
WA1.5
WI1.5
WV1.8
WY1.5

Upcoming Live Online CLE Broadcasts

1000+

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70,000+

Trusted by Legal Professionals

1000+

Live stream programs

24/7

Access to live webinars & recordings

70,000+

Trusted by Legal Professionals

1000+

Live stream programs

24/7

Access to live webinars & recordings

10,000+

Trusted by Legal Professionals

1000+

Live stream programs

24/7

Access to live webinars & recordings

70,000+

Trusted by Legal Professionals

MCLE Credits

Alabama
Approved
Alaska
Approved
Arizona
Approved
Arkansas
Approved
California
Approved
Colorado
Pending
Connecticut
Approved
Delaware
Pending
District of Columbia
No Required
Florida
Approved
Georgia
Approved
Hawaii
Approved
Idaho
Pending
Illinois
Approved
Indiana
Pending
Iowa
Pending
Kansas
Pending
Kentucky
Pending
Louisiana
Pending
Maine
Pending
Maryland
No Required
Massachusetts
No Required
Michigan
No Required
Minnesota
Pending
Mississippi
Pending
Missouri
Approved
Montana
Pending
Nebraska
Pending
Nevada
Pending
New Hampshire
Approved
New Jersey
Approved
New Mexico
Approved
New York
Approved
North Carolina
Pending
North Dakota
Approved
Ohio
Approved
Oklahoma
Pending
Oregon
Pending
Pennsylvania
Approved
Rhode Island
Pending
South Carolina
Pending
South Dakota
No Required
Tennessee
Approved
Texas
Approved
Utah
Pending
Vermont
Approved
Virginia
Not Eligible
Washington
Approved
West Virginia
Pending
Wisconsin
Approved
Wyoming
Pending

Alabama

Requirements

The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.  

Formats

  • Attorneys can earn unlimited “live” credit through live seminars, live webcasts, and co-sponsored locations with MyLAWCLE-Alabama approved programs
  • Attorneys are limited to 6 credits per compliance period of “online” programs through MyLAwCLE On-Demand programs