Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2019 
David Kornhauser practises business law with a focus on franchise law and corporate/commercial law in Toronto, Ontario. At Loopstra Nixon, he advises clients on a wide range of franchise, licensing, distribution, and commercial matters across multiple industries.
David’s franchise law practice includes representing franchisors, franchisee associations, franchisor advisory councils, groups of franchisees, and individual franchisees. He provides guidance on franchise system development and expansion, franchise agreements and related documentation, disclosure documents, franchise legislation compliance, transfers and terminations, and franchise relationship matters. He also advises on the purchase and sale of franchise systems and the establishment of new franchise systems in Canada.
In addition, David regularly assists franchisee associations with organizational structure, governance, and ongoing operational matters. He also advises clients on strategies intended to support effective franchise and distribution relationships.
As part of his corporate/commercial law practice, David advises businesses on a broad range of commercial transactions and agreements, including the purchase and sale of businesses, shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, joint venture arrangements, co-tenancy agreements, corporate reorganizations and restructurings, and commercial financing matters. He also prepares and negotiates royalty-based agreements involving software, patents, products, and franchises, as well as information technology agreements relating to licensing, outsourcing, support, and services.
David has been recognized by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Best Lawyers in Canada for his work in franchise law. In 2015, he received the Markus Cohen Award from the Ontario Bar Association’s Franchise Law Section in recognition of scholarly contributions to franchise law.
He is the co-author of “Franchisee Associations in Canada” (Carswell, 2011) and serves as the Franchise Law Editor for the Toronto Law Association Journal. David has co-chaired conferences for the Canadian Franchise Association and the Ontario Bar Association, spoken at numerous franchising and business law conferences, and authored or co-authored a variety of legal publications and papers.
David has been actively involved in professional organizations throughout his career. He has been a member of the Canadian Franchise Association for nearly 30 years and a member of the American Bar Association’s Franchise Law Section for more than 18 years. He has also served on the Executive of the Ontario Bar Association’s Franchise Law Section for over two decades, including serving as Chair from September 2022 to August 2023.
In addition, David previously served as Chair of the Bar Education Working Group of the Ontario Bar Association’s Franchise Law Section and co-Chair of the Section’s Continuing Professional Development programming. He was also co-editor of “Franchising 101,” a website developed to provide Ontario lawyers with foundational information about franchise law. David currently serves on the Canadian Franchise Association’s Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee and is a director of the Toronto Lawyers Association.
