Susan A. Grueneberg

Susan advises clients on franchise and distribution law issues, including compliance with federal and state franchise and business opportunity laws. Clients are primarily franchisors with some large area developers, sub-franchisors, and multi-unit franchisees. Her clients range from startup franchisors to Fortune 500 companies. Susan is certified as a Franchise & Distribution Law Specialist by the California Board of Legal Specialization.

Susan’s practice includes structuring franchise programs; preparing, structuring and registering franchise programs, including drafting Franchise Disclosure Documents, Franchise Agreements, Area Development Agreements, Subfranchise Agreements, Master License Agreements, Area Representative Agreements, Joint Venture Agreements, and ancillary agreements; counseling on compliance with disclosure and other regulatory requirements; exemption-based franchising, mergers and acquisitions of franchise companies; international expansion of U.S. franchise programs, introduction of non-U.S. franchise programs to the United States; franchise relationship issues involving transfers, defaults and terminations; counseling non-compliant programs and defending government enforcement actions and investigations; assisting in franchise disputes in conjunction with litigators; protection of intellectual property, working with trademark counsel; joint employment and vicarious liability avoidance including joint employment audits; and she also serves as an expert witness for franchisors in arbitration and litigation.

Susan earned her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from University of California, Los Angeles. Susan earned her law degree from UCLA School of Law. While in law school, she attended Yale-in-China Studies Center and taught at United College, Chinese University of Hong Kong on a U.S. State Department Teaching Fellowship. After law school, Susan received a fellowship from post-graduate study in Chinese law and economics awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Scholarly Communication with the People’s Republic of China at the University of Beijing, China.