Practical franchise counsel and dispute resolution

Andy Beilfuss is a nationally recognized advisor on issues that affect how businesses get products to market. His primary focus is on litigating franchise, product marketing and distribution disputes, though he also counsels on direct sales, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and contractual and regulatory matters. Leveraging his business and legal knowledge with his network of contacts around the world, Andy advances the business and legal goals of many types of clients, including:

• Franchise entities, addressing key concerns in the franchisor-franchisee relationship such as marketing, quality and operation standards.
• Manufacturers
• Specialty retailers
• Sales representatives, both those directly employed by product makers and independent consultants
• Distributors

With a master’s degree in business and having worked for two Fortune 50 companies before becoming an attorney, Andy has the rare ability to understand the intersection of business and legal issues facing clients, which enables him to craft cost-effective and practical solutions for his clients worldwide.

Bar Admissions

• Florida
• Wisconsin

Education

• Marquette University Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2005)
  • Marquette Moot Court, chief justice (2004-2005), board member (2003-2004)
  • National Civil Trial Team, member
  • CALI Awards for Legal Excellence in Legal Research and Writing, Constitutional Law, Land Use Planning and Jurisprudence

• Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, Certificate, Quarles & Brady Leadership Program (2016)

• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (M.S., 2000)

• University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (B.S., 1999)

• "'Undercover Boss' Episode Isn’t Enough to Prove Vicarious Liability, Says a Maryland Federal Court"
• "A Supersized Mess? How the NLRB's Recent Attempts to Deem McDonald's a Joint Employer Could Affect Franchising and Your Business"
• "Advanced Issues in Injunction Practice"
• "An Overview of Franchise Litigation"
• "Antitrust Law Issues In Government Contracting"
• "Arbitration: Dealing with the Recent Changes to the AAA Rules and Other Strategic Considerations"
• "Calculation of Damages in Business Litigation Seminar"
• "Changes in System Standards: What is the Extent of the Franchisor's Latitude?"
• "Civil Procedure and Pre-Trial Practice"
• "Civil Procedure"
• "Dirty Litigation Tactics: Identifying the 'Rambo' Litigator"
• "Distribution Law"
• "Effective Enforcement of Non-Competes and Other Post-Term Obligations"
• "Franchise and Distribution Law – Recent Developments"
• "Franchise and Distribution Law – What Every Business Lawyer Should Know"
• "Franchise and Distribution Law: Essentials for Transactional Lawyers"
• "Franchise Law 101"
• "Franchise Law Compliance"
• "Franchise Law: the Essentials"
• "Franchise Law: the Essentials"
• "Franchise Legal Player Awards | Q&A with Andy Beilfuss"
• "Franchise Litigation"
• "Franchise Litigation: A Practical Crash Course for Both Franchisors and Franchisees"
• "Franchising and Specialty Retail: Understanding the Rewards and Eliminating the Risks"
• "Fundamentals of Injunction Practice"
• "How the Franchise and Distribution Team Can Grow Your Practice"
• "How the Revised FTC Franchise Rule Drastically Increased the Quality of Airport Food"
• "Keeping the Civil In Civil Litigation – Best Practices In Civil Discovery and Dealing with Difficult Opposing Counsel"
• "Legal Aspects of Franchising: What I Need to Know Before Signing on the Dotted Line"
• "Mechanics of Wisconsin Civil Procedure"
• "Overview of U.S. Franchise Registration"
• "Seventh Circuit Rules That an Undisclosed Franchise Owner Is Subject to the Franchise Agreement’s Arbitration Clause"
• "The Importance of Branding"
• "Top 10 Evidence Mistakes to Avoid"
• "Twenty Years After Stella Liebeck, Plaintiffs Are Still Suing McDonald’s Over Hot Coffee"
• "What Every Business That Buys or Sells Goods Must Know About Franchise and Distribution Law"
• Bill To Narrow Joint Employment Passes In The House
• IFA Legal Symposium Judicial Update
• Judicial Update
• Webinar Replay for Franchisors: NLRB Developments

Seminar

• Business Law Training: A Supersized Mess? How the NLRB's Recent Attempts to Deem McDonald's a Joint Employer Could Affect Franchising and Your Business