Growing a franchise network is exciting. It can also get complicated very quickly.
A new site, an acquisition, a regulatory change or a franchisee dispute can bring franchise law, leasing, employment, commercial and relationship issues together at once.
MST Lawyers has more than 40 years’ experience advising in the franchise sector. We act for franchisors, franchisees and suppliers – from emerging systems taking their first steps through to established national and international networks whose brands are household names.
Our experience spans sectors including food and hospitality, retail, health and fitness, education, property and professional services.
Whatever the size of the network, our focus is the same: understand the business, identify what matters and help our clients move forward.
When growth gets complicated
Franchising is a specialised area of law, but rarely is a franchise issue confined to one legal problem.
A franchise network operates at the intersection of commercial arrangements, regulation, property, employment, intellectual property and the ongoing relationship between franchisor and franchisee.
A growing network may need to manage:
franchise agreements and disclosure obligations
new sites and leases
employment and workplace issues
acquisitions and ownership transfers
supply and other commercial arrangements
intellectual property and brand protection
compliance
franchisee relationships and disputes.
And these issues rarely operate in isolation.
A dispute with a landlord, an ACCC compliance issue, an underpayment claim or a breakdown in the franchisor–franchisee relationship can all affect an otherwise healthy network.
The businesses that navigate these pressures well are often those with advisers who understand how the pieces fit together – not simply how each issue operates on its own.
From first franchise to established network
What a franchise business needs from its lawyers changes as the network grows.
For an emerging franchisor, the priority may be getting the foundations right – structuring the business, preparing compliant franchise agreements and disclosure documents and establishing processes to support compliance from day one.
Then comes growth.
New franchisees join. New sites open. Businesses are bought and sold. IT and marketing departments grow. Commercial arrangements become more sophisticated and extend beyond traditional franchise documents. The network may begin exploring multi-unit franchising, master franchising or international expansion.
MST Lawyers advises on greenfields rollouts, network expansion, franchise sales and acquisitions, ownership transfers, due diligence, restructuring, supply chain arrangements, leasing, regulatory compliance including in relation to Australian Consumer Law, Privacy Laws, and disputes.
We also work with international franchise systems entering Australia, helping them adapt their documentation and business arrangements for the Australian market.
“Strength comes from alignment: the documents matching the system, the support matching the promise, and the legal framework keeping pace as the brand evolves.”
– Raynia Theodore, Principal, MST Lawyers
Legal advice that works in the real world
Franchise clients rarely come to us simply wanting to know what a clause says.
They want to know what it means for their business.
What is the real risk?
Can we proceed?
Is there a better way to structure this?
How will the decision affect the network?
What should we do next?
As Raynia puts it: “We don’t simply tell clients what the law says; we tell them what it means for their business and what to do about it.”
That commercial approach is central to the way MST Lawyers works.
We understand the economics of a franchise network, the pressures on franchisees and the brand and reputational risks carried by franchisors. Our role is to help clients understand which issues matter, what their options are and how those options may affect the broader business.
Support for franchisees
MST Lawyers acts for franchisees as well as franchisors.
For many prospective franchisees, buying into a franchise may be one of the largest financial commitments they make outside purchasing a home. Yet the disclosure document, franchise agreement and lease can run to hundreds of pages of unfamiliar terms.
We help prospective franchisees understand what they are signing – including their obligations, fees, renewal provisions, restraints, termination rights and areas of commercial risk – before they commit.
We also advise established franchisees on renewals, transfers, disputes and exiting a system.
The aim is simple: to help franchisees make informed decisions.
More than franchise documentation
A franchise network runs on much more than its franchise agreement.
Financing arrangements may require loan and security documentation. Product and service arrangements may require supply agreements. Marketing campaigns and loyalty programs bring contractual, consumer law, privacy and brand considerations.
And many franchise issues extend beyond the franchise relationship itself.
Because MST Lawyers operates through specialist practice teams, our franchise clients can draw on property and leasing, employment, corporate and commercial, intellectual property and dispute resolution lawyers within the one firm.
That may mean negotiating the lease behind a new site, responding to an employment claim, protecting trade marks across a network, drafting promotion terms and conditions, restructuring ownership or managing a dispute.
For clients, it means coordinated advice that considers the wider commercial picture.
Franchise experience backed by industry recognition
MST Lawyers’ franchise practice is led by Principals Raynia Theodore and Louise Wolf, both experienced practitioners with longstanding involvement in the sector.
Raynia was named Best Lawyers’ 2026 Lawyer of the Year for Franchise Law in Melbourne. Both Raynia and Louise were also recognised for Franchise Law in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in Australia.
MST Lawyers has been ranked Melbourne Tier 1 for Franchise Law in Best Law Firms – Australia for three consecutive editions – 2025, 2026 and 2027.
The firm was also a finalist for Franchise Service Provider of the Year at the Franchise Industry Awards in both 2025 and 2026 – recognition we are proud of and which reflects our longstanding commitment to franchisors, franchisees and the broader franchise sector.
Helping franchise businesses move forward
MST Lawyers has worked with clients from a single store through to networks with hundreds of outlets across multiple countries and has advised and onboarded thousands of franchisees.
Strong franchise networks are built on more than compliant documents. They need sound structures, sustainable commercial relationships and advisers who understand how the network operates as a whole.
Whether you are launching a new franchise system, growing an established network, buying a franchise, entering the Australian market or working through a difficult issue, MST Lawyers can help you move forward with greater clarity and confidence.
Ready to discuss your franchise legal needs?
Speak with MST Lawyers’ Franchise Law team about how we can support you at every stage of the franchise lifecycle.
Call (03) 8540 0200 or visit mst.com.au
email: [email protected]
