Day one of IFA’s second largest event, the Annual Legal Symposium, was a success!

Even though the nation’s capital was experiencing perfect spring weather outside, attendees were still enjoying the buzzing atmosphere inside the hotel. The day began with nearly 600 legal professionals – including in-house counsel, general counsel, and even franchise presidents and CEOs – checking in at the registration desk at the JW Marriott in Washington, DC. 

First on the agenda was the opening general session. IFA President & CEO, Robert Cresanti, CFE, kicked off the event with an address to the crowd along with Legal Symposium Task Force Chair and Partner at DLA Piper Stuart Hershman.

Our opening panel, Leonard MacPhee, Shareholder, Polsinelli, Bruce Brown, Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Darden Restaurants, Darryl Marsch, SVP, General Counsel & Secretary, Wingstop Restaurants, and Cynthia Parres, General Counsel, Risk and Compliance Officer, Houlihan’s Restaurant Group discussed franchise news that matters most. 

With topics such as blockchain, regulations and disclosures and navigating the changing data security landscape, it’s no wonder the concurrent sessions were full and well-received. 

One of the most exciting and antipated parts of the Legal Symposium are the roundtables. Over lunch, attendees sat with experts and had one-on-one discussions to address specific areas such as non-traditional site deals, encroachment issues, international arbitration and much more.

Next stop – more concurrent sessions! After a full day of learning new things and deep-diving into topics of interest, attendees relaxed with food and drinks during the networking reception. This is where attendees make new friends and strengthen relationships of old ones. 

Didn’t get a chance to attend this year’s event? Join the conversation by following #LegalSymposium on social media to see what IFA and your colleagues are saying about the show! Be on the lookout for the day 2 recap.