IFA26 Legal Symposium Agenda
All 2026 Legal Symposium Sessions will take place at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, DC

Full Session Descriptions

Sunday, May 17

Time Session
8:30 am – 2:30 pm Corporate Counsel Retreat
2:30 pm – 7:00 pm Registration Open
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm Legal Legislative Committee
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Welcome Reception
6:45 pm – 9:00 pm Speakers’ Networking Event
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Rising Franchise Legal Professional Dinner

Monday, May 18

Time Session
7:00 am – 6:30 pm Registration
7:45 am – 8:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am – 10:00 am Welcome & General Session
10:00 am – 10:30 am Refreshment Break
10:30 am – 11:45 am
Round #1 – Concurrent Sessions
  • Business Track: Fortune from Fortitude: Strategies for Supply Chain Resilience
  • Transactional Track: Evolving Models, Expanding Risks: Advanced Legal Strategies and Considerations for Non-Traditional Franchising
  • Relationship Track: What do I Have to Sign? Navigating New Terms and Conditions Upon Renewal and Transfer
  • Franchise General Counsel Summit
  • International Track: Navigating Legal Strategy in Modern Franchising
  • Basics Track: Mergers & Acquisitions: The Anatomy of a Franchise Deal
  • Business Track: Technology, Pricing, and the Consumer Experience: Navigating New Risks and Expectations
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Boxed Luncheon & Roundtables
1:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Round #2 – Concurrent Sessions
  • Litigation Track: From FDD to the Courtroom: Drafting and Litigating Franchise Disclosure Claims
  • Registration & Disclosure Track: Franchise Disclosure Under the Microscope: State Registration Trends
  • Relationship Track: Advanced Strategies for Conflict Resolution Through Mediation and Ombuds Programs
  • Business Track: Crisis Management 2.0: Legal and Business Strategies, Deepfakes, and Real-Time Reputation Defense
  • Transactional Track: Financing the Future: Navigating New Trends and Challenges in Franchisee Approvals and Lending
  • Basics Track: Trademark & IP
  • Business Track: Next-Gen Franchise Investing: How Private Equity Is Reimagining Value in the Franchise Model
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Refreshment Break
3:30 pm – 4:45 pm
Round #3 – Concurrent Sessions
  • Relationship Track: Redrawing and Redefining: Best Practices to Affect Systemwide Change
  • Litigation Track: The Joint Employer Reckoning: Federal Shifts, State Safeguards, and the Future of Franchise Liability
  • Relationship Track: The Next Generation of Ownership: Succession Planning as a Strategy for Franchise System Stability
  • Basics Track: Registration & Disclosure
  • Transactional Track: Hidden Gems or Devils in the Details: The Gift (or Curse) of Oft-Ignored Franchise Agreement Provisions
  • Intellectual Property Track: Stealing the System: Trade Secret Battles After Franchise Termination
  • Business Track: Confidentiality, Loyalty and Conflicts of Interest: Ethical Considerations for Counsel Representing Multiple Franchise Parties [Ethics Class]
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Networking Reception

Tuesday, May 19

Time Session
7:00 am – 4:15 pm Registration
7:45 am – 8:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am – 10:00 am Judicial Update & Legal Trends
10:00 am – 10:15 am Refreshment Break
10:15 am – 11:30 am
Round #4 – Concurrent Sessions
  • Relationship Track: Advanced Strategies for Conflict Resolution Through Mediation and Ombuds Programs
  • Registration & Disclosure Track: State-Mandated Addendums and Evolving Interpretation of State Disclosure Laws
  • Relationship Track: The Next Generation of Ownership: Succession Planning as a Strategy for Franchise System Stability
  • Business Track: Next-Gen Franchise Investing: How Private Equity Is Reimagining Value in the Franchise Model
  • Basics Track: Franchise Litigation
  • Intellectual Property Track: Stealing the System: Trade Secret and Trademark Battles After Franchise Termination
  • Business Track: Technology, Pricing, and the Consumer Experience: Navigating New Risks and Expectations
11:45 am – 1:15 pm Tuesday Program Luncheon

• An American Franchise Act Update and Election Outlook
• Navigating the Regulatory Landscape: A Fireside Chat with the FTC
• Tough Conversations Between Franchise Gladiators
1:30 pm – 2:45 pm
Round #5 – Concurrent Sessions
  • Business Track: Confidentiality, Loyalty and Conflicts of Interest: Ethical Considerations for Counsel Representing Multiple Franchise Parties [Ethics Class]
  • International Track: Franchise Law Without Borders: Navigating the Crosscurrents of Global Legal Trends
  • Relationship Track: Redrawing and Redefining: Best Practices to Affect Systemwide Change
  • Basics Track: Franchise Relationship Laws
  • Transactional Track: Hidden Gems or Devils in the Details: The Gift (or Curse) of Oft-Ignored Franchise Agreement Provisions
  • Litigation Track: The Joint Employer Reckoning: Federal Shifts, State Safeguards, and the Future of Franchise Liability
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm IN-HOUSE INTENSIVE (Inhouse counsel only session)
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm Refreshment Break
3:00 pm – 4:15 pm
Round #6 – Concurrent Sessions
  • Relationship Track: What do I have to Sign? Navigating New Terms and Conditions Upon Renewal and Transfer
  • Transactional Track: Evolving Models, Expanding Risks: Advanced Legal Strategies and Considerations for Non-Traditional Franchising
  • Business Track: Crisis Management 2.0: Legal and Business Strategies, Deepfakes, and Real-Time Reputation Defense
  • Basics Track: International
  • Litigation Track: From FDD to the Courtroom: Drafting and Litigating Franchise Disclosure Claims
  • Transactional Track: Financing the Future: Navigating New Trends and Challenges in Franchisee Approvals and Lending
  • Business Track: Fortune from Fortitude: Strategies for Supply Chain Resilience
4:15 pm Legal Symposium Adjourns

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