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Fixed-Fee Legal Services Programs

Goldstein Law Group
www.goldlawgroup.com
(As of Spring 2010)


Goldstein Law Group's long participation as an active player in the commercial litigation arena throughout the country enables it to effectively identify, address and resolve business disputes both in and out of the courtroom.  Goldstein Law Group has built on its extensive litigation experience to also become one of the premier national law firms providing counseling and franchise negotiations to franchisees and dealers.
 
In an effort to assist franchisees, dealers and other small and medium-sized businesses to avoid time-consuming and costly litigation, Goldstein Law Group has formulated the following legal services programs, each of which is intended to provide its clients with timely, efficient and effective legal support. These fixed-fee programs also allow clients to budget accurately only for the legal services they decide to purchase.

These fixed-fee programs are currently available to the following persons: (1) current subscribers of Franchise Trends, (2) those who purchase one of the programs below solely through the Paypal payment mechanisms on this site, and (3) those who understand that the services provided for each program will be limited to the service provision parameters set out in each program description.
 
The ability to offer these fixed-fee programs at these rates is based on the efficiencies associated with the collection of payments made directly through this electronic purchase program. Accordingly, these programs may not otherwise be available from the firm at these fixed rates.
 
The firm, however, of course, looks forward to working with you in the manner in which you feel most comfortable. If you have any questions about this program, please send an email directly to Jeff Goldstein at [email protected] 

Limited Consultations: Questions on Legal Issues Regarding Franchising and Distribution.


Under this program, Goldstein Law Group will provide answers to a limited number of discrete franchise-related legal questions asked by franchisees or potential franchisees. The answers are provided by attorneys during one conference call with the client, and the answers are based primarily on the attorneys' expertise and experience in the area of franchise and distribution law. Limited document review, usually of very specific provisions of an existing or proposed franchise agreement, may be conducted as part of this abbreviated program.
$375.00
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Legal Review of Franchise and Dealership Agreements - Two Potential Programs


Regardless of a franchisee's ability to obtain modifications in the franchise agreement through negotiations, a franchise agreement review is nevertheless crucial as it will provide the franchisee a fundamental working knowledge of the pitfalls in the franchise agreement that could later be applied to terminate the franchisee and prevent him or her from continuing to engage in any related businesses after a termination.
 
It is Goldstein Law Group's experience that many franchisees and dealers are unaware of the legal significance of a good number of the provisions in their franchise agreements.  Without possessing this fundamental working knowledge of the legal pitfalls and risks in their proposed franchise agreements it is almost impossible for franchisees and dealers to meaningfully compare the provisions in one franchise or dealer agreement with those in others that are being offered by competing franchisors in the marketplace.
 
Goldstein Law Group provides the two programs directly below regarding franchise agreement review services. These programs focus on legal reviews, not on negotiations with potential franchisors.

A.  Fundamental Review of Franchise/ Dealership Agreements /UFOC-FDD

Under this program, Goldstein Law Group reviews in general fashion your franchise and dealership agreements, as well the relevant UFOCs or FDDs, before they are signed.  Many potential franchisees make the mistake of not retaining counsel because the franchisor tells them that the agreement is a "take-it-or-leave-it agreement. As part of this review, this program provides for one conference call to discuss the firm's views and answer your general questions.
 
This program is focused on your getting a 'gut instinct' from an expert franchise lawyer as to the most ominous, or deceptively benign, aspects of the franchise agreement. This program does not include a detailed evaluation of the agreements, nor does it include negotiations, which are included in the more comprehensive programs below. This program is most beneficial to those who are contemplating purchasing a franchise, but who are still "on the fence."

$900.00
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B.  Detailed Review of Franchise/Dealership Agreements/UFOC-FDD

This program involves a thorough analysis of your proposed franchise agreement and UFOC or FDD. This program is far more comprehensive than the Fundamental Review above. It also includes the identification of any important franchise-specific statutes or laws in your state. Even an isolated word or term in one of these agreements has the real potential to determine the success or failure of your business.
 
This program also provides for the identification of state-specific franchise legislation that might bear on the proposed franchise agreement or relationship. This program does not include negotiations which are included in other programs below. As part of this review, this program provides for two conference calls to discuss the firm's views and answer your general questions.
 
This program is the most beneficial to those who are pretty certain that they will go forward with their franchise purchase, but who do not wish an attorney to attempt to negotiate different or additional points in their franchise agreements.

$1450.00
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Detailed Comprehensive Review and Negotiation of Franchise/Dealership Agreements/UFOC-FDD


Under this program, Goldstein Law Group provides the same detailed review and analysis as the Detailed Review of Franchise/Dealership Agreements/UFOC-FDD Program above, but also includes attempts to negotiate the proposed franchise agreement with the potential franchisor. Again, as noted above, there is no guarantee that a franchisor will always agree to negotiate over certain provisions in its franchise agreements.
 
In those cases where negotiations have led to the modification or addition of particular provisions or terms in a franchise agreement, it is crucial to have an attorney review the new language to make certain that the new legal language achieves the purpose of the modifications or additions. It is not an uncommon occurrence for the franchisor to draft up an addendum allegedly incorporating agreed-upon modifications or additions which, upon scrutiny, would be unenforceable by the franchisee.
 
This program includes full review, negotiations, and approval of any addendum or other modified contractual language in the body of the franchise agreement that could arise from negotiations with the franchisor.


$1900.00
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Non-Fixed-Fee Legal Services Programs

Goldstein Law Group
www.goldlawgroup.com
(As of Spring 2010)

Legal Evaluation of Business Disputes.


Under this program, Goldstein Law Group prepares legal evaluations of existing business disputes or those that are likely to arise in the near future. This program stresses the need for clients to be proactive in the face of business problems.
 
The Firm's long experience in addressing these types of problems has led to its very strong position that clients have much more leeway to achieve a more favorable resolution of a their problems if they are addressed at the time that the disputes are playing themselves out - not after the disputes have played themselves out .

Experienced and able litigators have the ability to actively and in real-time contour the landscape of the litigation battlefield on which they might later have to appear. However, such contouring cannot take place in a vacuum.  This program is intended to provide clients with meaningful and accurate legal benchmarks related to particular problems; in this regard, many times it is the conduct of clients after a problem has arisen - not before -- that seals their legal fates.
 
Fees Based on Discounted Hourly Rates for Subscribers of Franchise Trends.



Commercial and Complex Litigation.

Goldstein Law Group has made its reputation as a boutique litigation law firm, although it now has a very active counseling practice as well. The Firm actively litigates in state and federal courts in cases around the country. The Firm also actively tries arbitration cases. The Firm is a proponent of mediations in appropriate circumstances, and participates in these as well.
 
Fees Based on Discounted Hourly Rates for Subscribers of Franchise Trends.

Legal Evaluation of Contemplated or Ongoing Litigation.


Under this program, Goldstein Law Group prepares written legal evaluations and opinions about contemplated litigation, or litigation that is pending in matters not being handled by Goldstein Law Group. Because the stakes of litigation are incredibly high, this program is more formal than the others, and results in a more formal written product.
 
Litigation evaluations are multi-faceted, involving a complex analysis and synthesis of many factors, including, for instance, viability of claims, choice of potential claims, choice of courts, choice of forums, choice of defendants, and choice of lawyers. In addition to these explicit factors, there are also just as many implicit factors, such as choice of strategies and choice of tactics, which are just as important.
 
Although it is, of course, impossible to predict the result of litigation, Goldstein Law Group's expertise and experience permits its lawyers to provide very realistic general views regarding the likelihood of success of particular ongoing or planned litigation. In this regard, the Firm also provides legal evaluations and opinions of litigation that has been concluded with a judgment against you by a trial court; in these cases, clients' decisions regarding possible appeals are no less -- and possibly more -- important than those regarding trial litigation.
 
Fees Based on Discounted Hourly Rates for Subscribers of Franchise Trends.




GOLDSTEIN, P.O. Box 1707, Leesburg, VA 20177 MAIN: 202-293-3947 FAX: 202-315-2514
© 2010 Goldstein Counselors At Law