The 2025 IFA Legal Symposium
We had a great time at the IFA’s 2025 Legal Symposium in Washington DC May 4-6. Don Fox, former CEO of Firehouse Subs, and Chelsea Mikula from Tucker Ellis joined Michael Seid, Managing Director of MSA Worldwide, in a panel about “Proactive Strategies for Franchisors to Prevent Litigation Risk” which was well-attended, with lots of questions and discussions with the audience.
Drew Seid’s panel, “Beauty or Beast? Positioning Emerging Franchise Brands for Success” was also well attended. We enjoyed a robust discussion on how best to launch a franchise system, and how best a franchisee candidate can evaluate whether a new franchise system is worth joining.
We were glad to catch up with old friends and make new connections. Nina Greene, Partner at Venable and Chair of this year’s Legal Symposium Task Force, did a tremendous job along with Symposium Task Force and International Franchise Association staff. The Symposium was well organized and offered a wide range of speakers and sessions to bring us all up to date on current issues in franchising. We also thank the panel experts for their insights, and our audiences for spirited and detailed discussions.
