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Franchise Your Business — From Operator to Franchisor

FDD drafting, state registration, and franchise development counsel from an attorney who built a 37-location national franchise system from scratch.

For Founders & Franchisors

Franchise Development Counsel

Matt Crumpton is one of the few franchise attorneys in the country who has actually operated a franchise system at scale. He acquired D.P. Dough in 2011 with a handful of locations, built it into a nationally ranked 37-unit system, landed it on the Entrepreneur Top 200 four times, and sold it in 2019. He has been in exactly the position his franchisor clients are in now.

That background changes the advice you receive. When Matt reviews your FDD, he's not just checking boxes — he's evaluating whether your disclosures accurately reflect a franchise system that can actually work. When he drafts your franchise agreement, he understands what happens when a franchisee underperforms, what dispute resolution looks like in practice, and what terms protect a franchisor system without killing the franchisee relationship.

FDD Drafting & Development

  • Full Franchise Disclosure Document drafting (all 23 Items)
  • Franchise agreement drafting
  • Operations manual legal review and compliance guidance
  • Item 19 Financial Performance Representation strategy
  • Earnings claims analysis and disclosure structuring
  • Multi-unit and area development agreement drafting

State Registration & Compliance

  • Registration in the 13 registration states (CA, HI, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, ND, NY, RI, SD, VA, WA)
  • Notice filings in all required notice states
  • State regulator response and deficiency letter management
  • Exemption analysis for qualifying franchise systems
  • Annual FDD renewal and amendment filings

Ongoing Franchisor Counsel

  • Annual FDD updates (required within 120 days of fiscal year end)
  • Material change amendments during the year
  • Franchisee default and termination procedures
  • Transfer and resale transaction management
  • Franchisee dispute resolution
  • System expansion and territory planning

How Long Does It Take?

FDD drafting typically takes 4–8 weeks depending on system complexity and the completeness of your existing documentation. State registration in the 13 registration states adds 30–120 days per state. Most clients are positioned to sell their first franchise 3–6 months after engaging us. Simple, well-documented systems move faster.

Ready to Franchise?

Start with a free 20-minute consultation. We'll assess your system's franchisability and give you a clear roadmap and flat-fee quote.

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The 13 Registration States

You must register and receive approval before selling franchises to residents of:

California • Hawaii • Illinois • Indiana • Maryland • Michigan • Minnesota • North Dakota • New York • Rhode Island • South Dakota • Virginia • Washington

Franchising FAQs
A franchisable business has a proven, replicable operating model; a recognizable brand; training systems that transfer; and unit economics that work after royalties. We evaluate franchisability as part of the initial consultation.
FDD drafting takes 4–8 weeks. State registration adds 30–120 days per state. Most clients are ready to sell franchises 3–6 months after engaging us.
No — only 13 states require pre-sale registration. The rest are disclosure-only (FTC Rule) or notice states. We handle all filings and registrations as part of the engagement.
You must update your FDD annually within 120 days of fiscal year end and promptly amend it for material changes. Registration states require annual renewal filings. We provide ongoing maintenance, amendment, and renewal services.

Let's Build Your Franchise System

Schedule a free consultation. We'll evaluate your concept, outline the process, and give you a flat-fee quote — no hourly billing, no surprises.

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