Ryan provides legal guidance to domestic and international restaurants and hospitality organizations, and software, finance, and professional service clients including providers of daycare, beauty and spa, personal grooming, cleaning, and massage services. He also counsels brand and concept owners in the development of franchise and distribution systems. Clients rely on him to provide day-to-day advice on all aspects of business law, including sales, acquisitions, contract review and drafting, intellectual property, and corporate and shareholder matters.
A true client advocate, Ryan understands issues that are important to his clients and frequently speaks on labor matters, industry trends, commodity prices, worker classifications, deal economics, and trademark and brand protection. He is often quoted by the media and has been interviewed by HuffPost, Food on Demand, Franchise Times, Minnesota Lawyer and The Spoon, among others. His multi-unit retail experience includes representing clients in refranchising and franchise finance transactions, and in the sale and acquisition of franchised brands.
A smart, practical, and easy-to-get-along-with attorney, Ryan also knows how to get deals done, when to negotiate, and when to fight for his clients. He counsels brand and concept owners in the development of franchise and distribution systems and helps businesses resolve disputes with franchisees and licensees. Ryan advises clients and represents lenders on a wide range of franchise finance transactions. He serves on the Legal/Legislative Committee for the International Franchise Association (IFA).
Ryan also understands the importance of his clients’ intellectual property rights. He helps clients to build and protect their brands through the strategic use of copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets. He has reviewed and cleared hundreds of federal trademarks and assists clients in policing and defending their IP assets.
Ryan is a volunteer for LegalCORPS, which provides free assistance in non-litigation business law matters to low-income owners of small businesses, small nonprofit organizations and low-income innovators in Minnesota. For six years, he was an adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. He taught negotiations and mergers & acquisitions and continues to serve as a mentor.
