Franchise Lawyers Serving Maryland
What You Need to Know About Franchising
The franchise industry in Maryland is holding steady, with just over 14,000 franchise establishments in operation, employing approximately 165,000 workers. A state’s franchise track record is best suited toward its growing population, lower costs of living and business friendly environment. Good news for Maryland business, but there are some changes to keep top of mind.
State legislature implemented new minimum wage requirements effective January 1, 2020, that raised the minimum wage from $10.10/hr. to $11.00/hr. The wage will continue to rise annually until it reaches $15.00/hr. in 2025. In addition, the state is considering a privacy act much like the California Consumer Privacy Ace (CCPA), which could govern how franchisors and franchisees collect, share and use consumers’ personal information to create business opportunities. Keep on eye on local government to stay informed with further developments.
Maryland is a registration state for franchises, which means that you must submit your FDD to a state regulator for review. In Maryland, the initial FDD registration fee is $500 and the FDD renewal fee is $250.
Greenbelt, MD was the first community in the United States built as a planned city.
The most popular franchise industry in Maryland is commercial and residential cleaning.
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Legal Services from Our Franchise Lawyers
We are an elite national franchise law firm with decades of experience. Our attorneys focus on real-world solutions and always consider the return on investment for every legal dollar spent.
Attorneys Who Understand MD Franchise Law
Franchise laws vary from state to state, and it can be difficult to understand the requirements. Spadea Lignana has streamlined the process to ensure you remain compliant as you grow nationally.
We also work with franchisors nearby in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
Flat Fee Program for Franchisors
Spadea Lignana’s CORE program for franchisors is a cost-effective and practical solution for the ongoing legal needs of franchisors, including but not limited to, FDD updates, state registrations and franchise agreement executions. Through a proprietary cloud-based system we can effectively and efficiently manage FDD Disclosures and Franchise Agreement executions for fair flat fees billed monthly. We believe that hourly billing, although necessary in certain circumstances like complex M&A deals and litigation, can weigh on the relationship between client and attorney. By coming up with a fair flat monthly fee, the uncomfortable negotiating of whether or not a 6 minute increment in your bill for replying to an email was legitimate goes away.
