EXPERIENCE   Ben has been working with franchisors for over twelve years on a variety of litigation, counseling, transactional and regulatory matters.  Even though his experience spans a broad range of areas, Ben’s expertise is in litigating disputes of all kinds.  From suits involving alternative distribution channels and contested terminations to enforcing post-term covenants against terminated franchisees, Ben has assisted clients in navigating the perils of litigation.  And while winning the case is always the goal, Ben understands from his background in transactional, regulatory and counseling matters that the most important consideration is how the resolution of an individual dispute impacts a franchisor’s overriding business goals. Ben’s experience beyond litigation includes advising clients in trademark prosecutions and trademark protection matters, counseling franchisors in all aspects of the franchise relationship, advising franchisors in connection with the structuring of their domestic and international franchise programs, and representing clients before various federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and Consumer Product Safety Administration on a variety of issues, such as advertising and marketing practices food labeling and recalls of consumer goods.

PUBLICATIONS (as author or co-author)   What’s in a Name?  A Lot:  Trademark and Brand Protection Strategies for Franchisors 19 Business Law Today (Amer. Bar Assoc.), No. 4 March/April 2010   Rethinking Motions to Dismiss in Franchise Cases: The "Plausibility" Standard of Twombly and Iqbal Make the Success of Such Motions More, Well, Plausible The Business Suit | Commercial Litigation Committee of the Defense Resource Institute November 2009   New Consumer Product Safety Law Could Impact Franchisors November 6, 2008 | Franchise Alert Change Your Menus in New York City? Federal Appeals Court Declines to Block Implementation of Calorie Disclosure Regulations May 9, 2008 | Franchise Alert Franchisors Contemplating Asian Development Should Consider “Dot-Asia” December 7, 2007 | Franchise Alert ‘Til Death Do Us Part (and Perhaps Not Even Then): The Enforceability of Perpetual Business Relationships February 2006 | The Business Suit Remedies against Cyberpirates May 1, 2000 | The Advertiser

SPEECHES (as presenter, moderator, or co-presenter)   Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search and Micro Sites - Controlling Your Brand International Franchise Association's 43rd Annual Legal Symposium May 2010 | Washington, D.C. Litigation / Arbitration with Franchisees: Cost Containment; How, When & Why Business Solution Roundtable 50th Annual IFA Convention February 2010 | San Antonio, Texas   Litigating Franchise Transfers: What Right Does a Franchisor Have to Say "No"? ABA Forum on Franchising and Center for Continuing Legal Education Live Teleconference and Webcast July 13, 2006   Franchisee Intranets 39th Annual IFA Legal Symposium May 9, 2006 | Washington, DC

EDUCATION   J.D., University of Virginia School of Law B.A.S., magna cum laude, University of South Carolina; Phi Beta Kappa

LAW JOURNALS   Executive Editor, Virginia Environmental Law Journal Member, Virginia Journal of Social Policy and the Law

BAR & COURT ADMISSIONS   District of Columbia Bar Virginia Bar U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Fifth and Ninth Circuits U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Virginia, District of Columbia and Eastern District of Wisconsin

ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIPS   American Bar Association, Section of Litigation and Forum on Franchising Bar Association of the District of Columbia Virginia Bar Association International Franchise Association, 2006 and 2007 Legal Symposium Task Force