This week, Nina Greene, Jen Daskal, Michael Joblove, and Dimitrije Canic attended the 2026 IFA Legal Symposium, moderating high-profile discussions and sharing insights on legal, regulatory, and business issues shaping the future of franchising.
Highlights from this year’s conference included the following:
- Nina Greene, partner and chair of the IFA Legal Symposium, moderated a featured fireside chat with International Franchise Association President & CEO Matt Haller and IFA Board Chair and East Coast Wings + Grill/Sammy Sliders CEO Sam Ballas. The discussion explored the outlook for franchising in 2026, including emerging opportunities, economic pressures, and the evolving franchise landscape. Greene also authored Evolve: IFA Legal Symposium Focuses on Progress and Innovation for Franchising World.
- Jen Daskal, partner, presented “Staying Ahead of Cybersecurity Risks: How to Protect Your Franchise Business from Attackers and Litigants Alike,” where she examined the growing cybersecurity and data privacy risks facing franchise businesses and shared strategies for reducing operational and litigation exposure.
- Michael Joblove, partner, moderated “Tough Franchise Relationship Conversations between Franchise Gladiators with Special FTC Guest, Christine Todaro.” The session featured candid discussions on the franchise terms and operational issues that most often create tension between franchisors and franchisees, offering attendees practical insight into today’s legal and business pressure points. Joblove also co-authored The Guardrail Gap: Is the Current Franchise Legal Framework Keeping Up With the Speed of Evolution? for Franchising World.
- Dimitrije Canic, associate, spoke during the ethics session, “Confidentiality, Loyalty and Conflicts of Interest: Ethical Considerations for Counsel Representing Multiple Franchise Parties.” Through case studies and interactive hypotheticals, the panel explored the professional responsibility challenges franchise counsel face when representing multiple parties and competing interests within the industry.
The symposium brought together franchise industry leaders, attorneys, and business executives from across the country to discuss the most pressing issues impacting franchise systems today.