Fox, Jill E.

Dean Fournaris, a partner resident in the firm's Philadelphia office, is a franchise and distribution lawyer who has represented public and private franchisors, licensors, manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, distributors and developers in matters across the country.

As a member of the Franchise and Distribution Practice Group, Mr. Fournaris focuses his practice on developing, structuring and maintaining franchise and distribution networks, transactions and contracts involving franchise and distribution systems, franchise registration and disclosure, manufacturing and operating systems and standards, and other related regulatory and transactional matters. In his practice, he regularly advises franchise and distribution system clients in connection with all aspects of their franchisee-distributor, customer, supplier and competitor relationships. Mr. Fournaris has also prosecuted and defended cases, including injunction actions, before state and federal courts and arbitration panels on behalf of franchisors, manufacturers and distributors.

A sought-after speaker, Mr. Fournaris often lectures about franchise and distribution matters and has authored numerous articles on these subjects in industry and legal publications. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for franchise law since 2007 (for more about the standards for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, please click here). Mr. Fournaris was also featured by Franchise Times Magazine in an article entitled "Legal Hotshots Under 40" in July 2001. He is ranked by Chambers USA as one of the leading franchise lawyers in the United States (for more information about the standards for inclusion in Chambers USA, please click here).

Mr. Fournaris is a member of the American Bar Association's Forum on Franchising and serves currently on its Publications Committee. He is a founding member of the Franchise Law Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association and served as its Chair from 2003-2007. In addition, Mr. Fournaris is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Franchise Law Committee of the Corporation, Banking and Business Law Section and the New Jersey Bar Association's Franchise Law Committee.

Mr. Fournaris graduated from Franklin & Marshall College with a Bachelor of Arts degree and earned his Juris Doctorate from Cornell Law School.