Leavitt, Troy J

Legal Experience
Adele M. Vespa has over 25 years of legal experience in Franchise & Distribution, Commercial Real Estate, and General Corporate work and experience in complex Product’s Liability Litigation. She has experience mediating complicated franchisor/franchisee disputes involving issues of franchisee terminations, liquidated damages provisions, failed inspections, breaches of system standards, breach of training provisions and financial performance misrepresentations.  Adele is the former Chief Franchise Counsel for AFC Enterprises, d/b/a Popeyes Restaurants and served as Assistant General Counsel for Huddle House, Inc. for many years. During those years, she had a proven track record of creatively resolving disputes with franchisees  to enhance the franchise system, minimizing termination actions, including developing a comprehensive franchisee default policy following months of negotiations and buy-in from  Popeyes International Franchisee Association. In private practice, she represented franchisors in Georgia and Ohio, including Wendy’s, Stanley Steamer, Philly Connection, as well as franchisees  including the  Master Franchisee for Remax in Ohio, the largest national IHOP franchisee with over 400 units, and franchisee acquisition of 40 Applebee’s restaurants in Georgia by a Georgia venture capital group.
 
Adele has been a member of the ABA Forum on Franchising since 1984 and has served as a speaker at The Southeast Franchise Forum in 2009 and 2010, on alternatives to default and termination and mediation topics. She also served as a co-facilitator at the Georgia Bar's Franchise & Distribution Law Section CLE Program in 2011, speaking on the topic of Termination and Alternatives to Termination. She is a trained and registered neutral with the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution. Over the years, Adele also represented landlords, tenants, buyers, sellers, lenders and other financial institutions in a variety of commercial real estate and leasing transactions. She also served as Lead Real Estate Counsel for Banc One Corporation in Columbus, Ohio during the 1990’s.

ADR Training & Experience
Registered Mediator & Arbitrator, Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution
Mediator Training, Henning Mediation & Arbitration
Arbitrator Training, Henning Mediation & Arbitration

ADMINISTRATIVE FEE:
$125.00 PER PARTY / PER DAY

MEDIATION / ARBITRATION HOURLY FEES:
Civil:
2 Party Case: $175.00 Per Party Per Hour
3 Party Case: $150.00 Per Party Per Hour
4 Party Case: $135.00 Per Party Per Hour