About

I enjoy the practice of law very much, especially after 30+ years. I have extensive experience in commercial litigation, transactional law, corporate law and real estate (commercial and residential). Further, I have represented clients in numerous mediations and arbitrations (alternative dispute resolution– “ADR”). I received a certification in meditation from New Jersey ICLE.

Of all the areas of law in which I have practiced, my favorite subject is franchise law. Franchising involves several industries (food, health, sports, etc. — with nearly 10,000 franchise brands in the USA alone), which requires specialized legal knowledge of the FTC regulations, federal and state statutes, and federal and state court decisions. Further, franchise law requires legal experience in several disciplines, including contract review and drafting, transactions, and ADR/litigation.

Why Franchise Law? I get entrepreneurs and I enjoy working with them. Their enthusiasm is infectious and they appreciate straight talk and honest, hard work from their attorney.  I have formed and assisted a local company succeed as a national franchisor (ranked by Entrepreneur Magazine as a top 500 franchisor again in January 2018 – having gained nearly 100 slots since the 2017 ranking!), and I have assisted many Franchisees — from review and explanation of their FDDs, negotiating revisions to franchise terms, help in ramping-up their franchise businesses (forming legal entities, reviewing and negotiating commercial leases, negotiating land use issues for brick and mortar units), and negotiating or litigating disputes between Franchisors and Franchisees.

Over many years of practice, I have become extremely proficient in this select and challenging field of law, and I have the skill set to assist either Franchisors or Franchisees to succeed in this challenging business environment.

May I assist you in your franchise venture? Or, may I assist you in your non-franchise business? If you believe your business is a prospective franchise, I am glad to speak with you about the franchise business model and strategies for creating a franchise system.

Thank you for your interest.

Bar Admission:
1987 New Jersey and U.S. District Court for N.J.

Education:

2015 M.Th., Seton Hall University;
1986 JD, Seton Hall University, School of Law; and
1982 BA (Honors), College of Wooster.

Professional Affiliations:
New Jersey State Bar Association, Hunterdon County Bar Association

SUSAN MEACHAM: PARALEGAL