Don M. Drysdale

Mr. Drysdale has more than 35 years of franchise law experience. His practice is focused on franchise documentation (including franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements, international master franchise agreements and area development agreements), franchise regulatory compliance (including registration of franchise disclosure documents with state franchise regulators), and franchisor-franchisee relations. In each of the last 15 years, Mr. Drysdale was awarded an “AV Preeminent” rating (the highest possible in legal ability and ethics) from the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

Mr. Drysdale served as Commissioner on the California State Bar’s initial Franchise and Distribution Law Advisory Commission, which established the California Franchise and Distribution Law Specialty. He also served as Vice President and initial General Counsel of Coldwell Banker Residential Affiliates, Inc., where he established and supervised the legal department of the organization as it grew to more than 1,000 franchisees.

Mr. Drysdale is an active member of the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising (and former Plenary Session speaker), and the Business Law Section of the California State Bar. Previously he was a member of the Orange County Specialty Law Guild and the International Law Section of the Orange County Bar Association (where he served as Chair of the Section in 2020). He also served as Chair of the Franchise Law Committee of the State Bar of California, member of the International Franchise Association Legal/Legislative Committee, member of the Franchise Development Task Force to the President Pro Tempore of the California Senate, member of the Advisory Commission to the California Senate on Franchising Matters, and Chair of the Business Law Committee (with emphasis on international franchising) of the Asia-Pacific Lawyers Association.

During his career, Mr. Drysdale has lectured on franchising and franchise related matters before the International Franchise Association, International Bar Association (in Hong Kong and France), American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, Asia-Pacific Lawyers Association (in Beijing), California Franchise Association, Florida Franchise Association, Japan Franchise Association (in Tokyo), Orange County Bar Association, and University of California Irvine. Mr. Drysdale served as a Naval Flight Officer with the U.S. Navy for 24 years (4 on active duty with the Navy’s “Hurricane Hunters” and 20 as a reservist with Navy aviation patrol squadrons) and attained the rank of Commander.

Preparing franchise disclosure documents for more than 100 franchisors and registering franchises with state franchise regulators, preparing international master franchise agreements and international disclosure documents for more than 30 international franchisors, and documenting and advising franchisors about franchisor-franchisee relations in the following business sectors:

Advertising, arts and crafts, auto repair, business services, children’s barbershop, computer training and support, cosmetic and aesthetic salons, discount retail stores, fast casual restaurants, fast food outlets, fitness centers, full service restaurants, home improvement, home inspection, home repair, insurance brokerage, Internet service providers, kickboxing outlet, mail convenience centers, math learning center, nutritional supplement stores, pizzerias, quick serve restaurants, real estate brokerage (both commercial and residential), property investment services, retail apparel, senior home health care, specialty retail store businesses, tea shops, tire store, video game store, yogurt and ice cream shops, wine shop, and wireless retail outlet.