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Doug Luther spent the first part of his career working at some of the most prestigious law firms in the country. During that time, he, along with his teams, represented everyone from billionaires to celebrities to Fortune 500 companies. On behalf of plaintiffs, he has obtained verdicts, pre-trial judgments, and settlements amounting to more than $20 million. Representing corporate and individual defendants, he has achieved verdicts, pre-trial judgments, and settlements successfully defending against claims exceeding tens of millions of dollars

He also represented many franchisors as he learned the ins and outs of franchise law and became Chair of the California Lawyers Association’s Franchise Law Committee. He would go on to become the general counsel of a growing franchise brand, Amada Senior Care. At Amada he built out the legal department and put together the processes to manage legal issues. He was responsible for Amanda’s franchise registration and relationship obligations, litigation, contract negotiation, commercial transactions, corporate development and governance, and advising on employment, insurance, and data privacy law, among others.

During his career, he received invaluable training and learned how franchisors defend cases and what strategies and tactics they use to defeat franchisees’ claims. He also learned what causes franchisors to settle and how best to negotiate agreements with them. After a decade of practicing, he decided to start his own law firm, designed to be one of the premier franchise law firms in the country.

When not lawyering, he takes advantage of the California sunshine and get outdoors as much as possible (running, biking, swimming, tennis) while spending time with his family.

Fun facts:

  • Successfully escaped from Alcatraz (by swimming)
  • Ran seven half marathons
  • Played college water polo
  • Visited 40 countries
  • Whiskey collector
  • Undergraduate thesis was a documentary film on congressional redistricting
  • Won first trial (small claims) in the first year of law school
  • During law school assisted in the preparation of Professor Lynn LoPucki and now Senator Elizabeth Warren’s textbook, Secured Credit: A Systems Approach

Published Opinions

  • Thurston Ent., Inc. v. Safeguard Business Systems, Inc., 435 P.3d 489 (2019)
  • T3 Ent., Inc. v. Safeguard Business Systems, Inc. 435 P.3d 518 (2019)

Presentations and Publications

  • “Independent Contractor or Employee? – Current State of the Ever-Changing Law and Its Impact on Franchising,” Presenter, American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising (October 30, 2020)
  • “AB 5: The Codification of the ABC Test – A Franchising Perspective,” Presenter, California Lawyers Association Webinar (December 12, 2019)
  • “Franchise Deskbook: Selected State Laws, Commentary and Annotations, Third Edition,” Contributing author, American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising (2019)
  • “Walking the Line: When are In-House Counsel’s Communications or Advice to a Franchisee an Ethical Violation?” Co-author, Franchise Law Journal (Spring 2018)