Legal & FDD comparison
DLA Piper vs Faegre Drinker
How DLA Piper and Faegre Drinker compare for wellness franchise operators — side-by-side specs and our verdict on which fits which concept.
Short answer
Two large full-service firms with established franchise practices, appropriate when franchise work sits alongside corporate, IP, real estate, and employment matters you need handled by the same firm. DLA Piper's advantage is international reach, which is the reason to pick it if your system has cross-border expansion in view. Faegre Drinker is a large US firm with a long-standing franchise and distribution practice. The trade-off against a franchise boutique is straightforward: you gain breadth and bench depth, and you pay large-firm rates for it. For an emerging wellness franchisor whose legal needs are FDD drafting and registration filings, a boutique will usually be faster and cheaper. For a system with genuine multi-jurisdiction complexity, the full-service firms earn their rate.
Side-by-side
| DLA Piper | Faegre Drinker | |
|---|---|---|
| Practice focus | Franchisor | Franchisor |
| States active | Nationwide (US), International | Nationwide (US), International |
| Pricing model | Hourly, global-firm rates | Hourly, large-firm rates |
| Best for | Large-scale franchisors with international development or litigation needs | Established brands expanding into multiple registration states or internationally |
| Differentiator | One of the largest global law firms, with deep franchise-sector bench strength | National full-service firm scale for complex, multi-jurisdiction franchise development |
Full profile
DLA Piper
Global law firm with a large-scale franchise and licensing practice.
Full profile
Faegre Drinker
National franchise and licensing practice for established brands.
See more options in our roundup of the best legal & fdd for wellness franchises.