Richard G. Greenstein is a transactional lawyer with over 30 years of experience representing clients across multiple industries principally involving different aspects of franchise and distribution law, intellectual property, licensing and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Greenstein currently heads DLA Piper's Franchise and Distribution practice in the Southeast and is a member of the Corporate and Private Equity practices in the Southeast. Mr. Greenstein joined DLA Piper in 2006 as a founding partner in the Atlanta office.

Mr. Greenstein been retained by clients to advise on the establishment and maintenance of domestic and international franchise programs including day-to-day counseling of franchisors on legal compliance issues, relations with franchisees and dispute resolution. He also assists many franchisors by drafting and negotiating franchise agreements, both domestic and international, supplier/vendor agreements, beverage agreements and intellectual property licensing agreements.

In combining his franchise expertise with mergers and acquisitions, Mr. Greenstein has created a niche practice advising clients, particularly private equity firms, in the acquisition and sale of franchise systems. Over the past 10 years, he has served as lead franchise and intellectual property counsel in the acquisition of franchisors in the restaurant, hotel, child care and preschool and retail industries.

Representative Recent Transactions

Below is a list of mergers and acquisitions in the past ten years in which Mr. Greenstein has acted as special franchise counsel. He has represented:

• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Arby's franchise system (2011)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Corner Bakery Cafe franchise system (2011)
• Affiliates of the Baird Group in the purchase of the Chem-Dry franchise system (2011)
• C2 Holdings, Inc. in the sale of the C2 Education franchise system to affiliates of Serent Capital (2011)
• Ulysses Management in the purchase of the Ice House America distribution system (2011)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Auntie Anne's franchise system (2010)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the sale of the Money Mailer franchise system (2010)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Pet Valu franchise system (2010)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Wingstop franchise system (2010)
• Bagster, LLC in the sale of the Bagster franchise system to Waste Management (2009)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Primrose Schools franchise system (2008)
• Global Hyatt Corp. in the sale of U.S. Franchise Systems to Wyndham Hotel Group (2008)
• Affiliates of the Blackstone Group in the sale of the Baymont hotel franchise system to Cendant Corporation (2008)
• Mama Fu's Noodle House in the sale of the Mama Fu's franchise business (2008)
• American Tire Distributors in the purchase of the Tire Pros franchise system (2008)
• P.J.'s USA, Inc. in the sale of PJ's Coffee franchise system (2008)
• Affiliates of the Blackstone Group in the purchase of the Hilton franchise system (2007)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Batteries Plus franchise system (2007)
• Moe's Southwest Grill in the sale of the Moe's franchise system to affiliates of Roark Capital (2007)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Schlotzsky's franchise system (2006)
• Affiliates of the Blackstone Group in the sale of the Budgetel franchise system (2006)
• Affiliates of the Blackstone Group in the purchase of the LaQuinta franchise system (2005)
• Affiliates of the Blackstone Group in the sale of the Summerfield Suites franchise system to Hyatt Corporation (2005)
• New York-based United Enterprise Fund LP and Sandwich Acquisition Corp. in the sale of the Blimpie franchise system to Kahala Corporation (2005)
• Affiliates of the Blackstone Group in the sale of the Wyndham franchise system to Cendant Corporation (2005)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the McAlister's franchise system (2005)
• Affiliates of the Blackstone Group in the purchase of the Prime Hospitality franchise system (2004)
• Affiliates of the Blackstone Group in the sale of the AmeriSuites franchise system to Hyatt Corporation (2004)
• Heavenly Ham Co. in the sale of the Heavenly Ham franchise system to Honey Baked Ham (2004)
• FOCUS Brands in the purchase of the Cinnabon franchise system (2004)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Fastsign's franchise system (2003)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Money Mailer franchise system (2003)
• New York-based United Enterprise Fund LP and Sandwich Acquisition Corp. in the purchase of the Blimpie franchise system (2002)
• Affiliates of Roark Capital in the purchase of the Carvel franchise system (2001)

Mr. Greenstein has received a number of professional commendations. He has been selected for inclusion in the publication The International Who's Who of Franchise Lawyers in every year from 2004 to the present and is regularly chosen by his peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America and in the publication The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers. Mr. Greenstein has been named by his peers as a Georgia Super Lawyer from 2004-present as a result of research projects conducted jointly by Law & Politics and Atlanta magazine.

From 1980 to 1986, Mr. Greenstein was an in-house counsel for the IBM Corporation and served in three different jobs in Princeton, New Jersey; Westchester County, New York; and Atlanta. Mr. Greenstein was a partner in two other law firms in Atlanta before joining DLA Piper.