Elizabeth Westrope

Lizzy Westrope

Associate
Chicago
About

Lizzy Westrope advises clients on domestic and international franchising, licensing, and distribution matters, with a focus on helping businesses grow and protect their brands.

Lizzy has significant experience guiding franchisors through complex regulatory landscapes in the US and abroad. She regularly drafts franchise disclosure documents, franchise agreements, area development agreements, and other commercial contracts for franchisors. She provides pragmatic advice to franchisors in a wide range of industries, including hospitality, fitness, entertainment, restaurant, retail, childcare, real estate, veterinary care, health care, home services, and automotive services. She also has experience advising private equity firms in connection with the sale and acquisition of franchise companies and routinely represents franchisors in whole business securitizations.

Areas of FocusFranchise
Bar admissionsIllinois

EXPERIENCE

A selection of Lizzy's engagements includes:

  • Counsel for numerous franchise companies in inaugural and subsequent whole business securitizations, including a QSR franchise company in its inaugural US$3.5 billion whole business securitization
  • Represented a variety of US-based franchise brands in expansions into over 70 countries in all regions of the world
  • Represented a private equity bidder in the purchase of a franchise company with a valuation of over US$9 billion
  • Counsel for a hospitality company in connection with a franchise transaction involving nearly 20 all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean and Latin America
  • Counsel for a Thailand-based hospitality company in connection with its expansion into the US and Canada
  • Represented various franchisors in their initial franchise offerings

Awards

  • Named, Legal Eagle, Franchise Times, (2025)

Pro Bono

Lizzy maintains an active pro bono practice. Some of her recent pro bono work includes:

  • Representing asylum seekers and children seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)
  • Representing a young adult seeking clemency
  • Researching the availability of legal resources for individuals impacted by COVID-19
  • Representing a statewide class of prisoners challenging the constitutionality of their conditions of confinement
  • Representing a client wrongfully accused of armed robbery in criminal proceedings

Through her pro bono work, Lizzy has second-chaired the defense of a medical expert in a class action prisoners' rights lawsuit, managed discovery, interviewed and counseled numerous clients, drafted pleadings and legal memoranda, won asylum for a client appearing before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and appeared on behalf of clients in administrative, civil, and criminal proceedings.

Education
  • J.D., Northwestern University
    cum laude
  • B.A., University of Notre Dame
    cum laude

Bylines

  • Contributor, "Basic Procedural Manual for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Predicate Orders in Illinois," National Immigrant Justice Center, March 2022
  • "Inspiring Law Students to Advocate for Survivors of Violence," DLA Piper, October 9, 2019
  • "Employment Discrimination on the Basis of Criminal History: Why an Anti-Discrimination Statute is a Necessary Remedy," 108 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 367, (2018)

Seminars

  • Co-speaker, "Franchising in Southeast Asia," Webinar, International Franchise Association, December 17, 2025
  • Co-presenter, "Basics: Franchise Related Mergers & Acquisitions," International Franchise Association Annual Legal Symposium in Washington, D.C., May 17, 2022

Media Mentions

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Americas Pro Bono Committee
  • Co-chair, National Immigrant Justice Center Associate Leadership Board

My latest insights

Publication
Abstract view of building

District court erred in Arrington: implications of anti-poaching class action for...

29 September 2022 .6 minute read

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Connect

Phone

+1 312 368 2154
(Work, Chicago)