As a member of the largest franchise practice in North Carolina, she regularly counsels start-up and early-stage franchisors in building their brands and navigating complex state and federal franchise regulations.   She also serves as general corporate counsel to these and other retail and restaurant clients and assists with transactions that range from routine to complex.  Ashley has extensive experience preparing franchise disclosure documents (“FDDs”), which benefits not only the franchisors who seek her strategic advice, but also the franchisees who hire her to evaluate FDDs and negotiate franchise agreements and leases.  Ashley speaks to franchisors and teaches other attorneys about franchising and related topics.   In 2019, she received the Certified Franchise Executive (“CFE”) designation.