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John's practice is focused on franchise and general corporate law, working predominately with franchisors and franchisees to develop and grow their brands and businesses, to comply with the complex regulatory landscape surrounding franchising, and to navigate their eventual exit.

John often assists clients in developing and protecting their brands by seeking state, federal and international trademark registrations. Most commonly, he assists clients by submitting trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, responding to USPTO office actions, monitoring the marketplace for infringement, responding to infringement, and structuring licensing arrangements.

After receiving his B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017, John came to work at Manning Fulton as a paralegal. He worked with us for two years before leaving to attend the University of Virginia School of Law, after which he rejoined the firm as an associate attorney in 2023.

John grew up in Wilmington, NC and now works out of our Raleigh, NC office.

Federal labor regulators have finally dropped their efforts (for now) to expand franchisor liability for the employment policies and practices of franchisees as the National Labor Relations Board (the “NLRB”) has revealed that it will not appeal a federal court’s decision striking down the NLRB’s October 2023 rule.

For context— historically, there was a clear

For most, the sale of a business is a new experience that requires sellers to learn many entirely foreign processes in a very short amount of time. The many steps to selling your business can be long and tedious, and chief amongst those steps in terms of length and tedium is due diligence. To those

In today’s competitive marketplace, a strong trademark is essential for any business. It acts as your brand identity, fostering consumer recognition and trust. But with so many brands vying for attention and considering the time and cost associated with trademark registration, choosing the right trademark that sticks in the minds of your customers or clients

Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) released a set of revisions to its Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (“Endorsement Guides”) which instruct businesses on how to navigate the FTC Act and how to avoid engaging in unfair or deceptive trade practices.  These revisions were intended to modernize the Endorsement

On June 8, 2023, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous decision in the case of Jack Daniel’s Properties, Inc. v. VIP Products LLC. The ruling has significant implications for trademark law, particularly concerning the fair use and non-commercial use exceptions, which both permit certain otherwise-infringing uses of a registered mark if the use qualifies