(Nashville, TN/April 2, 2012) For the sixth consecutive year, Joel R. Buckberg, head of the franchise and hospitality practice groups of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, has been named a Legal Eagle by Franchise Times, a national publication for franchisors and multi-unit franchisees. Mr. Buckberg practices in the Firm's Nashville and Atlanta offices.
An annual listing that recognizes franchise law attorneys on the basis of input from their peers and clients, the Legal Eagles list includes leading franchise attorneys from across the country. To be included as a Legal Eagle, attorneys must be nominated by their peers or clients and must meet the criteria of the Franchise Times editorial panel.
Mr. Buckberg counsels business clients, particularly those in hospitality, franchising and distribution, on strategic planning, transactions, financing, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance and operations. Active in the International Franchise Association (IFA), he helped develop the organization's Franguard compliance training program, an educational program for federal and state franchise regulation. Additionally, he serves as the host for the IFA's quarterly Franchise Business Network meetings in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Mr. Buckberg is the editor of Baker Donelson's Hospitalitas electronic newsletter on franchising and hospitality, and is one of only 323 attorneys worldwide included in the 2011 International Who's Who of Franchise Lawyers 2011, which recognizes the world's leading franchise lawyers based on feedback from clients and peer attorneys.