From May to August, we will be exploring the current landscape of the Australian franchise sector in our 2025 Franchising Fundamentals Series.

Our leading franchise team will focus on key legal and commercial issues under the new Franchising Code of Conduct, which came into effect on 1 April 2025.

In this four-part virtual series we will provide practical insights on managing risks, navigating disputes, and staying compliant with evolving regulations. Each concise 30-minute session is designed to be accessible and valuable for professionals at all levels.

Please find the full Franchising Fundamentals program below.

Session 1 | Tips and traps for preparing and updating your disclosure document - Tuesday, 6 May

Presented by Fiona Wallwork, Consultant and Joshua Green, Lawyer

In this webinar we will cover the importance of having, and providing, a compliant and informative disclosure document. We'll provide some useful pointers to assist with the annual updating process and will also look at the interaction between the franchisor’s Disclosure Document and the Franchise Disclosure Register.

Session 2 | Marketing Fund - Wednesday, 4 June

Presented by Mira Martin, Senior Associate and Joshua Green, Lawyer

We will cover the core obligations in the Code which deal with marketing or other cooperative funds, and refer to previous cases which have dealt with franchisor non-compliance in this space.

Session 3 | Disputes 101 - Disputes, Breach Notices and Termination - Wednesday, 2 July

Presented by Christopher Marsh, Special Counsel and Isabelle Heath, Senior Associate

This session will explore the key obligations set out in the Code, as well as key strategic considerations to assist franchisors to avoid escalated disputes and attempt to resolve disputes without spending time and money on costly Court proceedings.

Session 4 | Compensation for loss of goodwill – state of the law and the road ahead - Thursday, 7 August

Presented by Greg Hipwell, Partner and Shaun Temby, Partner

In this webinar we will canvass what lessons franchisors can take from recent judgements and how they may apply to their own franchise including in light of the recent remaking of the Code.