Wayne P. Bunch Jr.

Partner | Corporate

About

Early in his career, Wayne held the positions of General Counsel and CEO for Crescent City Beignets, a franchised restaurant brand. He was instrumental in establishing Crescent City as a national franchise company with locations from Georgia to California. Under his tenure, the franchise company was included in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of the top 500 franchises in the US and in 2004 was named one of the year’s “Hot Concepts” by Nation’s Restaurant News.

  • As General Counsel and CEO for Crescent City, Wayne was responsible for establishing the legal and business infrastructures necessary for aggressive franchise growth as well as managing the franchisor/franchisee relationship. Utilizing the franchise model, Wayne expanded Crescent City to a system which included nearly 40 franchisees with over 100 units in development.

    After successfully negotiating and concluding the sale of Crescent City to its most successful franchisee, Wayne began the development of a franchise practice focused on providing experienced counsel to start-up, emerging and mature franchisors as these clients expand their systems through the granting of franchises on a regional, national and international level.

    Wayne has structured, documented and helped launch a multitude of franchise programs across a variety industries – among them restaurants, real estate companies, insurance companies, video game stores, pet care service companies, durable medical equipment sales, optometry clinics, furniture stores, haircut salons, billiard halls, recruitment firms, automobile repair companies, tax services companies and educational art companies.

    Having held the positions of General Counsel and CEO for a franchise company, Wayne has gained the experience necessary to approach legal issues with a complete understanding of the underlying business concerns at hand. It is this multi-layered experience that enables him to provide comprehensive franchise legal counsel.

Practices

  • Franchising

  • Commercial Transactions

  • International Trade

Admissions

  • Texas

Education

  • University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, LL.M.

  • Louisiana State University Law Center, J.D.

  • Louisiana State University, B.S.

Memberships and Awards

  • Texas Bar Association, American Bar Association, ABA Forum on Franchising, Houston Bar Association

  • Board of Director Memberships: Serge Betson Academy; and Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation Board of Directors Member (2011 to 2014)

  • Recognized as a “Legal Eagle” by Franchise Times

Experience

  • FisherBroyles, LLP

  • DLA Piper

  • Jackson Walker LLP

Presentations and Teaching Experience

  • Presenter, “Selling Franchises Domestically without Getting Into Trouble” and “Training Your Franchise Sales Staff: Techniques to Help You Maximize Good Sales and Minimize Risk” Franchise Expo South, Houston, Texas (February 6, 2015)

  • Presenter, “Selling Franchises Internationally Without Getting Into Trouble” and “Training Your Franchise Sales Staff,” Franchise Expo South, Houston, Texas (February 6, 2016)

  • Presenter, “Selling Franchises Domestically without Getting Into Trouble” and “Training Your Franchise Sales Staff,” Franchise Expo South, Houston, Texas (February 6, 2017)

Publications

  • “Becoming a Household Name: Seven Characteristics of Successful Restaurant Franchise Companies, ” Restaurant Startup and Growth Magazine

  • “One Smooth Ride, The Five Spokes of Balanced Franchisor/Franchisee Relationships,” Restaurant Startup and Growth Magazine

  • “Growing Your New Concept Through Franchising – The Basics, ” Restaurant Startup and Growth Magazine