Sales and marketing

Our sales and marketing team has represented the UK Direct Selling Association (UK DSA) since soon after its formation in the UK, and we have advised the UK DSA and many direct selling businesses on legal issues relating to direct selling and network marketing for over 25 years.  We are the leading UK law firm advising on direct selling and network marketing: our experience covers not only legal regulation but also commercial matters and the day-to-day issues which arise for both the direct selling organisations and their distributors.  We act regularly for more than 30 direct selling companies and on an ad hoc basis for many others.

We have particular expertise in the marketing and sale of products with specific regulatory regimes including health and wellness products, cosmetics, and medical devices.  We provide regular electronic bulletins on developments in these areas.

We have acted and continue to act for a number of franchisors and have experience of advising at both a transactional and day-to-day level.  We have advised clients on the strategic and practical implications of establishing a franchise and, for clients with an existing franchise arrangement, have advised on the expansion of the network including issues relating to financing franchisee growth.  We have drafted franchising agreements for a wide variety of businesses adopting both a 'standard form' and 'template' approach (the latter being appropriate in cases where the  franchising agreement is intended to be used in more than one jurisdiction).  Looking after our franchisor clients' day-to-day legal problems necessarily entails a breadth of specialist franchising experience and we have been involved at every level, from brand protection and franchisee default to the implementation of new franchisee IT systems.

Sales and marketing

Our sales and marketing team provides a full service across all of the relevant areas, including:

• Advertising
• Consumer protection
• Direct selling
• Franchising
• Merchandising
• Online sales
• Product endorsement
• Product liability
• Sales promotions
• Sponsorship

Sales and marketing

ValueClick is a leading global provider of Internet advertising solutions for online advertisers and website publishers. As a pioneer of the performance-based advertising model, ValueClick provides one of the most comprehensive portfolios of online advertising solutions. We advised ValueClick on advertiser and host web-site terms and conditions, software licensing, on-line sales promotions and data protection.

We acted for Cash Converters on its UK expansion programme,  which now has in excess of 120 UK franchised stores.

We also acted for both Inter-Alliance PLC and Lifetime Group PLC on the establishment of their respective franchised networks of independent financial advisors, and for Sinclair Montrose on its joint venture for 'Medicare' branded healthcare centres with Boots and Sainsbury's.

We advised easyCar on the franchising of its car rental business in Europe including the conversion of company-owned outlets to franchises run by the previous managers of those outlets (so-called "retro-franchising") and acted for Mezzo Limited, the Conran-owned restaurant company, in its franchising arrangements for the 'El Floridita' Cuban restaurant and associated 'Habanos' cigar franchise.

We advised the Direct Selling Association, and a Steering Committee of its members made up of the major network marketing businesses in the UK, on the introduction of the present laws on direct selling in the United Kingdom and this involved high level conversations with the UK Government, politicians and regulators on behalf of the DSA and its members.  We also advised the DSA on its discussions with the UK Government relating to the on-line recruitment of distributors under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and on the development of the DSA's new Code of Business Conduct which has been formally approved by the Office of Fair Trading.

Sales and marketing