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Harris J. Chernow

Partner
hchernow@regerlaw.com
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T: 215.495.6532
 F: 215.495.6600

2929 Arch St 13th Floor
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

700 E Gate Dr #101
Mt. Laurel, New Jersey 08054

Harris J. Chernow is a partner and chair of the firm’s national Franchise & Distribution Practice Group and an active member of the Business Services Group and Entertainment, Hospitality & Sports Law Group. He has a national practice representing franchisors, franchisees, and distributors in many sectors, including in the hotel and hospitality industry. His experience is complemented by his significant business and corporate practice, including complex mergers and acquisitions, retail development, executive employment, and leasing and real estate.

Much more than a franchise and hospitality lawyer, Harris is a well-respected corporate/business lawyer who improves his clients’ companies by delivering guidance through their business transactions and disputes.

With clients ranging from start-ups to large, long-established companies, Harris has worked with an array of businesses. His franchise practice extends across a range of industries, representing franchisors/brands, single and multi-unit franchisees/owners, area developers, master franchisees, franchisee associations, distributors, and private equity-backed businesses seeking to expand through franchising or distribution.

Harris is also sought after for his dispute resolution acumen in franchise, hospitality, and commercial business disputes. He has a reputation for being strong but reasonable. Harris and the firm’s Litigation Group are often called upon to represent clients in litigation, arbitration, and mediation cases.

Due to Harris’ reputation for being knowledgeable, fair, and unbiased, he is frequently appointed as an arbitrator and mediator in franchise, hospitality, and commercial matters. 


When clients consult Harris, they work with an attorney who prioritizes their objectives and takes a pragmatic and effective approach. Harris’ general practice:

  • Day-to-day and overall franchise, hospitality, and business law counseling for franchisors, franchisees, brands, and owners and businesses in general
  • Franchise Disclosure Documents and related agreements and compliance
  • Asset, stock, and merger and acquisition transactions
  • General business/corporate transactions
  • Hotel Management Agreements and related agreements
  • Licensing agreements and co-branding arrangements
  • Franchise system start-ups
  • Business start-ups
  • Contract negotiation and review
  • Consulting and independent contractor agreements
  • Financing arrangements
  • Confidentiality and non-compete agreements
  • Real estate development and leasing 
  • Trademarks, copyrights, licensing, and technology transfer
  • Dispute Resolution – franchise and business litigation, arbitration, and mediation
Not just all work, Harris enjoys his family time and being out on the pickle ball court, the slopes, the football field, the water and rooting for his favorite college and pro teams (Temple), and simply having fun.

Education

J.D., Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law, (1988)

B.B.A., Temple University Fox School of Business and Management , (1985)

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice Pennsylvania
New Jersey
U.S. District Court, District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Professional & Bar Association Memberships

American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising - Program Chair of the 30th Annual Forum on Franchising; Served as Finance Officer of the Forum on Franchising; Elected to Governing Committee as 1 of 11 from the ABA Forum; Governing Committee Liaison to Petroleum Marketing Group; Governing Committee Liaison to Solo/Small Firm Group; Governing Committee Liaison to Paralegal/Legal Administrators Group; Forum’s representative to the CPR National Franchise Mediation Program; Appointed to the Nominating Committees for the Board of Governors; Chair of the Forum’s Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee; Forum’s representative for the ABA’s Student Outreach Program; Appointed to Forum’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Division; Annual Forum Program Liaison; Appointed to Forum’s Publications Committee; Publication Liaison for Covenants Against\Competition in Franchise Agreements (second edition); Publication Liaison for “Fundamentals of Franchising” (second edition), Appointed to the Nominating Committees for the Governing Committee

International Franchise Association - Legal Symposium Task Force Member; Speaker

Center for Public Resources Institute for Dispute Resolution - Distinguished Franchise Panel Neutral; Franchise Mediation Committee Member

American Association of Franchisees and Dealers - Past Chair of the Legal Education Subcommittee; Speaker at Annual Conventions and Forums

National Franchise Mediation Program - Steering Committee Member

American Franchisee Association - Speaker at Legal Symposia

New Jersey State Bar Association - Franchise Law Committee Co-Chair

Pennsylvania Bar Association - Franchise and Business Sections Member

Montgomery County Bar Association - Vice Chair of the Franchise Law Committee; Past Chair of the Franchise Law Committee

Philadelphia Bar Association - Franchise and Business Sections Member

Georgetown Law School Hotel & Lodging Summit Advisory & Planning Committee Member

Publications & Press Mentions
Co-Author, Mergers and Acquisitions of Franchise Companies (Second Edition). American Bar Association Forum on Franchising.
Co-Author, Opening Back Up: How to Plan for a Successful Return to Work. Reger Rizzo & Darnall Client Alert.
Co-Author, Training, Site Selection Construction and Opening. Chapter of the American Bar Association's The Annotated Franchise Agreement.
Author, I’m Ready to Turn My Business Into a Franchise. Reger Rizzo & Darnall Client Alert.
Author, I Want To Be A Franchisee – What Should I Do Next? Reger Rizzo & Darnall Client Alert.
Featured, 2016 Top Laterals/New Partners. The Legal Intelligencer.
Featured, People in the News. The Philadelphia Inquirer. 
Featured, ABA Forum on Franchising’s publication, The Franchise Lawyer.
Featured, People in the News. The Legal Intelligencer. 
Chapter Co-Author, Mergers and Acquisitions of Franchise Companies (Second Edition). American Bar Association Forum on Franchising.
Author, The Internet Hits a Brick Wall. The Franchise Lawyer. 
Co-Author, Managing Franchise Relationships Through Mediation - Chapter: Franchise Mediation from the Trenches. CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution.
Chapter Co-Author, Financial Performance Representations: The New and Updated Earnings Claims. American Bar Association Forum on Franchising.
Author, Franchise Resources. The Franchise Lawyer. 
Chapter Co-Author, Franchising 101, the Complete Guide to Evaluating, Buying and Growing Your Franchise Business. The Association of Small Business Development Centers.
Seminars & Speaking Engagements
Presenter, Philadelphia Bar Association' Business Law Section Outreach Presentation. Rutgers Law School.
Presenter, Philadelphia Bar Association' Business Law Section Outreach Presentation. Temple University Beasley School of Law.
Presenter, Philadelphia Bar Association' Business Law Section Outreach Presentation. Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.
Presenter, COVID-19 Issues Affecting Small Businesses and Franchises. The Philadelphia Bar Association. 
Presenter, The Hotel Industry - The Hotel Brands, Hotel & Resort Operations, History of the Innkeeper & the Economic Models: Designing a Hotel, Marketing & Operations. American University Washington College of Law's Hospitality and Tourism Law Program. 
Presenter, Essential Elements of Franchising. American University Washington College of Law's Hospitality and Tourism Law Program. 
Presenter, Franchisee Point of Views. American University Washington College of Law's Hospitality and Tourism Law Program.
Presenter, Hotel Owners & COVID-19: Extended Q&A on General Legal Considerations. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association.
Presenter, The Fundamentals of Franchising. The American Bar Association's 42nd Annual Forum on Franchising. 
Moderator, Primer on Legal Relationships Among Major Players in the Hotel Industry. Georgetown University's 2019 Hotel and Lodging Legal Summit.
Presenter, How to Advise and Protect Your Franchise Clients. The New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
Presenter, The Big Business of Franchise Law. The New Jersey State Bar Association’s 2018 Annual Meeting and Convention. 
Presenter, Have Multi-Unit and Multi-Brand Franchisees Set a New Standard for Franchisors? The 2018 International Franchise Association's Legal Symposium. 
Moderator, Fundamental Legal Aspects of Franchising. The Philadelphia Bar Association's 2017 Bench Bar Conference. 
Presenter, Franchise Law in 2017: What Every General Practitioner Should Know. The New Jersey State Bar Association. 
Presenter, Fundamentals of Franchising. ABA Forum on Franchising's Annual Forum on Franchising.
Moderator,  Permission or Forgiveness: Dealing with Brands and Brand Standards. Georgetown Law School Hotel & Lodging Summit.
Presenter, Franchise Law: From Soup to Donuts. The New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education. 
Moderator, Due Diligence When Buying a Franchise System. The 2016 International Franchise Association's Annual Convention.
Panelist, Coaching Your Client through Buying a Business Opportunity. Philadelphia Bar Association.
Presenter, Addressing Today’s Important Issues in Franchised Hotel Systems, Both Operational and Contractual. Georgetown University Law Center’s 3rd Annual Hotel & Lodging Legal Summit. 
Presenter, Review and Negotiating Franchise Agreements, Parts 1 and 2. National State Bar Teleseminar. 
Presenter, Is That a Fair Deal? Best Practices for Negotiation of the Franchise Agreement. American Bar Association Forum on Franchising.
Presenter, Fundamentals of Franchising. American Bar Association’s 34th Annual Forum on Franchising.
Presenter, A Review of the Fundamentals and Annotated Bibliography of Helpful Resources. International Franchise Association’s 40th Annual Legal Symposium.
Presenter, How to Be an Effective Advocate in Mediation. American Bar Association’s 28th Annual Forum on Franchising.
Presenter, Total Quality Franchising. American Association of Franchisees and Dealers Annual Convention.
Presenter, International Franchise Association’s 41st Annual Conference.
Presenter, Franchising 101. Montgomery County Bar Association. 
Presenter, Franchising Your Business. Montgomery County Bar Association.
Presenter, Understanding Franchise and Distribution Law Issues. New Jersey State Bar Association. 
Presenter, The Legal Aspects of Franchising. New Jersey State Bar Association. 
Presenter, Update on Franchising Law and Practices. New Jersey State Bar Association. 
Presenter, Best Practices for Handling Defaults and Terminations. International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium. 
Presenter, Termination Alternatives. International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium.
Presenter, Developing and Using Franchisee Associations and FACs. International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium.
Presenter, Ethics and Liability Concerns of Franchise Lawyers. International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium.
Roundtable Moderator, Multi-Unit Development Issues. International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium.
Roundtable Moderator, Dealing with Franchise Associations. International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium.
Roundtable Moderator, Technology Issues. International Franchise Association’s Annual Convention.
Presenter, Under Performing Franchisees. International Franchise Association’s Annual Convention.
Presenter, Negotiation in the Franchise Relationship. International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium.
Presenter, The Prevent Defense. International Franchise Association’s Florida Legal Roundtable.
Presenter, Reviewing and Negotiating Franchise Agreements (Parts 1 and 2). Professional Broadcast Education Network.
Presenter, A Practical Guide to Reviewing and Negotiating Franchise Agreements. National Constitution Center Audio Conference.
Presenter, Distribution Law. Lorman Educational Institute Seminar. 
Presenter, Type of Entity. Women’s Business Development Center. 
Presenter, Legal Aspects of Franchising. Delaware Franchise Showcase.
Presenter, National Association of Small Business Development Centers Conference. 
Presenter, Strategic and Tactical Decision Making. American Bar Association.
Presenter, Managing the Organization of a Franchise Association. American Bar Association.
Presenter, Effective Opening Statements and Closing Arguments. American Bar Association.
Presenter, Road to Perdition: The Case Against Arbitration. American Bar Association.
Presenter, Negotiating a Franchise Agreement. American Bar Association.
Presenter, Anatomy of a Franchise Divorce. American Bar Association.
Presenter, Essentials of Franchising. Annual American Bar Association Meeting.
Civic & Charitable Associations
Temple University, Vice President of the Temple University Owl Club; Member of the Board of Directors of the Temple University Owl Club; Former President of the Temple University Owl Club; Member and Executive Committee Member of the Temple University Owl Club; Appointed Non-Voting Member of Trustee’s Committee on Student Affairs; Appointed to Trustee’s Task Force on Athletics; Appointed to Head Football Coach Selection Committee; Counsel for the Temple University Alumni Association 
Upper Dublin/Beth Masada B’nai B’rith Lodge, Former Vice President
Temple Sinai, Board Member and Legal Committee Chair
Honors & Awards (among others)
Included in the Who's Who Legal: Franchise List
Included in the Franchise Times list of Legal Eagles
Included in the list of Franchise Super Lawyers and Top 100 Attorneys by Franchise Times  
Selected as one of only three franchise lawyers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and one of only 169 internationally, to be included in the list of International Who’s Who of Franchise Lawyers
Received the Member of the Year award from the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers
Included list of The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Franchise Law
Included in the list of 50 on the Fast Track by the Pennsylvania Law Weekly
Included in the list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers by Philadelphia Magazine
Rated as an AV Preeminent® attorney by Martindale-Hubbell
Recipient of the Temple University F. Eugene Dixon Jr. Inspiration Award
Included in the list of 2017 Franchise Legal Players by 1851 Magazine