On April 7, 2025, MLT Aikins partner Melissa Cattini will speak on “Everything You Wanted to Know About Franchise Agreements but Were Afraid to Ask: Discussing the Contract Provisions That We Don’t Usually Talk About.”
This three-person panel discussion is part of the 2025 Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) National Convention, happening at the Sheraton Fallsview in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Melissa and fellow panellists will discuss the essential contract provisions in franchise agreements that don’t always get the attention they deserve. The session will dive into clauses such as withholding taxes, renewal obligations, ROFRs, indemnities, relocation, extranets – to name a few – and break down their impact on both franchisors and franchisees. They will also examine how Canadian courts have interpreted these clauses and what business leaders need to know in order to navigate them effectively.
The theme for this year’s three-day event is all about unity: Our Community, Our Purpose: Stronger Together. The annual conference is “the largest educational and networking event for the franchise community in Canada” and – true to its theme – the event will bring together franchise leaders from across Canada, the United States and beyond.
MLT Aikins lawyers Ahmed Malik (Regina) and Josh Deacon (Edmonton) will also attend the convention.
Head of the MLT Aikins franchise practice group, Melissa has extensive experience in related areas of corporate and commercial law, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity buy-outs, asset and share purchase transactions, business combinations, owner-operated enterprises, buy-sell agreements and transactions, corporate governance, commercial leasing and commercial financing.
She holds a Certified Franchise Executive designation, and is currently the sole CFE-accredited lawyer practising in Manitoba.
Melissa regularly advises franchisors, franchisees and master franchisees, area representatives and licensors to help them understand, manage and navigate the legal and regulatory requirements that apply to Canadian franchises.
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