icon on “I help companies grow their businesses through franchising.”
Experienced in all facets of franchise law, Matt Kreutzer assists both startup and mature franchisors with developing, protecting, and licensing their franchise and distribution systems. As part of this practice, he counsels companies regarding the laws and regulations pertaining to franchising nationwide, and assists them in creating their contracts, Franchise Disclosure Documents, and other critical operational documents. He also responds to state administrative inquires and investigations, and obtains exemptions and interpretive opinions from regulatory agencies. With his background in franchise litigation, Matt understands the risks inherent in the relationship and works with his clients to limit those risks allowing those franchisors to focus on brand and system growth.
Matt is certified by the California State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization as a Franchise and Distribution Law Specialist in Franchise and Distribution Law.
Matt also helps potential franchise buyers understand contracts before signing on the dotted line. If franchise disputes cannot be avoided, Matt assists them in litigation or alternative dispute resolution.
Services
Business & Corporate
Our business is business–your business. We offer vast experience in a full array of corporate legal services.
Credentials
Education
- The George Washington University Law School, 1998
- J.D.
- American University, 1995
- B.A., cum laude, Justice
- Golden Key National Honor Society
- Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Franchise Forum
- International Franchise Association
- State Bar of California
- Franchise Law Committee
- California State Board of Legal Specialization
- Franchise and Distribution Law Advisory Commission
- Chair, 2017-2018
- Commissioner, 2015-2018
- Franchise and Distribution Law Advisory Commission
Admissions
- Nevada, 2004
- California, 2005
- Maryland, 1998
Professional Achievements
- Author, Nevada Chapter, "Covenants Against Competition in Franchising Agreements, Fourth Edition."
- Franchise Times, "Legal Eagle," 2013-2025
- The Best Lawyers in America®, 2017-2027
- California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, Franchise and Distribution Law Certified Specialist
- Who's Who Legal: Franchise, 2017-2022
- Mountain States Super Lawyers, 2013-2023, 2026
- Franchising and Distribution
- Top 100 Mountain States Super Lawyers, 2016, 2022, 2026
- Mountain States Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars," 2012
- Nevada Business Magazine, "Legal Elite," 2014-2018
- 1851 Franchise, "Top Franchise Legal Player," 2018-2019
- Distinguished Men & Women in Nevada, 2015
- Desert Companion, "Top Lawyers," 2014
- In Business Las Vegas, "40 Under 40," 2010
- Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating
- Perfect 10.0 "Superb" Rating from Avvo®
- "California." Franchise Desk Book: Selected State Laws, Commentary, and Annotations, ABA Forum on Franchising, Co-author, 3rd ed., 2019.
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Experience
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Secured a significant procedural victory in an AAA franchise arbitration, successfully defeating all claimant motions, striking improper supplemental filings, and preserving a discovery‑first process against aggressive efforts to force premature merits rulings.
- Negotiate and prepare agreements on behalf of franchisors, including franchise agreements, multi-unit development agreements, area representative agreements, confidentiality and non-compete agreements.
- Review, analyze, and negotiate franchise agreements on behalf of prospective franchisees.
- Represent franchisors in connection with state administrative inquiries regarding alleged franchise law violations.
- Consult with franchisors to help them develop strategies for preparing financial performance representations.
- As counsel to regional, national, and international franchise companies, we regularly prepare and update franchise disclosure documents and assist them in maintaining related state registrations.
- Assist start-up and emerging franchise brands in preparing their franchise offering documents and in complying with their legal obligations.
- Represented seller of software company to a portfolio company of leading private equity firm.
Presentations
- International Franchise Association, Legal Symposium, "Why Is the State Examiner Making Me Change That Disclosure? Dealing with the Unusual, Uncommon, or Atypical Comments That State Examiners Raise,” May 6-7, 2019, Washington, D.C.
- Live and Invest Overseas, "Do You Want Fries With That? Buying a Franchise Overseas," November, 2018, Las Vegas, NV.
- National Franchise and Business Opportunities Expo, "Franchising 101: Practical Considerations for the Franchise Relationship," October, 2018, Las Vegas, NV.
- FranServe, "Franchise Broker Training," monthly, 2012-present, Las Vegas, NV.
- CORE Counselor's Seminar, "Creating a Franchise! Is It the Right Model to Grow Your Business?" April 30, 2016, Las Vegas, NV.
- State Bar of Nevada, Intellectual Property Law Conference, "Franchise Law," November 14, 2014, Las Vegas, NV.
- International Franchise Association, Legal Symposium, "The Registration Process for Offering and Selling Franchises," May 15, 2011, Washington, D.C.
- State Bar of California, Annual Meeting, "An Introduction to Franchising," September 23, 2010, Monterey, CA.
- State Bar of California, Business Law Section, "The Essentials of Franchise Law," February 10, 2010, webinar.
Media
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August
Press Release
Howard & Howard Attorneys Recognized in the 2027 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®Alexander S. McGee, Andrew (Jake) Grove, Arthur O. Rogers, II, Bill Blancke, Brett G. Garwood ... , Brian A. Kreucher, Brian W. Boschee, Bruce W. Benson, Caleb L. Green, Christopher M. Warburton, Dane M. Lepola, Daniel Chojnowski, Daniel H. Bliss, David L. Edelblute, David M. LaPrairie, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins, Hubert H. Yi, Jim Morgan, Joanna M. Myers, John J. Savage, Jon D. Kreucher, Jonathan F. Karmo, Jonathan W. Fountain, Kevin C. Backus, Kristine A. Miller, Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Madison Scaggs, Mark J. Gardberg, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Nicholas T. Chapie, Patrick M. McCarthy, Paul S. Mazzola, Richard J. Cantor, Robert Hernquist, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, Sam Haidle, Seaton J. Curran, Stephanie Sitto, Timothy M. Wittebort, Todd E. Kennedy, W. West Allen
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Press Release
52 Attorneys Have Been Named to the 2025 Edition of Best Lawyers and Best Lawyers: Ones to WatchAdrianna Agosta Nichol, Arthur O. Rogers, II, Bill Blancke, Brett G. Garwood, Brian A. Kreucher ... , Bruce W. Benson, Christopher A. Cali, Dane M. Lepola, Daniel Chojnowski, Daniel H. Bliss, David L. Edelblute, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins, Hubert H. Yi, John J. Savage, Jon D. Kreucher, Jonathan F. Karmo, Jonathan W. Fountain, Kevin C. Backus, Kristine A. Miller, Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Madison Scaggs, Marcus Smetka, Mark J. Gardberg, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael D. Solt, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Noah A. Menold, Patrick M. McCarthy, Paul S. Mazzola, Richard J. Cantor, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, Rui Lu, Ryan W. Gardner, Sam Fares, Seaton J. Curran, Stephanie Sitto, Todd E. Kennedy, W. West Allen
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Press Release
45 Howard & Howard Attorneys Named to the 2024 Edition of Best Lawyers in America© and Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch”Adrianna Agosta Nichol, Andrew (Jake) Grove, Arthur O. Rogers, II, Bill Blancke, Brett G. Garwood ... , Brian A. Kreucher, Bruce W. Benson, Christopher A. Cali, Dane M. Lepola, Daniel Chojnowski, Daniel H. Bliss, David L. Edelblute, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins, Jon D. Kreucher, Jonathan F. Karmo, Jonathan W. Fountain, Kevin C. Backus, Kristine A. Miller, Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Marcus Smetka, Mark J. Gardberg, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael D. Solt, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Noah A. Menold, Patrick M. McCarthy, Paul S. Mazzola, Richard J. Cantor, Robert Hernquist, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, Rui Lu, Ryan W. Gardner, Sam Haidle, Seaton J. Curran, W. West Allen
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Press Release
Thirty-Five Howard & Howard Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America© and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America 2023Adrianna Agosta Nichol, Alexander S. McGee, Andrew (Jake) Grove, Brett G. Garwood, Christopher A. Cali ... , Dane M. Lepola, Daniel H. Bliss, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins, Jonathan F. Karmo, Kevin C. Backus, Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Marcus Smetka, Mark J. Gardberg, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Noah A. Menold, Patrick M. McCarthy, Paul S. Mazzola, R. Saleha Mohamedulla, Richard J. Cantor, Robert Hernquist, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, Sam Haidle, Seaton J. Curran, W. West Allen
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Press Release
Twenty-Eight Howard & Howard Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America 2022Adrianna Agosta Nichol, Andrew (Jake) Grove, Daniel H. Bliss, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins ... , Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Marcus Smetka, Mark J. Gardberg, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Noah A. Menold, Patrick M. McCarthy, Paul S. Mazzola, Robert Hernquist, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, Sam Haidle, Seaton J. Curran, W. West Allen
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Press Release
Howard & Howard Congratulates Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers® and Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch 2021Adrianna Agosta Nichol, Andrew (Jake) Grove, Daniel H. Bliss, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins ... , Jon D. Kreucher, Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Marcus Smetka, Mark J. Gardberg, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Noah A. Menold, Patrick M. McCarthy, Paul S. Mazzola, Robert Hernquist, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, Sam Haidle, Seaton J. Curran, W. West Allen
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Press Release
Howard & Howard Congratulates Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers® 2020Andrew (Jake) Grove, Daniel H. Bliss, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins, Jon D. Kreucher ... , Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Mark J. Gardberg, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Patrick M. McCarthy, Robert Hernquist, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, Seaton J. Curran, W. West Allen
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Press Release
Howard & Howard Congratulates Our Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers 2019Andrew (Jake) Grove, Daniel H. Bliss, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins, Jon D. Kreucher ... , Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Mark J. Gardberg, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Patrick M. McCarthy, Robert Hernquist, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, Seaton J. Curran, W. West Allen
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Press Release
Howard & Howard Congratulates Our 'Best Lawyers' 2018Andrew (Jake) Grove, Daniel H. Bliss, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins, Jon D. Kreucher ... , Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Mark J. Gardberg, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Patrick M. McCarthy, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, Seaton J. Curran, W. West Allen
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Press Release
Howard & Howard Congratulates Our 'Best Lawyers' 2017Andrew (Jake) Grove, Daniel H. Bliss, Gerald E. McGlynn, III, Gwen Rutar Mullins, Jon D. Kreucher ... , Kristopher K. Hulliberger, Matthew J. Kreutzer, Michael V. Kell, Miles T. Macik, Patrick M. McCarthy, Robert L. Rosenthal, Rodger Kershner, W. West Allen
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