Ritchie counsels business clients in four primary areas: (i) corporate and partnership law; (ii) franchise and licensing law: (iii) mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; and (iv) private equity transactions.

Mr. Taylor’s corporate practice is focused on representing multi-national privately held companies with their business transactions as well as their routine corporate counsel needs.  Additionally, Mr. Taylor guides select start-up and middle market companies in structuring business transactions so as to maximize present and future opportunities. 

Ritchie has substantial experience representing franchisors and product distributors in developing franchise and product distribution systems that comply with federal and state franchise and business opportunity regulations. Mr. Taylor is the only North Carolina attorney to ever be awarded the Certified Franchise Executive designation by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives.  In addition, he is the founding Chairman of the NC Bar Association Committee on Franchising. 

Having lived and worked in Brazil, he speaks Portuguese.

Business Law

• Routinely advises management teams and boards of directors on sensitive corporate and tax matters as well as transaction structure, fiduciary duties, and transaction negotiations
• Serves as US legal counsel to privately held foreign corporations based in Canada and Europe
• Advises clients on structuring and negotiating domestic and international joint venture transactions
• Lead counsel to Canadian company in establishing global footprint through complex joint venture transaction
• Represents both issuers and investors in venture capital transactions and private placement securities offerings
• Represented client in establishing a $50 million private equity fund focused on commercial real estate investment
• Represents new businesses in selecting the correct business entity and in forming corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships and limited liability companies

Franchise Law

• Serves as legal counsel to over 16 franchise systems and dealer networks with domestic and international locations
• Represents clients in the development and structuring of franchise systems and in the preparation and renewal of Uniform Franchise Offering Circulars, franchise agreements, and area development agreements
• Represents franchisors and franchisees in structuring international franchise arrangements
• Represents clients in the acquisition of existing franchisors
• Serves as legal counsel to independent franchisee associations
• Routinely represents prospective franchisees in acquiring the rights to develop a franchise location as well as the sale or purchase of existing franchise locations
• Works with the firm’s litigation attorneys in resolving franchise disputes
• Assists franchisors in using the Internet to enhance their franchise systems
• Counsels franchisors on establishing state franchise advertising compliance programs

Mergers and Acquisitions

• Key member of acquisition team representing buyers and sellers in merger and acquisition transactions with individual transaction values exceeding $300,000,000
• Advises clients engaging in tax-free spin-offs, divestitures, and reorganizations of business units
• Represented managed hosting company in a $140 million sale to a private equity company
• Lead counsel in sale of  pharmaceutical service company for $56 million in leveraged buyout transaction
• Lead counsel to European company in purchase of private label manufacturing company with production facilities in Honduras and Nicaragua
• Lead counsel to European company acquiring US-based consumer goods company for $50 million 

• Lead counsel to European company in divestiture of brands to purchasers based in United States and United Kingdom

• Represented client in corporate reorganization requiring mergers of over 1,000 corporations incorporated throughout the United States

Product Distribution and Licensing Law

• Represents clients in intellectual property licensing and technology transfer transactions
• Represents clients in structuring domestic and international product distribution agreements

• Recently represented durable products company in negotiating exclusive licensing arrangement with Ralph Lauren

• Outside counsel to software company in licensing software to Fortune 500 companies including Wal-Mart, Costco, GlaxoSmithKline, AT&T and Walgreens

• Certified Franchise Executive (CFE), designated by the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives
• Listed in North Carolina Super Lawyers (2009, 2010) as a Rising Star in the area of Franchise/Dealership Law 
• American Bar Association
  • Business Law .
  • Forum on Franchising
  • International Law
• North Carolina Bar Association
  • Business Law, Council Member
    • Committee on Franchising, Chairman 
    • Business Law Curriculum Committee
    • Course Planner, Basics of Franchise Law Continuing Legal Education Course
  • International Law
• International Franchise Association
• J. Reuben Clark Law Society, Raleigh-Durham Chapter, Chairman 
• National Business Institute, Faculty 
• Listed in  Who's Who in American Law

• Occoneechee Council Boy Scouts of America
  • Board of Directors 
  • Endowment Committee, Chairman 
• Friends of Scouting Campaign
  • Vice Chairman 
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Professional Publications and Presentations

• Presenter, Franchising 101:  Registration and Disclosure Issues, North Carolina Bar Association Basics of Franchise Law CLE, May 2008
• Presenter, Franchise Sales Under Revised FTC Franchise Rule, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting April 2008
• Presenter, Keys to Successful Franchise Relations, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting October 2007
• Presenter, Web Portals or Brokers—What Works Best?, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting July 2007
• Presenter, The New FTC Franchise Rule: Its Here!  What do you Need to Know, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting April 2007
• Presenter, Multi-unit Franchising:  Is It Right For You, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting October 2006
• Presenter, Keys to Enforcing System Standards Before The Lawyers Get Involved, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting July 2006
• Presenter, Keys to Attracting Top Notch Franchisees To Your Franchise System, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting April 2006
• Presenter, Legal Considerations in Buying a Franchise, Carolina Franchise Expo October 2005
• Presenter, Earnings Claims:  Should I Make Them, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting April 2005
• Presenter, The FTC Franchise Rule: What Do I Really Need To Know, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting January 2005
• Presenter, Overview of Proposed FTC Franchise Rule, IFA Franchise Business Network Meeting October 2004
• Taught continuing legal education course for Lorman's Educational Service on Buying and Selling a Business (2003)
• Coauthored written materials and taught continuing legal education course for National Business Institute on Choice of Entity in North Carolina (2001 & 2003)
• Coauthored written materials and taught continuing legal education course for National Business Institute on Limited Liability Companies in North Carolina (2001 & 2002)