The American Association of Franchisees and Dealers (AAFD) has announced W. Michael Garner of Garner & Ginsburg, P.A. as this year’s recipient of the AAFD’s Total Quality Franchising Award for Lifetime Achievement. Garner will receive the AAFD’s highest individual recognition in acknowledgement for a lifetime of embracing collaborative relationships in franchising.
Garner will be honored at the AAFD’s Total Quality Franchising Awards banquet and gala on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, in Indian Wells, CA.
“Michael Garner is a leader in the crusade for Total Quality Franchising,” said Robert Purvin, Chairman of the AAFD. “We are proud to recognize and honor his more than thirty years of service representing the rights of franchisees. Over the years, the AAFD has benefited greatly from Michael’s expertise and guidance. We are fortunate to have collaborated with him on many of our most important initiatives.”
Garner is a nationally recognized attorney at Garner & Ginsburg, P.A. His legal career spans over 30 years, during which he authored the leading treatise on franchise law, Franchise and Distribution Law and Practice, and edited the Franchise Desk Book, a standard reference work in the field. He has received many awards and recognitions for his contribution to the field of franchising, including the AAFD Chairman’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Franchising Community and the ABA’s Lewis Rudnick Award for Lifetime Achievement in Franchise Law.
Garner reacted to news of the AAFD honor with gratitude and humility. “I am deeply honored to receive the AAFD’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the years, it has been a pleasure to work in concert with the AAFD and with Bob Purvin, specifically, to help franchisees strengthen their voice through the formation of franchisee associations,” said Garner.
Garner is considered a top trial lawyer in franchising and has won several multi-million dollar awards for franchisees. He has also established multiple legal precedents in the franchising field, including the right for franchisees to sue franchisors under New York law, the right of franchisee associations to sue franchisors on behalf of their members, and the right of franchisees to enforce their franchise agreement despite the franchisor’s efforts to change their rights.
Garner is one of many franchise industry luminaries who will be honored at the AAFD’s Total Quality Franchising Awards Ceremony. The awards ceremony is part of the AAFD’s 25th Anniversary Franchisee Leadership Summit and Annual Meeting, taking place April 30 to May 3 at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, California. For more information on the conference or awards ceremony, visit www.AAFD.org/conference.
About the AAFD
The AAFD is a national non-profit trade association representing the rights and interests of franchisees and independent dealers throughout the United States. Formed in 1992, The AAFD is focused on market driven reform to achieve its mission to define and promote collaborative franchise cultures that the AAFD describes as Total Quality Franchising. Since its formation the AAFD has grown to represent more than 50,000 franchised businesses throughout the United States. The AAFD currently has members in all 50 states and represents more than 100 different franchise systems.
The AAFD’s Fair Franchising Standards, Fair Franchising Seal, Trademark Chapters, and emphasis on Marketplace Solutions led to the Association’s recognition as a growing force in franchising. The AAFD’s Branded Partner programs add a new dimension to the value of AAFD membership. The AAFD provides a broad range of member services designed to help franchisees build market power, create legislative support of interest to franchisees, provide legal and financial support, and provide a wide range of general member benefits.