---
title: "Alexander G. Tuneski"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/1c4651c6-114d-47b5-bef7-4d7f77b9800a
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/top-franchise-lawyers-alexander-g-tuneski-of-dla-piper-global-law-firm-2713479
category: "Franchisors"
industry: "Franchise Industry"
segment: "Franchisors"
published: 2020-07-13T12:07:45.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:03:12.563Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/e0be276b825e452afa0a9d4f048e29cc8925.jpg
---

# Alexander G. Tuneski

**TL;DR:** Alexander G. Tuneski discusses his experience in franchise law and the importance of building a solid foundation for franchise systems. He also touches on recent developments and challenges in the franchising industry, including the joint-employer issue and California AB-5.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2020-07-13. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/top-franchise-lawyers-alexander-g-tuneski-of-dla-piper-global-law-firm-2713479).*

## Story

I was drawn to franchise law because I liked the idea of working together with clients to build brands and expand their businesses. There are few things more professionally rewarding than helping a franchise concept grow from a few units to a system comprised of hundreds of successful franchisees.

I love the variety of franchisor clients and the variety of issues that they face. On any given day, I may be working with restaurant, hotel, education, fitness or service concepts at various stages of development on a wide range of franchising, trademark, labor, privacy, real estate or M&A matters. It makes every day interesting and enjoyable.

There are few things more important than building a solid foundation as you develop your franchise system. This means developing and using top-notch disclosure documents, agreements, manuals and processes from day one.

Cutting corners early on can impede growth, reduce the value and attractiveness of your franchise system in the eyes of potential investors and lead to costly disputes. It is much more expensive to try to fix issues later on than it is to make the investment to do it right the first time.

While established franchisors offer tried and true systems, franchisees should understand that there’s no such thing as a sure thing. Even the best franchise concepts require good locations, great employees and excellent management for units to be successful. Franchisees should take their time to thoroughly review disclosure documents, research markets and potential locations and develop a comprehensive business plan before deciding to move forward with the purchase of a franchise. To be successful, it is critical to start with reasonable expectations, the right team and a realistic plan.

There is no question that recent NLRB rulings and rules issued by the Department of Labor are positive developments for franchising. However, the joint-employer issue has become a politicized one. As administrations change, it is quite likely that the joint-employer standards will shift again. As a result, franchisors should continue to be cognizant of joint-employer concerns, recognizing that what may be acceptable today may not be acceptable in the near future.

How California AB-5 will be implemented and/or amended is the most interesting issue in franchising. As a result of this bill, it is much more likely that a franchisor could be deemed to be an employer of a franchisee’s employees in California, potentially threatening the viability of the franchise industry in California.

As similar bills are proposed at the federal level and in other states, the hope is that the franchise community will be able to convince legislators that franchising should be exempted from such bills, which are primarily intended to regulate the gig economy. I expect that this will remain a hot topic for years to come.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Franchise Industry (sector)
- franchise development (topic)
- franchise law (topic)
- Department of Labor (regulator)
- NLRB (regulator)
- joint employer issue (topic)
- california ab-5 (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/top-franchise-lawyers-alexander-g-tuneski-of-dla-piper-global-law-firm-2713479). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/1c4651c6-114d-47b5-bef7-4d7f77b9800a).