David Gurnick

In Memoriam

David Gurnick, franchise attorney, business lawyer and litigator, was a State Bar of California Specialist in Franchise and Distribution Law, as certified by the Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization. He was also a Certified Franchise Executive, as designated by the International Franchise Association.

Mr. Gurnick’s practice also focused on licensing, trademarks and copyrights, trade secrets, e-commerce, antitrust and competition matters, and related litigation.

Representing clients in all aspects of franchise and distribution law, Mr. Gurnick was often asked to testify as an expert in the field. He authored two texts: Distribution Law of the United States, addressing laws governing U.S. manufacturers and retailers, and Franchising Depositions, a treatise on taking and defending depositions in franchising cases.

He was also a contributing author of Franchising: Cases, Materials, & Problems, the first law school textbook on franchise law, published by the American Bar Association; International Franchising, a text on law and strategies for international franchising programs; and was a co-author of California Franchise Law Jury Instructions, published by Matthew Bender.

Representing our clients in wide-ranging industries, Mr. Gurnick provided counsel and transactional and litigation services to local, national and international companies, some of which included:

Mr.Gurnick assisted numerous franchisors in registering to offer and sell franchises, structuring to avoid and work around franchising and other legal issues, and negotiating solutions to wide-ranging business challenges. The business lawyer won millions of dollars of court judgments in litigation and settlements for clients: franchisors, franchisees, manufacturers, distributors, resellers, and policyholders in claims against insurance companies. He represented clients in federal and state courts.

As a franchise attorney, Mr. Gurnick served as an adjunct professor of law teaching semester courses, as well as a panelist at the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, International Franchise Association annual Legal Symposium, and California Continuing Education of the Bar. He also served on the editorial board of the American Bar Association Franchise Law Journal, and Franchise Law Committee of the State Bar of California.

Mr. Gurnick served two terms as President of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association. He has also served as Chair of the Association’s Business Law Section, Chair of the Association’s Litigation Section, trustee of the University of West Los Angeles College of Law, President of the Valley Community Legal Foundation, and as trustee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

Admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, he was also admitted before the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The business and franchise law attorney was a member of the Bar in California and the District of Columbia.