Van Elmore has been licensed to practice law in the state of Colorado since 1977. His 30 plus years of Professional experience have been at both the executive level of corporate management and in private practice. The primary emphases of Mr. Elmore’s legal practice are franchising, intellectual property, software and Internet issues, as well as arbitration and mediation. He has been involved in all aspects of franchising in the United States, and has been involved in international franchising in Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Indonesia, Taiwan, Kazakhstan and in Russia. He is a frequent speaker on domestic and international franchising.He previously served as Vice President and General Counsel for a 450-unit franchise system. In private practice since 1992, Mr. Elmore concentrates in franchising, software, trademarks, Internet, trade secrets, and arbitration and mediation. In addition to representing both franchisors and franchisees, Mr. Elmore handles all types of franchise dispute issues, such as: termination, misrepresentation & fraud, royalty collection and non-compete. He also has created and assisted franchisee associations. Mr. Elmore has served as co-counsel and as supervising attorney for several franchise and trademark related litigations.

Mr. Elmore is a mediator and arbitrator and has served as a neutral for high tech, franchising, insurance, business and employment disputes. Mr. Elmore also speaks on alternative dispute resolution.

Mr. Elmore represents software developers in regard to licensing, mergers, acquisitions, and intellectual property protection. He has also advised computer network licensors regarding avoidance of franchise statutory coverage. In addition he has advised Internet vendors regarding contracts. He has given presentations regarding Internet, software licensing and copyrights. In his representation of software developers, Mr. Elmore provides legal services regarding copyright registration and infringement, licensing, trade secret issues, corporate issues, employment agreements and non-compete issues, as well as development agreements, outsourcing and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Elmore represents Internet businesses regarding contractual and intellectual property issues.

Mr. Elmore is a member of the ABA Forum on Franchising and served on the Solo and Small Firm group and on the Technology Committee. He previously served on the Steering Committee for the formation of a new division of that organization for Alternative Dispute Resolution and Litigation. He also served on the ABA Antitrust Section Committee on Franchising’s Task Force on Legislation and Regulation.

Mr. Elmore is also a member of the International Franchise Association and served on that organization’s Legal Legislative Committee.

Mr. Elmore has been a franchisee and previously worked as an attorney and lobbyist in the Oil and Gas industry. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Miami School of Law where he was on the Dean’s list and participated in the Moot Court Competition and the Clinical Program. Mr. Elmore received his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, with a concentration in Chemistry, from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. He is also proficient in the Russian Language.

Other Accomplishments

Speaker at American Bar Association Forum on Franchising Annual Meeting 10/07 on The Financially Troubled Franchisee, Speaker at Int’l. Franchise Assoc. annual Legal Symposium 5/02 on Franchise Fundamentals, Speaker at 3/02 Int’l. Franchise Assoc. Trade Mission to Kazakhstan on Franchise Contracts and Russian Case Study (Speeches given in Russian), 10/01 American Bar Association Forum on Franchising Program on How to Start a Franchise Law Practice, 11/99 CLE International Franchise Law Program on Beyond Trademarks: Intellectual Property Issues in Franchising, IFA Legal Symposium 5/99 on Franchisor Internet Legal Pages and Associated Issues, 6/99 USAID/ACDI Voca Franchising Project to St. Petersburg, Russia including Speech on Franchising (Speech given in Russian),CBA Patent Trademark and Copyright Section in 6/97 regarding Does Your IP License Create a Franchise?, Speaker at ABA Forum on Franchising in 10/97 on Software Licensing in Franchising, Speaker at International Franchise Association Annual Legal Symposium on Copyrights in Franchising 5/96, Guest Instructor at DU and CU Law Schools on International Franchising, Chair of Colorado Bar Association International Committee Annual Convention Presentation on International Franchising. Mediation Panel Member at IFA Franchisor-Franchisee Relations Conference. Lecture to First Judicial Group of Colorado Bar Association on Franchising. Lecture to Drake Beam Morin on Purchasing a Franchise, Chair of CBA-ADR Forum Committee Study Group on the Use of ADR in Employment Disputes. Chair of CBA-ADR Forum Committee. Analysis of draft Albanian Industrial Property Law and Romanian Copyright Law and drafted article on copyright laws and ADR for the Central and East European Law Initiative (CEELI). Lecturer at International Franchise Assoc. Franchisor/Franchisee Relations Conference in Dallas in 1994 on Mediation in Franchising, Guest Lecturer at University of Denver Law School on the Use of Arbitration and Mediation in International Franchising 1994, Evaluating Arbitrator at University of Colorado School of Law practice Arbitration for Jessup International Arbitration Competition.

Recent Professional Education:

Rocky Mountain Intellectual Property and Technology Institute 6/10; Rocky Mountain Intellectual Property and Technology Institute 6/08; American Bar Association Forum on Franchising Annual Program 10/07; International Franchise Association’s program New FTC Franchising Regulations 6/07; American Bar Association Forum on Franchising’s Teleconference on the New FTC Franchising Regulations 3/07

Franchising: American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising 10/05; American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising 10/03; Int’l. Franchise Assoc. Annual Legal Symposium 5/02, ABA Forum on Franchising 10/01, ABA Forum on Franchising and International Program 10/00, Computer and Internet Law 12/99, Counseling Hi-Tech Clients 12/99, ABA Forum On Franchising and Internet Programs 10/99, IFA Legal Symposium and International Programs 5/99, AAA Arbitrating Employment Disputes 3/99, ABA Forum on Franchising and International Program 10/98, IFA Legal Symposium & International 5/98, Computer & Internet Law 6/98, ABA Forum on Franchising 10/97, IFA Legal Symposium & International 5/97, Computer and Internet Law 3/97, ABA Forum on Franchising 10/96, IFA Legal Symposium & International 5/96, Computer Law 96, ABA Forum on Franchising 10/95, IFA Legal Symposium & International 5/95, Computer Law 95, ABA Forum on Franchising 10/94, IFA Legal Roundtable - New UFOC 8/94, AAA 4 Advanced Arbitrator Training Sessions - Summer 94, Computer Law 94 3/94, Advising High Tech Clients 12/93, ABA Forum On Franchising and Franchising in Mexico 10/93, International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium & International 5/93, Computer Law 93 3/93.

Alternative Dispute Resolution: American Arbitration Association’s Handling Delay Tactics in Arbitration 12/06, American Arbitration Association’s Arbitration Award Writing 12/05, AAA Workshop on Arbitrator Preliminary Conferences 2003, AAA Arbitrator Training 2000 and 2001, AAA Employment Dispute Training, 3/99 & 1/97, AAA Mediation Training Denver, 3/92, AAA Basic Arbitrator Training, Denver, 7/92, AAA Advanced Arbitrator Training, Denver, 6/94, AAA Specific Advanced Award Writing Training, Denver, 7/94, AAA Specific Advanced Jurisdictional Issues Training, Denver, 7/94, AAA Specific Advanced Discovery Issues Training, Denver, 7/94, AAA Employment Arbitration Training, 1/97.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

Colorado Attorney’s License 1977; The International Franchise Assoc.; The ABA Forum on Franchising, Solo and Small Firm Group, and Technology Committee; Computer Law Association; The Colorado Bar Patent Trademark and Copyright, ADR and International Sections, ABA Law Practice Management Section; Past Chair of The CBA, ADR Study Group on The Use of ADR In Employment Disputes, Past Chair of CBA ADR Forum Committee; International Who’s Who of Professionals; Kazakhstan Franchise Association.