Digging the gold: exploring franchising opportunities in key emerging economies

Talha Salaria is an experienced corporate attorney with more than 20 years of experience in the profession. She is currently an independent director on the board of JM Financial Products Limited and an officer of the International Bar Association. Talha has been a board member of ITech Law Association, a global organisation of lawyers, focussed specifically on the IT/ITES sector. She has also been on the board of YPO Bangalore. Talha is the managing partner at Lawyers At Work which has been set up with a passion to deliver personalised high quality commercially relevant corporate law advice. The firm has been recognised in the industry time and again for the work quality and client relationships. She leads the franchise law practice of the firm. Before setting up Lawyers At Work, Talha was a partner at MMB Legal and practiced corporate law at JSA, which continues to be one of the leading law firms in India. She is a graduate of National Law School India University, Bangalore.

Radwa Elsaman is a distinguished legal professional and Cornell Law School adjunct professor with 20 years of experience specializing in the MENA region, aiding governments and private sector entities in legal and institutional reform. Her extensive career includes positions at international law firms such as Dentons Law Firm and DLA Piper, where she focused on representing clients in franchising industries. Her expertise is evident in speeches at prestigious platforms and publications in globally recognized law journals like Cornell University, UCLA, Tulsa, George Mason, and more. Dr. Elsaman recently contributed to the Cambridge Handbook on Comparative Law and is currently involved in developing the ABA's Franchising Guidebook. Her doctoral research from Washington College of Law, titled “Towards an Egyptian Franchising Law Based on A Comparative Study of The Laws of The United States, China, and Malaysia,” underscores her dedication to the field. Beyond her academic and professional achievements, Dr. Elsaman is deeply involved in community work, earning several awards, including the 2019 recognition from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in Washington DC and the LexisNexis Middle East 2020 Practical Guidance Award. She is a member of various global professional unions and holds licenses to practice law in multiple jurisdictions.

Leela practices in the areas of registration of trademarks and general advisory work relating to the various forms of IP rights including trademarks, copyright, industrial design rights and patents. She also has experience in all areas of intellectual property transactional work including advising on and drafting of licensing agreements, research and development agreements, commercialization agreements, collaboration agreements, assignment and transfer of intellectual property, distribution agreements, contract manufacturing, technology transfer, etc. Leela is a registered franchise consultant in Malaysia and handles all aspects of franchising including advising on structuring the business to suit requirements under the law in Malaysia, reviewing of transaction agreements and disclosure documents, registration of franchise and liaising with the Franchise Development and Direct Selling Division under the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (to move under Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development). Her experience also includes advising on labelling, consumer protection, data protection, privacy, and competition issues.

Esmari Jonker is a practising attorney admitted in the High Court of South Africa. She leads the franchising law portfolio at Smit & Van Wyk, Inc., a law firm based in Pretoria, South Africa. Esmari specialises in intellectual property and has more than 23 years’ experience in the fields of trademarks, copyright, franchising, and related intellectual property law matters. Esmari is considered as one of the leading franchise attorneys in South Africa. She acts on behalf of local as well as international clients in the franchise industry. She advises and represents both franchisors and franchisees in respect of franchise agreements and franchise litigation. Esmari is the representative of Smit & Van Wyk who is a registered industry member of the Franchise Association of South Africa (FASA) and she also serves on FASA’s Membership Committee. Special Awards and Market Recognitions: • Best Lawyers: Recognised by Best Lawyers in South Africa for Franchise Law (2022). Received Best Lawyers 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” award for Franchise Law in South Africa. • Who’s Who Legal: Listed by Who’s Who Legal in the Franchise Law category for South Africa in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. • Lexology Client Choice: Received the Lexology Client Choice Award in 2020, 2021, 2022 – Franchise Lawyer in South Africa. • World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000: Listed by WTR 1000 as a recommended expert in the fields of prosecution and strategy in 2021 and 2022. Quotes: “Shining star Esmari Jonker stands out as a highly regarded franchising specialist with significant credibility”.