Franchising: World first for law franchise

By Graeme Kennedy

Friday 9th August 2002

WIN ROBINSON: No other law franchise has been found

The world's first law firm franchise has been created from a small Auckland practice as more professions move into the industry for growth and bigger marketing opportunities.

Put together by Franchize Consultants managing director Win Robinson, Worried? was launched two months ago from lawyer Dennis Gates' North Shore office and could eventually grow to become a chain of 200 franchised firms nationwide. Mr Robinson said no other law franchise had been found after checking major international association membership lists.

"The big law firms have plenty of resources and although the smaller ones are good at law they do not have all the management skills to run a modern business," he said. "We put in the business part, the systems on how to run a law practice so lawyers can concentrate on what they should be doing.

"At this stage we have other small practices interested in the concept and talking about joining so we expect to have a network of Worried? law firms around New Zealand, all using the same branding.

"They would get privileges through the economies of bulk buying and a common marketing fund to produce a powerful national brand. Together, they would get brand recognition and be able to offer specialist services only larger firms can now afford by buying in specialist advice."

Mr Robinson said Worried? would look for firms in provincial areas and smaller towns which all had their own lawyers - "it is a fragmented market with no dominant brand, a classic situation for franchise," he said.

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