Andrew J. Sherman, Esq.
Biographical Overview

Andrew J. Sherman is a Partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Katten Muchin & Zavis, a Chicago-based commercial law firm with over four hundred (400) attorneys nationwide. Mr. Sherman is a recognized international authority on the legal and strategic issues affecting small and growing companies and serves as Chairman of the firm's Franchising, Licensing and Distribution Group. Mr. Sherman serves as an international corporate lawyer as well as a business growth strategist, with a focus on both external growth strategies (e.g. franchising, licensing, joint ventures, strategic alliances, etc.) and internal growth strategies (e.g. capital formation, mergers and acquisitions, etc.).

Mr. Sherman serves as legal counsel to over one hundred fifty (150) franchisors and emerging growth businesses in industries as diverse as high technology, specialty retailing, restaurants (including fast-food), automotive aftermarket services, Internet service providers and database management companies, financial services and venture capital, communications, manufacturing, healthcare services, recreation and entertainment, transportation, and computer services. He practices primarily in the areas of: (a) franchising, licensing, joint ventures and distribution; (b) corporate finance, private placements and venture capital; (c) intellectual property law; and (d) business planning and general corporate law.

Mr. Sherman represents both international and domestic franchising and corporate clients. His clients range in size from over two dozen multi-billion dollar international conglomerates to a wide range of early-stage, rapidly-growing, publicly-traded, and closely-held middle market companies. He has represented clients and served as counsel on international franchising projects, technology transfer, licensing, joint ventures, acquisitions, co-branding, and general business transactions in Canada, Mexico, England, Ireland, Poland, Japan, Germany, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, South America, South Africa, France, Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Italy, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and throughout the world.

Mr. Sherman is one of the few of the nation's leading franchising and business growth attorneys who also has both direct operating experience in managing a growing franchisor as well as an extensive background in strategic planning, licensing and corporate finance. Mr. Sherman's particular area of expertise is in the strategic management of business growth as well as in the design and analysis of efficient and profitable distribution channels, the structuring of interdependent relationships, and in the development of brand-leveraging strategies and marketing systems to meet a company's domestic and international growth objectives. His goals are to always develop pragmatic and cost-effective solutions to the challenges facing a growing company. His passion for business growth, creative problem-solving and a total commitment to his clients have been recognized by various business groups, the media and hundreds of entrepreneurs and growing companies both in the United States and abroad.

Mr. Sherman has extensive experience in general corporate matters, complex commercial transactions and capital formation. He has served as securities counsel on a wide range of private and public offerings of securities; as transactional counsel to both buyers and sellers in mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, leveraged buy-outs, and management buy-outs; has negotiated on behalf of borrowers in large commercial loan transactions and assisted in the preparation and review of loan proposals; has represented both investors and entrepreneurs in several dozen venture capital transactions; has assisted many companies in the preparation of business and strategic development plans; and routinely prepares and negotiates general corporate and business agreements such as shareholders agreements, extensive employment contracts, distribution and sales agency agreements, joint venture agreements, technology transfer agreements and related corporate documentation.