David T. Azrin represents clients in business law matters, including intellectual property, franchising, employment law, and commercial litigation matters.

Mr. Azrin assists businesses in protecting and developing their brands, through trademark and copyright registrations, infringement actions, and licensing agreements. He also assists companies in expanding their business through franchising and other distribution arrangements and counseling on corporate structure, employment arrangements, and independent contractor arrangements. Mr. Azrin represents businesses in commercial disputes, through trial and appeal.

In the area of intellectual property, Mr. Azrin assists clients in registering trademarks and copyrights, litigating trademark and copyright infringement claims, and handling domain name disputes. Mr. Azrin is currently co-chair of the Intellectual Property Litigation Committee newsletter of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association.

In the area of employment law, Mr. Azrin handles matters involving wrongful termination; race, age, sex, and disability discrimination; retaliation; whistleblowers; overtime wages; medical leave; unpaid wages; employee handbooks; employment contracts; severance agreements; non-compete agreements; confidentiality agreements; and trade secrets.

In the area of franchising, distribution, and licensing, Mr. Azrin represents start-up and established franchisors, manufacturers, distributors, and master franchisors, as well as franchisees. With respect to franchisors, Mr. Azrin assists start-up franchisors with preparing their franchise agreements and Franchise Disclosure Documents, complying with state registration requirements, preparing and negotiating master franchise agreements, registering and defending trademarks, and resolving disputes with franchisees. With respect to franchisees, Mr. Azrin helps franchisees negotiate franchise agreements, negotiate lease agreements, form corporations, prepare shareholders agreements, purchase existing franchises, and resolve disputes with franchisors.

Mr. Azrin has received the highest AV rating by the peer review Martindale-Hubbell.

For many consecutive years, Franchise Times has honored Mr. Azrin as a “Legal Eagle."  Legal Eagles are the top 125 lawyers in franchising, as nominated by their peers and as determined by a Franchise Times editorial panel.

Mr. Azrin is annually selected as one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers in America and as a New York Metro Super Lawyer in the area of franchising and distribution law. 
 

Published Works and Presentations

Languages

Spanish

Professional Associations & Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • Westchester County Bar Association
  • New York County Lawyers Association
  • ABA Forum on Franchising
  • International Trademark Association

Education

  • University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, J.D. 1988 Law Review, Note Editor, University of Michigan Law Review, 1986-1988
  • Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, 1985 Major: Economics, with Honors Major: Political Science, with Distinction Honors: Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Epsilon

Admissions

  • Florida, 1988
  • New York, 1999
  • New Jersey, 2000
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, 1988
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1990
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 2001
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2002
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 1990
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, 2003
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 2005
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1993