Adele M. Vespa has over 25 years of legal experience in Franchise & Distribution, Commercial Real Estate, and General Corporate work and experience in complex Product's Liability Litigation. She has experience mediating complicated franchisor/franchisee disputes involving issues of franchisee terminations, liquidated damages provisions, failed inspections, breaches of system standards, breach of training provisions and financial performance misrepresentations. Adele is the former Chief Franchise Counsel for AFC Enterprises, d/b/a Popeyes Restaurants and served as Assistant General Counsel for Huddle House, Inc. for many years. During those years, she had a proven track record of creatively resolving disputes with franchisees to enhance the franchise system, minimizing termination actions, including developing a comprehensive franchisee default policy following months of negotiations and buy-in from Popeyes International Franchisee Association. In private practice, she represented franchisors in Georgia and Ohio, including Wendy's, Stanley Steamer, Philly Connection, as well as franchisees including the Master Franchisee for Remax in Ohio, the largest national IHOP franchisee with over 400 units, and franchisee acquisition of 40 Applebee's restaurants in Georgia by a Georgia venture capital group.

Adele has been a member of the ABA Forum on Franchising since 1984 and has served as a speaker at The Southeast Franchise Forum in 2009 and 2010, on alternatives to default and termination and mediation topics. She also served as a co-facilitator at the Georgia Bar's Franchise & Distribution Law Section CLE Program in 2011, speaking on the topic of Termination and Alternatives to Termination. She is a trained and registered neutral with the Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution. Over the years, Adele also represented landlords, tenants, buyers, sellers, lenders and other financial institutions in a variety of commercial real estate and leasing transactions. She also served as Lead Real Estate Counsel for Banc One Corporation in Columbus, Ohio during the 1990's.

Areas of Expertise
• Franchise & Distribution
• Commercial Real Estate
• Contracts
• Business & Corporate

ADR Training
• Georgia Commission on Dispute Resolution, Registered Neutral
• Mediator Training, Henning Mediation & Arbitration
• Arbitrator Training, Henning Mediation & Arbitration

Education
• Capital University School of Law (Columbus, Ohio), J.D., Cum Laude, 1984
National Moot Court Team - Best Oralist Midwest Competition, 1983
Capital University Law Review, Notes Editor
• Ohio Northern University, B.A. English, Summa Cum Laude, 1981

Bar Admissions
• Georgia
• Ohio

Legal Employment
• Alston & Bird, Atlanta, Georgia (Project Attorney, 2009 present)
• AFC Enterprises, Inc., dba Popeye's Restaurants, Atlanta, Georgia
(Chief Franchise Counsel, 2006-2009)
• Huddle House, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia (Assistant General Counsel, 2001-2006)
• Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP, Atlanta, Georgia (Counsel, 1999-2001)
• Banc One Corporation, Columbus, Ohio (Lead Real Estate Counsel, 1992-1999)
• Arter & Hadden, Columbus, Ohio (Associate, 1989-1992)
• Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease, Columbus, Ohio (Associate, 1984-1989)

Professional Affiliations
• State Bar of Georgia
• American Bar Association
Forum on Franchising
• Southeast Franchise Forum
• Atlanta Bar Association
• Atlanta Bard Musical Fundraiser

Presentations
• State Bar of Georgia's Franchise & Distribution Law Section CLE Program,
Termination and Alternatives to Termination, 2011
• Southeast Franchise Forum, Mediating Franchise Disputes Effectively, 2010
• Southeast Franchise Forum, Dealing with Distressed Franchisees in a Challenging Economy, 2009