SUMMARY

Harvard-trained franchise legal executive and former General Counsel, Chief Legal & Business Officer, and board member for a national restaurant franchisor, with deep experience advising franchisors, restaurant systems, and multi-unit businesses on legal strategy, franchise compliance, litigation management, and business transformation. Proven record of reducing legal spend, resolving high-stakes litigation, and partnering with executive leadership and boards on growth, restructuring, and system health initiatives in highly regulated, franchise-driven environments.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
CULP FRANCHISE LAW PLLC – TAMPA, FL 

Principal 2025 - Present  

· Provide fractional and interim general counsel services to franchise systems and multi-unit operators, including franchise compliance, FDD review, and dispute resolution.

· Selected for Major Lindsey & Africa Interim Legal Talent program and placed as general counsel for a large owner/operator of Taco Bell restaurants, along with Five Guys and other branded airport concessions (2025).

FRONT BURNER BRANDS/THE MELTING POT RESTAURANTS, INC. – TAMPA, FL 

Chief Legal & Business Officer and Board Member 2020 – 2024

General Counsel & Chief Business Officer and Board Member 2019 – 2020

General Counsel    2014 - 2019

• Hired as first general counsel and reduced companywide legal spend by 53 percent in first year.

• Resolved nationwide wage and hour class action litigation for no monetary consideration.

• Settled multi-million-dollar Canadian litigation for less than 2 percent of amount at issue.

• Helped manage company through pandemic restaurant shutdown and post-pandemic transformation of the restaurant industry by renegotiating and teaching franchisees to renegotiate restaurant leases.

• Reacquired Melting Pot distribution rights for Mexico.

• Promoted to Chief Legal & Business Officer in recognition of contributions beyond the legal function, including leading a cross-departmental System Health team and designing the company’s first balanced scorecard.

· Drafted and completed transaction forming joint venture for newly developed quick service restaurant.

· Drafted and completed multiple asset purchase and equity transactions.

CHESLEY K. CULP III, P.C. – DENVER, CO

President 2013 – 2014

· Drafted and revised multiple FDD franchisor investment prospectuses.

· Brokered settlement of long running litigation between client and large craft supply store. 

MOYE WHITE LLP – DENVER, CO

Of Counsel, Co-Chairman Franchise & Distribution Section 2009 –2012

· Substantially revised UFOC franchise prospectus allowing nationwide roll-out of dental franchise opportunity.

· Litigated and settled two multi-million-dollar lawsuits involving: (i) a United States real property management franchise, and (ii) a Canadian yoga apparel franchisor and retailer.

QUIZNOS SUBS – DENVER, CO

Vice President & Assistant General Counsel 2007 –2008

• Promoted to chief counsel and supported and advised Quiznos Canada, the company's top international division by sales volume and led effort to resolve two pending Canadian class actions.

• Strategically resolved nationwide litigation portfolio, substantially reducing enterprise litigation exposure and outside legal spend.

• Created and led cross-departmental team to mitigate competitive threat to U.S. business model resulting in modification of U.S. franchise agreements and supplier/distribution agreements.

MOYE WHITE LLP – DENVER, CO

Partner 1996 –2006

· Notable litigation and arbitration included:

- Seven-Eleven Hampden v. Quiznos Sub, 97-CV-6769, summary judgment on behalf of Quiznos.

- Masri v. Big O Tires, won bench trial on behalf of owner of eleven franchises in Detroit, Michigan.

- Factual Data - Southern California v. Kroll Factual Data, AAA No. 77 114 Y 00140 05 JISI, won multi-million-dollar award enjoining the franchisor's internet encroachment in area developer’s Southern California territory.

Associate (law firm was then known as Moye, Giles, O’Keefe, Vermeire & Gorrell, LLP) 1990 –1995

· Dreith and EEOC v. National Football League, Case No. 91-C-1289, led public and private effort to negotiate a favorable settlement in a landmark age discrimination litigation against the NFL.

People v. Reilly, Case No. 1990CV01324, served as 2nd chair in trial broadcast on Court TV and won jury verdict acquitting a nurse charged with attempted first-degree murder of her dying patient.

SWIDLER & BERLIN, CHTD.– WASHINGTON, DC  

Associate – Trial Section 1988 –1990

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
Harvard Law School, J.D. cum laude 

University of Colorado Boulder, B.A. with distinction

Executive Education:

· Boston University Questrom School of Business (Executive Education) - Mini MBA

· Harvard Business School (Executive Education) – Strategies for Profitable Growth

Colorado Bar – Registration No. 18139

Culp, “Top In-House Counsel” and “Top General Counsel,” Tampa Bay Business Journal, Mar. 2017.

Beyer & Culp, "Franchise Sales Compliance," International Franchise Association, May 5, 2016.

Culp, “Management of Outside Counsel,” International Alliance of Law Firms, December 4, 2015.

Culp, “Starting a Franchise System in a Weak Credit Market,” Denver Business Journal, Feb. 11, 2011.

Culp and Spandorf, “Sourcing Products and Services for the System,” ABA Forum on Franchising, Oct 14-16, 2009