Tony Wilson K.C. regularly practices in the areas of franchising, licensing and IP law and is regularly  ranked as one of Canada’s leading franchise lawyers by LEXPERT, Who’sWho Legal and Best Lawyers in Canada.

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Between 2014 and 2016, he served as an advisor to the British Columbia Government concerning franchising and helped to draft BC’s Franchise Act and Regulations which came into force February 1, 2017.

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He was Course Chair of the BC Continuing Legal Education program on Franchise Law in BC  in 2016 and 2020.

He acts for national and international Franchisors and prepares Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), franchise agreements and related documentation to enable businesses to franchise in British Columbia and other Canadian provinces and assists in the dispute process.

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He also provides legal advice to franchisees who may have rescission or statutory misrepresentation claims under the BC Franchises Act, as well as  and Franchisors defending rescission and misrepresentation claims. He has also acted in mediations and arbitrations of franchise disputes; as counsel, mediator and arbitrator.

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He assists franchisees, master franchisees, area developers and distributors with negotiating their agreements, and maintains one of the largest restaurant and hospitality industry practices in BC.

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He is the author of Buying a Franchise in Canada: Understanding and Negotiating your Franchise Agreement, the only comprehensive legal guide for persons seeking to buy franchised businesses in Canada.

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He is also the author of Manage Your Online Reputation, a book written to guide individuals and businesses on how to monitor and protect their personal and corporate reputations on social media.

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He regularly speaks and writes on both areas of law to members of the public and is often interviewed by CBC, Global News and other broadcasters respecting social media law and online reputation management.

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He is has been  a regular business columnist for the Globe and Mail and his articles have appeared in Macleans Magazine, BC Restaurant News, Franchise Entrepreneur, Teacher, World Trademark Review and other publications. He also writes two widely read regular opinion columns for Bartalk and Canadian Lawyer magazines.

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In addition to his franchise practise, Mr. Wilson advises clients on intellectual property matters such as software and technology licensing, product distribution, and on all aspects of trade mark, copyright, trade secrets, confidentiality, privacy law and on-line reputation management law.

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He is an Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University and Thompson Rivers University Law School, where he teaches Legal Ethics.

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He has been a Bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia since 2012, is now a Life Bencher. Given his many years with the Law Society, he is available to advise on Professional Discipline matters for lawyers and other professionals.

 

He was  appointed Queens Counsel in 2016 to recognize his exceptional merit and contribution to the legal profession in British Columbia