Dawn Newton Partner (510) 451-3300 dnewton@donahue.com Download vCard LinkedIn
Dawn Newton
Dawn Newton is a business attorney whose practice focuses on franchise law, intellectual property, and data privacy. She is certified as a legal specialist in franchise and distribution law by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California.
As a franchise law expert, Dawn represents a broad spectrum of franchised businesses, particularly restaurants and retail concepts, and she serves as outside general counsel for several. Many of her clients’ concepts are targeted to children, including tutoring, daycare, and supplemental education. Her experience includes:
- Managing the regulatory and compliance work of mature and expanding franchise systems
- Structuring new franchise systems for start-up franchisors, including drafting Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs), franchise agreements, area development agreements, and managing registrations and exemptions.
- Assisting businesses with resolving complex franchise law violation situations
In addition to her franchise practice, Dawn helps clients safeguard and preserve their intellectual property, such as:
- Trademark and copyright prosecution and licensing
- Creating and registering new marks and expanding marks internationally
- Developing strategies to protect and enhance intellectual property
- Policing and responding to allegations of infringement
- Advising on issues raised by new forms of media
Dawn also advises clients regarding data privacy issues, including compliance with various privacy and security laws including CCPA, GDPR, COPPA, CalOPPA, CAN-SPAM, and more. Her experience includes responding to data breaches, creating compliance plans, and vendor management.
Professional & Community Affiliations
- Member, American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, 2004-Present
- Annual Meeting Co-Chair, American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, 2017
- Member, Governing Committee, American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, 2015-Present
- Member, International Franchise Association, 2015-Present
- Chair and Commissioner, Franchise and Distribution Law Advisory Commission, Board of Legal Specialization, State Bar of California, 2008-2015
- Chair, Intellectual Property Section, Alameda County Bar Association, 2011-2013
Recognition
- Listed, Who's Who Legal: Franchise, 2017-2019
- Named, The Best Lawyers in America© – Franchising, Best Lawyers, 2013-2019
- Named, Rising Star, Northern California Super Lawyers, 2010
- Awarded, AV® Preeminent™ (5.0 out of 5) peer-review rated, Martindale-Hubbell™
- Recipient, Future Leader Award, Forum on Franchising, American Bar Association, 2010
Recent Articles/News
- California Consumer Privacy Act, This post was originally published on November 7, 2018 and updated on July 16, 2019
- GDPR-Year One: Practitioners’ Perspective
- Impacts of the New Revenue Recognition Rule (ASC 606)
- Donahue Fitzgerald Ranked in Top Tier of 2019 “Best Law Firms”
- Donahue Fitzgerald Attorneys Recognized in the Best Lawyers in America 2019 Edition, Best Lawyers in America, 2019 Edition
- Donahue Fitzgerald Ranked in Top Tier of 2018 “Best Law Firms”
- Donahue Fitzgerald Attorneys Recognized in the Best Lawyers in America© 2018 Edition, Best Lawyers in America©, 2018 Edition
- Donahue Fitzgerald Ranked In Top Tier of 2017 “Best Law Firms”
- Donahue Fitzgerald Honored to Present Award to Maximum Games
- Donahue Fitzgerald Attorneys Recognized in the Best Lawyers in America© 2016 Edition, Best Lawyers in America©, 2016 Edition
Past Articles/News
Franchising a Marijuana Business: It’s Not Quite Mission Impossible, Franchise Law Journal, American Bar Association, co-authored with Shannon L. McCarthy, vol. 35, no.3, Winter 2016
Advertising and Social Media
Books
The Annotated Franchise Agreement, Forum on Franchising - American Bar Association, contributing editor, 2018
"Negotiating Key Provisions," Chapter 2, Mergers and Acquisitions of Franchise Companies, second ed., Forum on Franchising - American Bar Association, contributing author, 2014
Recent Speaking Engagements
November 14, 2019 | Las Vegas, NV
CLA 44th Annual Intellectual Property Law Section Institute
California Lawyers Association
October 17, 2019 | Denver, CO
ABA’s 42nd Forum on Franchising
American Bar Association Forum on Franchising
May 06, 2019 | Washington D.C., DC
IFA’s 52nd Legal Symposium
International Franchise Association (IFA)
January 24, 2019 | Oakland, CA
Preparing for the California Consumer Privacy Act
October 10, 2018 | Nashville, TN
ABA’s 41st Forum on Franchising
American Bar Association Forum on Franchising
October 18, 2017 | Palm Dessert, CA
ABA’s 40th Annual Forum on Franchising
American Bar Association Forum on Franchising
November 02, 2016 | Miami, Florida
Fundamentals of Franchising
American Bar Association's Forum on Franchising
September 12, 2016 | Oakland, CA
The Forgotten Asset: Copyright Law for Estate Planners
East Bay Estate Planning Council
November 17, 2015 | San Francisco, CA
The Forgotten Asset: Copyright Law for Estate Planners
Bar Association of San Francisco
November 10, 2015 | Oakland, CA
What You Need to Know About Franchising Your Business
Past Speaking Engagements
- October 15-16, 2015, Fundamentals 201: Drafting the Six Most Challenging Items in the FDD, Forum on Franchising – American Bar Association, New Orleans
- June 28, 2015, Nationalizing Your Brand, 2015 Cannabis Business Summit, National Cannabis Industry Association, Denver
- May 5, 2015, Handling Defaults and Terminations, 48th Annual Legal Symposium, International Franchise Association, Chicago
- February 12, 2015, Franchising v. Licensing, National Cannabis Bar Association, San Francisco
- 2013, Advanced Disclosure Issues, Forum on Franchising – American Bar Association, Orlando
- 2010, Best Practices for Establishing a Franchise Compliance Program, Forum on Franchising – American Bar Association, San Diego