"There are many elements of the franchise agreement, as well as the franchise deal itself, that can benefit from the advice of an attorney.
These can include:
-Reviewing the franchisor's offering circular (the UFOC) and evaluating the opportunity
-Negotiating points of the final contract
-Limiting your personal liability by establishing the correct business structure
-Dealing with trade secrets and other proprietary issues
-Establishing your own trade name
-Dealing with state statutes "
Read more in this Howstuffworks article found via this Innovative.Franchising.Blog post.