Mr. Wheelock focuses his practice on representing both franchisors and franchisees.

He has personally written or reviewed FDDs/Franchise Agreements for 500+ franchised systems.

For FRANCHISORS, Jeff helps by creating the original FDD (including the franchise agreement), updating the FDD on a yearly basis, obtaining registration in required states, and providing support in dealings with their franchisees.

For FRANCHISEES, Jeff helps them better understand the FDD and franchise agreement, so that new franchisees are going into their new business “with eyes wide open.” As part of the review process, he assists in proposing and negotiating changes to the standard franchise agreement. Additionally, he regularly helps franchisees who are buying and/or selling already-operating franchised businesses.

Jeff also serves as outside “general counsel” to both FRANCHISORS and FRANCHISEES, helping with entity-formation, corporate documents (such as ownership agreements), real estate leases, employment issues, intellectual property issues, and other contracts.

Jeff’s legal background includes 30+ years of experience in civil litigation, handling hundreds of cases. He regularly represents both FRANCHISORS and FRANCHISEES in litigation and arbitration.

Business Experience

In addition to starting and running our law firm, Mr. Wheelock has been personally involved in starting and overseeing several companies in various industries. He currently serves on the advisory board of multiple companies. His own business experiences provide unique insight when advising his business clients.

Education

Mr. Wheelock graduated from the University of Houston Law Center in 1991, where he served as Executive Editor of the Houston Law Review. He earned his bachelor's degree in economics and managerial studies from Rice University in 1988.

Licenses & Certifications

Mr. Wheelock is licensed to practice in all Texas state courts, as well as the federal courts for the Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas, and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. He has obtained certifications as a mediator, arbitrator, and guardian ad litem.

Speaking & Consulting

Mr. Wheelock’s expertise in franchise law has been recognized throughout the United States. He has been invited as a lecturer/guest-expert on franchise matters in a variety of settings, including:

• CNN-Radio
• CBS-Radio
• Various Small Business Development Centers
• American Bar Association
• University of Houston (in both the Entrepreneurship and Business programs)
• The National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show
• NFL’s Houston Texans

Mr. Dickinson's practice is centered upon commercial litigation, transactional work and business consultation. He represents a number of businesses as external “general counsel.” He regularly assists these clients on a variety of matters including business negotiations, deal documentation, litigation, dispute management and dispute prevention. Mr. Dickinson's corporate clients include oil and gas exploration companies, a large jet charter company and an international owner and franchisor of FBOs (refueling facilities for general aviation). He also has significant experience defending mass-tort product liability lawsuits and has lectured repeatedly on legal matters including intellectual property in the oil & gas exploration business.

In addition to almost 25 years of experience as a practicing attorney, Mr. Dickinson has an active practice as a mediator. He has served as a mediator in hundreds of cases involving personal injury, employment disputes, business litigation, commercial disputes, construction, discrimination, subrogation claims, products liability, medical and professional malpractice.

As a litigator, Mr. Dickinson realizes the potential value of mediation. His ability to be focused and creative while committed to integrity allows him to settle a large majority of cases - his track record speaks for itself.

If you would like more information on mediations and availability, please email stephanie@dwlegal.com.

Business Experience

After graduating in 1980 with honors from the University of Texas at Austin with a BBA in Finance, Mr. Dickinson worked for seven years as owner and operator of an oil & gas land leasing company before attending law school. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Dickinson has actively participated as a principal in a number of businesses over the last 28 years. These endeavors have provided him with valuable insight and perspective on the problems faced by businesses in general.

Education

Mr. Dickinson graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston Law Center in 1990. He served as Executive Editor of the Houston Law Review in 1989 and graduated Order of the Coif. Before that he graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1980 with a BBA in Finance.

Licenses & Certifications

Mr. Dickinson is a member of the Texas Bar. He is licensed to practice in all Texas State Courts, as well as, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas and the United States Firth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Dickinson has been qualified as a mediator under Section 154.052 of the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code since September of 2000.

Author/Speaker

Author: “Theft of Oil and Gas Secrets,” 1992, 1993. Speaker: “The New Texas Appellate Rules,” 1997.

Mr. Propes possesses expertise in a wide variety of areas, including trial practice, appeals, labor and employment, transactions, aviation, and oil and gas. His practice serves large and small businesses as outside general counsel. In that capacity, Mr. Propes provides practical, no-nonsense solutions for the day-to-day issues faced by his clients, including businesses in the general aviation, oil and gas, and construction industries.

Mr. Propes possesses particular expertise in the field of civil appeals. Mr. Propes has authored approximately seventy appellate briefs. These briefs have been submitted to several of the Texas intermediate courts of appeal, as well as the Fifth Circuit. Mr. Propes has also participated in oral argument for several of these appeals. Of those seventy appeals, Mr. Propes has achieved successful outcomes for his clients in over 90% of those cases.

Education

A native of the Houston area, Mr. Propes is proud to have been educated exclusively at the University of Houston. A graduate of the Honors Program, Mr. Propes earned his bachelor of arts degree in political science in 1992. After two years in graduate school, Mr. Propes turned his attention to law school, and earned his juris doctorate in 1997. He served as Casenotes and Comments Editor of the Houston Journal of International Law, and was named to the Order of the Barristers. In law school, Mr. Propes was an active member of the moot court team. With a partner, Mr. Propes won a national moot court competition in 1997, and earned awards for best speaker and best brief in the process.

Licenses & Certifications

Mr. Propes is a member of the State Bar of Texas. He is licensed to practice in all Texas state courts, the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Ms. Condara is able to address issues in many areas of business law. The clients she serves include small to medium companies and family owned businesses. Ms. Condara’s varied law firm, in-house and solo legal practice has included oil and gas – from prospect to pipeline, partnership disputes, the litigation of commercial disputes, lender liability, probate litigation, appellate work and the successful representation of plaintiffs in a wrongful death case.

Presently Ms. Condara works with both franchisors and franchisees in their legal dealings, including business structuring and lease negotiations.

Education

Ms. Condara graduated from the University of Houston Law Center in 1984, where she served as the Topics Editor of the Houston Journal of International Law and worked as a Research Assistant for a professor of European Community law.

Business Experience

After graduating from the University of Houston Honors Program, with a B.A. in Political Science, Ms. Condara worked as a French translator for the legal department of El Paso LNG in Houston. She then moved to Washington D.C. where she worked for a year with an ESL program for graduate students at Georgetown University and later took a position at the World Bank. After law school, Ms Condara worked for several years with a boutique oil and gas and business litigation firm, doing transactional work, handling bench and jury trials, arguing motions and appearing as the lead attorney in argument before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Texas. She then took a position in Chicago as in-house counsel for an oil and gas exploration company and later a packaging company. Her Texas practice has resumed– as out house general counsel- for a variety of businesses.

Licenses & Certifications

Ms. Condara is licensed to practice law in Texas and in Illinois.