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Saturday, April 25, 2020 @10am
Download Show Audio Here
Our Guest:
 Chris Cynkar
Franchise Consultant
FranChoice
412-877-2000
ccynkar@franchoise.com
Chris Cynkar knows the challenges of finding the perfect business opportunity. For the past 15 years, Chris has walked in the shoes of a business owner. With business ownership experience in multiple industries, Chris possesses the skills necessary to help candidates find the perfect franchise opportunity to achieve their specific goals. After beginning his career with a Big 6 accounting firm and earning his CPA license, Chris spent 3 years working in financial management with 2 rapidly growing companies in the healthcare and manufacturing industries. In 1999, Chris made a career shift from employee to owner. Since he chose business ownership, Chris has owned and operated businesses in a variety of industries including commercial printing, medical equipment, professional services, real estate and healthcare staffing services. In all of these businesses, Chris served as both the lead investor and, more importantly, the leading executive of the company.
Since 2006, Chris has been an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University. He has worked with hundreds of students to evaluate, plan and start businesses in countless industry segments. In 2011, Chris joined a leading retail franchise as a master franchisee.
Chris has joined FranChoice in order to help candidates benefit from his deep and diverse business ownership experience. Because of the variety of industries in which Chris has direct experience, he is able to assist candidates in evaluating multiple business opportunities with an experienced guide on their side. Chris’ goal is to help every candidate find the franchise opportunity that will help them reach all of their personal and professional goals.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
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Guest:
 Kelly Donahue, Partner
Verrill
Kelly assists small and large businesses in establishing and protecting their brands in the U.S. and in other countries. She advises clients on trademark portfolio management, prosecution, clearance, and enforcement.
Kelly has extensive experience in reviewing trademark availability searches; advising clients on the feasibility of adopting new trademarks; drafting cease and desist letters, coexistence agreements, and settlement agreements; handling cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board; negotiating software license agreements and software-as-a-service (SaaS) agreements; and preparing click-through agreements, privacy policies, and terms of use. As a member of Verrill’s Food & Beverage Group, Kelly also regularly assists craft food and beverage businesses by providing sensible branding, labeling, and marketing advice, while being mindful of budget and overall business goals.
Prior to joining Verrill, Kelly worked for several years in the Boston office of Locke Lord, where she established a solid foundation in trademark law. Kelly also worked in the legal department at Under Armour, where she gained a practical, in-house perspective on the trademark and intellectual property issues that are most important to brand owners, marketing professionals, and corporate counsel.
Kelly has traveled to China to attend classes analyzing current Chinese, European, and U.S. intellectual property issues at the Tsinghua University School of Law.
A native of Winterport, Kelly now lives in Saco, where she enjoys spending time at the beach and exploring new restaurants. During the summer months, she can often be found at her family’s cabin on Lake Moxie in The Forks.
Education
- University of New Hampshire School of Law (J.D.)
- Senior Editor, University of New Hampshire Law Review
- Bryant University (B.A.)
Memberships
- Member, International Trademark Association (INTA)
- Member, INTA Internet Committee and Legal Resources and Communications Subcommittee
Saturday, April 11, 2020
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Guest:
 K. Joshua Scott, Partner
Jackson Lewis
Portsmouth
P 603-559-2711 • F 603-559-2701
KJoshua.Scott@jacksonlewis.com
Mr. Scott’s practice covers all aspects of employment litigation, including state and federal claims and matters before administrative agencies such as the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, the New Hampshire Department of Labor, the Maine Human Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission. Mr. Scott practices in both state and federal court and has handled cases involving claims of race, age, disability, sexual orientation and sex discrimination, as well as sexual harassment, retaliatory discharge, non-compete/ restrictive covenant issues and medical leaves.
Mr. Scott is a member of the American Bar Association, the New Hampshire Bar Association and the Maine Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in the State of New Hampshire, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, the State of Maine and the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine.
Mr. Scott received his B.A in history and political science from the University of New Hampshire. He earned his J.D from the University of Maine School of Law.
Mr. Scott was selected by New England Super Lawyers to the New England Rising Stars list. Mr. Scott was also selected by Chambers and is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Scott currently serves as President of the New Hampshire Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and is the moderator for the Rye Water District.
Saturday, April 4, 2020
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Guest:
 Ben Ford, Partner
207-253-4828
bford@verrill-law.com
Vanderbilt University Law School (J.D.)
University of New Hampshire (B.A.)
Verrill
Ben helps his clients reach their full potential. Whether it was helping out in his parent’s flower shop in California or building retail stores in New York, Ben learned firsthand that the best product in the world means nothing unless you have the right people to make it and sell it. Indeed, in any competitive market, a company’s success depends on its ability to build multi-disciplinary teams. Companies that fall back on outdated assumptions risk being surpassed by those who recognize the potential in diverse workforces. When it comes to providing legal services, Ben puts these principles into practice. Whether it’s a Norwegian company looking for a foothold in the U.S. or an entrepreneur working in her basement to perfect seaweed harvesting techniques, clients benefit from Ben’s well-rounded approach to problem-solving.
Mindful of his pre-law experiences, Ben took to his legal studies with a unique sense of perspective. With the help of his professors at Vanderbilt University Law School, Ben crafted a course of study designed to explore specific business challenges from a legal perspective. The result of this intensive study was a series of articles discussing novel approaches to business problems by combining proven business principles with highly sophisticated legal tactics. Many of those articles have been published in leading trade publications and they form the basis of Ben’s practice today.
Whether it is to a jury or a group of concerned business owners, Ben loves speaking about the law. He is as comfortable in a courtroom as he is in a boardroom and his passion for good ideas pervades every case he argues, and every article he writes.
When not at work, Ben can be found on the water racing sailboats or cruising around in his vintage 1959 Lyman Sleeper. Yes, he restored it himself (ask him to show you a picture).
Public Service
Member, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project’s Pro Bono Panel
Memberships
Board Member, Maine Marine Trade Association
University of New England North-Board of Advisors
Arctic Economic Council-Shipping and Logistics Working Group
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Chris Cynkar