Stewart Germann Law Office

What Stewart Germann Law Office does

Stewart Germann Law Office (SGL) is a New Zealand boutique law firm widely acknowledged as the country's leading franchise law practice. The firm operates as a partnership between Stewart Germann, who has over 40 years of experience and is the only lawyer in New Zealand to hold the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) qualification, and Khushbu Sundarji, who joined in 2017 and became partner in 2022. The firm is headquartered in Central Auckland and trades under the legal entity The Franchise Gurus Limited. SGL's primary client base is franchisors and franchisees in New Zealand and abroad, with additional commercial law, dispute resolution, notarial, employment, property, and estate planning work. The firm operates with no proprietary technology platform; its value proposition is built on individual expertise rather than a tech-enabled delivery model.

The firm offers seven core service lines: Franchising Law (franchise agreement drafting, master franchise agreements, IP licensing, franchise structuring, and compliance with the Franchising Code of Practice), Commercial Law (business sales and purchases, shareholders agreements, mergers, reconstructions, and securities), Dispute Resolution (mediation and franchising/partner disputes), Employment Law, Property Transactions, Wills and Estate Planning, and Notarial Services for international document witnessing. Pricing is quote-based on a matter-by-matter basis and is not publicly disclosed. The firm has acted for over 30 franchise systems including Bakers Delight, RE/MAX New Zealand, Poolwerx, Ecomist, Number Works, Kip McGrath, Carpet Court, Cavalier, Mike Pero Mortgages, and Stretch-n-Grow, spanning retail, real estate, education, fitness, cleaning, and foodservice verticals.

Go-to-market is sales-led and partner-driven, supplemented by thought-leadership content, podcast appearances (Franchise Show, Eden Exchange), conference speaking in NZ, Australia, and the USA, and institutional leadership across IFA, FANZ, FCA, IBA, AMINZ, and ANZCN. No external funding, M&A activity, or institutional investors are disclosed. The firm has no subsidiaries, no publicly disclosed revenue, and no presence in AI or technology-based legal services. Stewart Germann separately operates The Franchise Coach (franchisecoach.co.nz), a productised coaching business that extends the franchise advisory surface beyond billable legal work.

Name

Stewart Germann Law Office

Legal name

The Franchise Gurus Limited

Website

https://germann.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stewart Germann Law Office is a New Zealand boutique law firm specialising in franchise law, acting for franchisors and franchisees across commercial transactions, dispute resolution, and notarial services, with a client base of 30+ franchise systems and operations spanning NZ and international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Franchise Law: Core revenue from providing legal advice, drafting franchise agreements, master franchise agreements, and intellectual property licences for franchisors and franchisees in New Zealand and abroad.
2. Legal Services - Commercial Law: Revenue from business sales and purchases, shareholders agreements, business mergers, commercial transactions, and securities.
3. Dispute Resolution and Mediation: Mediation services for franchising disputes, partner and shareholder disputes. Stewart is a qualified mediator and panel member of Franchise Association of New Zealand.
4. Notarial Services: Notary Public services for witnessing documents for overseas jurisdictions. Stewart is President of New Zealand Society of Notaries Inc.
5. The Franchise Coach: Stewart operates The Franchise Coach providing franchise coaching services alongside legal services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stewart Germann Law Office is a boutique law firm based in Auckland, New Zealand, specializing in franchise law and commercial law. The firm provides legal services across franchising, commercial law, dispute resolution, employment law, property transactions, wills and estate planning, and notarial services for franchisors, franchisees, and commercial clients. The legal practice operates under The Franchise Gurus Limited.

Product overview

Stewart Germann Law Office (SGL) is a specialized boutique law firm providing comprehensive legal services centered on franchise and commercial law. The firm operates as a single integrated legal practice offering seven core service areas: Franchising Law (drafting franchise agreements, master franchise agreements, IP licensing, and franchise structuring), Commercial Law (business sales/purchases, shareholders agreements, mergers), Dispute Resolution (mediations, franchising disputes), Employment Law, Property Transactions, Wills and Estate Planning, and Notarial Services. The firm also operates The Franchise Coach as a related coaching service. SGL is acknowledged as New Zealand's leading franchise law firm, led by Stewart Germann who holds the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) qualification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Franchising Law

Quantifiable outcome

• Stewart Germann is widely acknowledged as New Zealand's leading franchise law practitioner
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Franchise CoachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStewart Germann operates The Franchise Coach (franchisecoach.co.nz) providing franchise coaching services. This is a separate business operated by Stewart Germann, offering complementary services to the legal practice.
• International Franchise Association (IFA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerStewart is a member of the IFA based at Washington DC. This membership provides industry networking and credibility for international franchise work.
• Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerStewart was Chairman of FANZ from 1997-1999 and the firm maintains close association. Stewart is on the Panel of Mediators of FANZ.
• Franchise Council of Australia (FCA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMember of FCA, providing cross-border franchise expertise and networking between New Zealand and Australia.
• International Bar Association (IBA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerStewart is a member of the IBA, providing international legal professional networking.
• AMINZ (Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerStewart is a member of AMINZ and a qualified mediator. Provides mediation services for franchising disputes.
• Australian and New Zealand College of Notaries (ANZCN)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerStewart is the New Zealand Governor of ANZCN based in Melbourne, Australia, and serves as President of the New Zealand Society of Notaries Inc.
• Auckland University Law SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStewart is Adjunct Professor of Law at Auckland University Law School teaching franchise law. Academic partnership for legal education and research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Allens: Major Australian law firm with a broad commercial practice including franchising and licensing. Operates at significantly larger scale across Australia and Asia with comparable cross-border franchise capability.
• DLA Piper: Global law firm with offices in Australia and New Zealand offering commercial and franchise-related services. Competes for international franchise structuring work as a broad incumbent.
• MinterEllison: Large Australia and New Zealand law firm with a commercial practice including franchising. Competes for cross-border ANZ franchise mandates as a broader full-service incumbent rather than a franchise specialist.
• King & Wood Mallesons: Large Asia-Pacific law firm with offices in Australia and New Zealand. Competes for major cross-border franchise and commercial mandates as a broad incumbent.
• Dentons: Global law firm with a New Zealand presence and broad commercial practice including franchising. Competes as a global incumbent rather than as a NZ franchise specialist.

Direct peers

• Buddle Findlay: Major New Zealand law firm with a commercial practice including franchise and licensing work. Competes with SGL for NZ franchisor and franchisee mandates in the Auckland market.
• Bell Gully: One of New Zealand's largest full-service law firms headquartered in Auckland with a commercial and franchise practice that competes for the same enterprise franchisor clients as SGL. Directly comparable in NZ franchise and commercial law work but at significantly larger scale.
• Duncan Cotterill: New Zealand law firm with a commercial practice serving franchisors and franchisees. Competes with SGL for NZ-based franchise clients in overlapping practice areas.

Regional players

• Lander & Rogers: Australian commercial law firm with a franchising practice. Comparable in franchise specialisation but operates primarily in Australia rather than competing head-on in the NZ market.
• Holding Redlich: Australian commercial law firm with a recognised franchise practice and notable franchising publications. Comparable in franchise specialisation but based in Australia rather than NZ, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stewart-german-law-office

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stewart Germann Law Office