Phone: 248-268-7800
Fax: 248-268-7880 Email: francis@korolaw.com
Education
DePaul University College of Law, J.D.
Certificate in Health Law
Authorities Editor of the DePaul Journal of Health Care Law
University of Michigan, B.A.
With Distinction
University of Michigan Men's Club Ice Hockey Team
Practice Areas
Mergers & Acquisitions
Business Law
Banking & Financial Institutions
Franchise
Outside General Counsel
Real Estate
Intellectual Property
Private Equity
Francis N. Rodriguez
Partner
Francis N. Rodriguez has extensive experience as the lead KORO attorney in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, business law, franchise law, real estate and banking and finance law, advising and counseling clients with respect to a wide range of transactional matters. Francis joined the firm in 2011. Previously, he was a corporate attorney and member of the Recruitment Committee and Diversity Committee at Dickinson Wright PLLC, an international law firm, which he joined immediately upon graduating from law school. Francis has been regularly recognized by his peers as a top lawyer and rising star by the Best Lawyers in America, Michigan Super Lawyers and DBusiness, respectively, in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, business and corporate law.
Prominent Assignments
Mergers & Acquisitions and Business Law
Acted as lead counsel on more than 75 M&A transactions representing roughly $2 billion in total value while at KORO, and involved in over $3 billion in M&A value across over 100 transactions throughout his career
Regularly advises clients with respect to a broad array of business matters across numerous industries, including domestic and international mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, consolidations and other business combinations, private debt and equity offerings, financing transactions, business formation and corporate governance, and general corporate and contract counseling
Experience representing clients in the acquisition and sale of assets in bankruptcy
Recent representative experience includes:
Counsel to Purchaser in financing and acquisition of 231 AT&T retail stores throughout the United States, and several related transactions in the wireless industry
Counsel to Minority Member in sale of equity of the Crypton Companies to private equity firm
Counsel to Seller in sale of national automotive manufacturing company to Truck Hero
Counsel to Private Equity Firm to organize and capitalize holding company and portfolio acquisition entity, followed by simultaneous senior and mezzanine financing and acquisition of national retail distributor of propane, heating oil and other petroleum products
Counsel to Private Equity Firm to organize and capitalize holding company and portfolio acquisition entity, followed by simultaneous financing and $27 million acquisition of national processor of organic and conventional meal, soybeans and other grains for feed mills and food refiners
Counsel to Purchaser in numerous acquisitions of Sprint preferred retail stores throughout the United States, and several related transactions in the wireless industry, including the organization and capitalization of a holding company and simultaneous contribution of over 80 Sprint stores to such entity
Counsel to Purchaser in acquisition of a majority of the equity of PuroClean franchise system
Counsel to Private Equity Firm to organize and capitalize holding company and portfolio acquisition entity, followed by simultaneous senior and mezzanine financing and $23 million acquisition of national wholesale flooring distributor and its subsidiaries
Counsel to Private Equity Firm to organize and capitalize acquisition entity, followed by simultaneous $25 million acquisition of two operating entities in the industrial cleaning, excavation and field services industries
Counsel to Private Equity Firm to organize and capitalize acquisition entity, followed by simultaneous $12 million acquisition of operating entity providing pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete and related products
Counsel to Shareholder and Executive in $648 million sale of manufacturing company to private equity firm
Counsel to Minority Shareholder Group in approximately $20 million sale of software company to Japanese company
Counsel to Shareholder and Executive in $6 million sale of commercial furniture company
Counsel to Purchaser in $21.5 million acquisition of manufacturing company in Illinois
Counsel to Purchaser in acquisition of Martinizing and Dry Cleaning Station franchise systems
Counsel to Purchaser in acquisition of Empire Die Casting Co., Inc. from bankruptcy. Listed as one of the biggest deals of 2013 in Crain's Detroit Business, "Michigan Deal List: Mergers & Acquisitions" (Spring 2014)
Counsel to Seller in multimillion dollar sale of manufacturing company for the automotive industry to wholly-owned subsidiary of Italian company
Counsel to purchasers, sellers and joint venturers in stock and asset transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions of varying size and complexity across numerous industries
Counsel to private equity and venture capital firms in capital raising and acquisition and disposition of portfolio companies
Drafting and negotiating a wide variety of contracts to meet client needs and goals, including confidentiality, non-disclosure and non-competition agreements, shareholders agreements, buy-sell agreements, franchise agreements, employment agreements, service agreements, license agreements, equipment leases, manufacturing agreements and standard terms and conditions, among other agreements
Domestic and international trademark clearance, registration, maintenance, enforcement, policing and licensing, as well as drafting and negotiating all types of technology agreements to protect and successfully exploit technological innovations and intellectual property assets
Drafting and negotiating executive and upper management agreements which address incentives, buy-out rights, options and other issues, as well as stock option plans and agreements
Advising for-profit and non-profit businesses with entity formation and governance, legal compliance and risk management in connection with day-to-day business operations and dispute resolution
Franchise Law
Experience in franchise and distribution matters, including all business transactional matters involving franchising and franchise relationships
Recent representative experience includes:
Outside general counsel to multi-brand international portfolio of textile restoration, drycleaning and related franchise systems consisting of approximately 800 franchises in the United States, Canada, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Peru and the United Kingdom
Outside general counsel to commercial and residential property restoration franchise system consisting of over 200 franchises in the United States and Canada
Counsel to Purchaser in acquisition of a majority of the equity of PuroClean franchise system
Counsel to Purchaser in acquisition of Martinizing and Dry Cleaning Station franchise systems
Counsel to Purchaser in acquisition of Pressed 4 Time franchise system
Counsel to Purchaser in acquisition of 1-800-DryClean franchise system
Co-counsel to Sellers in sale of various Bar Louie franchise restaurants located throughout the United States to private equity firm
Drafting and negotiating franchise agreements, franchise disclosure documents and all other related agreements and instruments
Real Estate
Experience in all aspects of real estate, including drafting and negotiating commercial, industrial and residential real estate purchase and sale agreements, and assisting landlords, developers and tenants in the leasing and sub-leasing of all commercial property types, as well as financing, title matters and the various environmental issues relating to such transactions
Recent representative experience includes:
Counsel to Seller in approximately $10 million sale of facilities in Indiana and Kentucky
Counsel to Purchaser in $3.8 million acquisition of manufacturing facility in Illinois
Counsel to tier 1 automotive supplier in multimillion dollar acquisition, financing and equipping of 100,000+ square foot industrial facility in Kentucky
Counsel to Seller in $8 million sale of 172 unit apartment complex in Kentucky
Banking & Financial Services
Counsel to banks and other lenders, borrowers and participants in a variety of banking and financial services matters
Recent representative experience includes:
Counsel to Borrower and other loan parties and corporate guarantors in multimillion dollar term loan and warrants to finance acquisition of manufacturing company from bankruptcy
Drafting and negotiating general banking, secured and unsecured credit facilities, senior and subordinated facilities, real estate and construction financing, asset-based financing, workout transactions, private equity transactions and other related services
Outside General Counsel
Serves as outside general counsel for several clients, including domestic and international franchisors, a national fuel supply and distribution company, one of America’s fastest growing software companies, leading construction and restoration companies, medical practices and others
Acknowledgments
Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, 2023, 2024, 2025
DBusiness Top Lawyers in the areas of Business Law and Franchise Law
Michigan Super Lawyers in the areas of Business Law and M&A, 2022, 2023, 2024
Michigan Super Lawyers, Rising Star in the areas of Business/Corporate and M&A, 2013 - 2020
Professional AND COMMUNITY Involvement
Argentina Children's Network, Board Member
Board of Zoning Appeals of the City of Birmingham, Member
Hispanic Bar Association of Michigan, Member
Leaders for Kids, Host Committee
State Bar of Michigan, Member
NEWS, Publications and Presentations
Co-Author, “M&A Franchise Deals: Does it “Register”?, Stout Risius Ross Journal, Corporate M&A, and Securities Attorneys Edition (Fall 2013)
Co-Author, “The Many Faces of Corporate Governance”, Michigan Business Law Journal, Vol. 28, Issue 3 (Fall 2008)
Language Capabilities
Spanish
