Daniel So

Biography

Dan works with franchisors, master franchise owners and multi-unit franchisees.  He helps franchisors expand across Canada and internationally and provides valuable advice on brand protection and on the myriad of laws regulating franchising.

Dan is consistently recommended as an expert in franchise law by the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory and in the prestigious Who’s Who Legal: Canada.  He has been recognized in the 2022 edition of “Best Lawyers in Canada” for his practice in Franchise Law, and the editorial board of Franchise Times has dubbed Dan one of its “Legal Eagles”. Dan was a two-time guest expert on CBC Television’s Fortune Hunters, and was a franchise consultant for the producers of CBC Television’s Dragons’ Den. He has advised provincial governments on their franchise legislation, and is the author of the best-selling franchise law textbook, Canadian Franchise Law: A Practical Guide, which, inexplicably, has not been optioned by a major Hollywood studio for its next blockbuster summer film.

In addition to his franchise law practice, Dan has negotiated endorsement and services contracts with Major League Baseball® players and other professional athletes and has negotiated partnerships with Major League Baseball® and National Hockey League® stadiums and arenas.  He teaches at both the business and law schools at the University of Victoria where he teaches courses on business law, secured transactions and the regulation of financial institutions.

Before studying law, Dan was a classical pianist who competed and performed across North America.  He also played classical and jazz trumpet and once provided the soundtrack to a national advertising campaign for an internationally renowned restaurant franchise (hint: it was McDonald’s). According to his son, Dan can make a mean carrot cake. He once told an embarrassing story to Dax Shepard and Monica Padman on their podcast. He is an airplane and travel aficionado, likes to sous-vide things, and enjoys cycling–firmly believing in the superiority of the Giro D’Italia over the Tour de France.  Dan wrote this biography himself, entirely in the third person.

Contact Dan for expert advice on franchising.