Dawn Newton is a business attorney and partner at Donahue Fitzgerald LLP in the Bay Area. Her focus is on franchise law and she is recognized as a Certified Specialist in Franchise & Distribution Law by the Board of Legal Specialization for the State Bar of California. Dawn primarily represents franchisors, ranging from entrepreneurs looking to begin franchising their own business for the first time, to growing franchise systems operating nationwide or even internationally. She operates as outside general counsel for many of her clients, dealing with both franchise regulatory compliance and the daily challenges of running a franchise system including franchisee disputes, vendor agreements, loyalty programs, and more. She also works with clients seeking to avoid franchising, helping them develop exemption-based approaches or legal structures that do not constitute a franchise.

Outside of the franchise context, Dawn also handles a variety of trademark, contract, corporate, and advertising-related matters. She co-chairs her firm’s Intellectual Property practice and is a frequent speaker on the subjects of franchising and intellectual property.  Dawn is a past member of the Governing Committee of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising and a co-editor of the American Bar Association publication The Annotated Franchise Agreement (2018).