Harold L. Kestenbaum

Harold L. Kestenbaum is one of the preeminent franchise lawyers in the industry, and has been practicing law and other matters related to franchising since 1977. Kestenbaum is a member of the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section; a member of the Antitrust Section’s Forum Committee on Franchising since 1978; is a founding member and past chairman of the New York State Bar Association’s Franchise, Distribution and Licensing Law Section; and was a member of the International Franchise Association Supplier Forum Advisory Board.

Kestenbaum served as franchise and general counsel to Sbarro, Inc.—a national franchisor with more than 1,000 family-style restaurants—from May 1982 to September 1986, and was a director from march 1985 to December 2006. Kestenbaum also founded and served as president and chairman of the board for Franchiselt Corporation, which was the first publicly traded company to specialize in providing business franchise marketing and consulting services, as well as equity financing to emerging franchise companies. 

In 2008, Kestenbaum wrote and published So You Want to Franchise Your Business, which provides a step-by-step guide to what a businessperson needs to know to properly develop and execute a franchise program.