Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced that Chris Wallace has joined Choice Hotels as Assistant General Counsel, Franchising, reporting to Simone Wu, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer.

In his new role, Chris will manage Choice’s Franchise and Contracts Administration Division and be responsible for overseeing Choice’s franchise compliance function and ensuring that Choice and its associates act in accordance with all state, federal, and international franchise laws.  He will also be responsible for, and oversee the preparation of, all Franchise Disclosure Documents, franchise agreements, renewals, and franchise terminations.

“Chris will be an integral member of our legal team and instrumental in supporting the continued efforts to expand Choice’s domestic and international franchising system. The responsibility for ensuring all franchise agreements and disclosure documents are prepared properly and in a timely manner is critical to Choice Hotels, one of the largest franchising companies within the hospitality industry,” said Simone Wu.

With more than 15 years of legal experience, including over 11 years in domestic and international franchising law, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge to Choice. He most recently served as Counsel for Nixon Peabody, LLP, in Washington, D.C., which was named “Law Firm of the Year” in Franchise Law the past two years by U.S. News & World Report.  As a member of the firm’s Franchise and Distribution Team for more than 8 years, he provided counsel to domestic and international franchisor corporations, franchisees and distributors on all aspects of franchising, licensing and distribution. Chris has worked with a variety of major international clients and brings expertise in the areas of trademark license agreements, master franchise agreements, franchise compliance and franchise litigation. Prior to joining Nixon Peabody, Chris held positions at firms in Washington, D.C. and New York, N.Y., specializing in franchise litigation, white-collar criminal defense, and general commercial litigation.

Chris was the founder and serves as Chair of the Franchise Law Committee of the District of Columbia Bar’s Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section. He also serves on various franchising forums and committees for the American Bar Association and International Franchise Association. Chris received his Juris Doctor degree magna cum laude from Pace University School of Law and is a graduate of Colgate University.