Elizabeth Dillon, Lathrop GPM

Elizabeth Dillon is a partner at Lathrop GPM LLP in Minneapolis, where she leads the firm’s Franchise & Distribution practice group. For the past eight years, Dillon has overseen a team of more than 20 full-time franchise attorneys and managed the franchise registration process for over 50 prominent U.S. brands annually, supporting their domestic and international expansion.

Under Dillon’s leadership, the Franchise & Distribution practice group represents more than 200 franchise systems and has facilitated expansion into over 150 countries across Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

Dillon specializes in transactional franchise law and is recognized for guiding both startup and established franchisors through complex legal landscapes. Her expertise spans franchise registration, disclosure document preparation, international distribution agreements, and mergers and acquisitions. She regularly advises on strategic market entry options for franchisors expanding into new territories and helps foreign brands navigate entry into the U.S. market.

She works with brands across industries including fitness, food and beverage, health care, and hospitality. Her recent work includes advising on franchise-related activities across Germany, Italy, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia for a dance studio franchise, and serving as outside deal counsel for franchised hotels across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Within her firm, Dillon serves as a member of the Executive Committee, chairs the Partnership Admissions Committee, and was recently elected to the Partner Compensation Committee. She serves on the International Franchise Association Supplier Forum Advisory Board and is an active member of the IFA’s International Committee.

Dillon contributes to the IFA’s Franchise Ascension Initiative, a six-month program designed to empower individuals from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged communities to pursue franchise ownership. She volunteers as an attorney with Advocates for Human Rights and serves on the board of the Minnesota Land Trust, where she previously led its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.