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Brent Stewart

Partner
Baker & McKenzie LLP

Biography

Brent Stewart is a partner in the Firm's International Commercial Practice Group in Dallas. Brent has a broad-based business-transactional practice focusing on complex cross-border corporate and commercial contract matters, with a strong emphasis on global brand expansion and international business growth. He represents many of the leading hospitality, entertainment, and retail franchise companies and has significant experience negotiating complex franchise and licensing transactions in the US and in numerous other countries around the world.

Brent graduated with high honors from the University of Texas School of Law and is a member of the national honors society, the Order of the Coif.

Practice Focus

Brent's practice focuses on complex corporate and commercial contract matters, with a strong emphasis on international franchise and distribution transactions involving multinational companies. His experience extends to cross-border joint venture transactions, international and domestic franchising, licensing and distribution transactions, international mergers and acquisitions, international regulatory compliance, multi-jurisdictional corporate reorganizations, and international corporate formation and maintenance.

Representative Legal Matters

  • Primary outside counsel on one of largest hotel franchise transactions ever completed by global hotel company involving the conversion of 20+ all-inclusive hotel properties in the Caribbean and Latin America to various brands owned by hotel company.

  • Represented private equity company in the acquisition one of the largest water treatment companies in the world that operates under a franchise/dealership model.

  • Assists several leading franchised brands (including casual dining, fast casual and quick service restaurants, entertainment centers, hotels, car rental companies, retail stores and service businesses) in their international franchise, joint venture and other international matters on a global level.

  • Assisted a major fast casual restaurant brand in the development and creation of a refranchising system.

  • Assists major hotel brands expanding internationally via franchising in connection with negotiating and documenting franchise transactions, conducting local due diligence and regulatory compliance.

  • Assists major consumer goods manufacturers in the evaluation and reorganization of their global supply chains.

  • Assists in multijurisdictional corporate reorganizations of major multinational corporations.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Dallas Bar Association 
  • American Bar Association

Admissions

  • Texas~United States (2016)

Education

  • University of Texas School of Law (J.D. with High Honors) (2016)
  • Stanford University (B.A. International Relations) (2010)

Languages

  • English

Publications

  • Co-author, "Hotel Management & Transactions 2025: USA Trends and Developments," Chambers Global Practice Guides, 25 June 2025
  • Co-author, "The Next Frontier: Franchising in the Metaverse," Baker McKenzie Insight, 5 April 2023
  • Co-author, “When Bold is Best: Franchise Agreements as Adhesion Contracts under the Brazilian Arbitration Act,” The Franchise Lawyer, Winter 2018
Baker & McKenzie LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership organized under the laws of the State of Illinois (USA) and is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Verein organized under the laws of Switzerland.