University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, J.D., 2005
Salzburg University, Salzburg Austria, Certificate in International Studies, Summer 2004
University of California, San Diego, B.A., 2002
State Bar of California
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
U.S. District Court for Central District of California
U.S. District Court for Southern District of California
U.S. District Court for Northern District of California
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal
Co-Chair, California Franchise Law Committee (2015-2016) – a Standing Committee of the Business Law Section of the California State Bar
Vice-Chair, Content Production Subcommittee of the California Franchise Law Committee (2014-2016)
Vice-Chair, Membership for the California Franchise Law Committee (2019-present)
Case Reporter, California Franchise Law Committee (2014-2016)
Member, State Bar of California, Franchise Law Committee (2013-present)
Member, State Bar of California, Business Law Section (2013-present)
Member, American Bar Association – Forum Committee on Franchising (2010-present)
San Diego County Bar Association (2005-2008)
Association of Business Trial Lawyers – Orange County Chapter (2013-present)
Member, American Bar Association (2010-present)
Orange County Bar Association (2008-present)
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law Alumni Association (2005-present)
Consumer Attorneys of San Diego (2005-2010)
University of California, San Diego Alumni Association (2002-present)
Southern California Super Lawyers, “Super Lawyer,” Franchise/Dealership (2019-2026)
Orange Coast Magazine 2024 Power Attorney
Best Lawyers in America (2024 – 2026 Editions)
Certified Specialist in Franchise and Distribution Law for the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
Legal Eagle, Franchise Times (2014-2025)
Southern California Super Lawyers, “Rising Star,” Franchise/Dealership (2015-2018)
Top Attorney, Coast Magazine (2015-2017)
Perfect 10 – “Superb” – AVVO Attorney Rating, Franchise and Distribution Law
“What Is ‘Unfair’ Conduct In A Franchise Case Under California’s Unfair Competition Law?,” Franchise Law Journal, American Bar Association (Fall 2020)
“Overcoming a Witness with Selective Memory,” GPSolo eReport, American Bar Association, Vol. 8, No. 6 (January 2019)
“Overcoming a Witness with Selective Memory,” Litigation Journal, The Journal of the Section of Litigation of the American Bar Association, Vol. 45, No. 1 (Fall 2018)
“Enforcement of Noncompetition, Confidentiality and Related Agreements in California,” Co-Presenter, The State Bar of California, Business Law Section Webinar (May 18, 2017)
“Does Arbitration Make Sense for Franchisors? A Litigator’s Perspective,” Business Law News, A publication of the State Bar of California, Issue 3 (2017)
“Selected Developments in Franchise Law,” Business Law News Annual Review, a publication of the State Bar of California (2015)
Franchise
Represent franchisors in the restaurant, pet grooming, exercise and fitness, medical weight loss, gaming, real estate, automotive, education, cleaning, home services, and other industries.
Advise and represent franchisor clients with respect to the California Franchise Investment Law, California Franchise Relationship Act, and California’s other state-specific laws affecting franchise systems, including California Business & Professions Code § 16600 (affecting the enforceability of non-compete provisions) and California Business & Professions Code § 17200 et al. (California’s unfair competition law).
Counsel franchisors seeking to enforce changes in their franchise system standards/requirements.
Represent franchisors against enforcement actions and stop orders initiated by the California Department of Business Oversight and other state agencies.
Defend franchisors against state franchise law claims (based on disclosure and relationship statutes), state unfair competition law claims, tort claims (including fraud), breach of contract claims, and breach of implied covenant claims.
Protect and enforce intellectual property rights, including know-how, trademarks, trade dress, trade secrets, and other proprietary and confidential information.
Advise franchisors, licensors and other companies on franchise regulatory and compliance matters.
Represent franchisor in actions against current and former franchisees for monies owned, enforcing post-termination obligations, and other breaches of the franchise agreements.
Protect and enforce franchisor lease assignment rights following dissolution of franchise relationships.
Represent and advise franchisors in the enforcement of the post-termination obligations in their franchise agreements.
Employment Litigation
Represented manufacturers, distributors, franchisors and other employers against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation (whistle blower), wrongful termination, and workplace violence, as well as complex wage and hour matters.
Represented employer-clients in class action wage and hour lawsuits and lawsuits asserting claims under California’s Private Attorney General Act (PAGA).
Obtained full defense verdict on behalf of employer-client following trial on claims of sexual harassment, disability discrimination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Represented employer-clients against claims of current and former employees in arbitration before the American Arbitration Association and Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services.
Secured dismissal of claims against employer-client and a management-level employee for harassment, failure to provide reasonable accommodations in violation of Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), failure to engage in a good faith interactive process in violation of FEHA, and violation of California Family Rights Act.
Counseled clients on hiring and firing issues, reductions in force, compensation and benefits, and development and implementation of employee handbooks and policies.
Represented clients against claims filed before the California Labor Board.
Intellectual Property
Pursue injunctive relief actions in court and arbitration to protect clients’ trademarks and brands against unauthorized use by former franchisees and other infringing parties.
Enforce franchisors’ intellectual property rights in ICANN proceedings.
Pursue claims under the Uniform Trade Secrets Act.
Prosecute Uniform Domain Name Dispute Proceedings to protect clients’ trade names and marks.
Kevin A. Adams is a named partner at Mortenson Taggart Adams LLP and a trial attorney with more than 20 years’ experience. He is both the co-chair of the firm’s Franchise and Distribution Practice and chair of its Employment Litigation Practice. Mr. Adams represents franchisors, licensors, manufacturers, and distributors in complex business litigation – including franchise disputes, intellectual property enforcement, California employment issues, and unfair competition disputes.
Franchise & Distribution Litigation
Mr. Adams is Certified by the California State Bar as a Specialist in Franchise & Distribution Law. He regularly represents franchisors and distributors in complex disputes nationwide in federal court, state court, and arbitration. Mr. Adams also represents franchise systems in regulatory actions before the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI).
Mr. Adams has handled to conclusion a wide range of franchise disputes, including cases involving trademark, service mark, and trade dress infringement, trade secret misappropriation, fraud, breach of contract, enforcement of franchise agreements (including post-termination obligations), and statutory claims under California’s Franchise Investment Law (California Corporations Code §§ 31000–31516), California’s Franchise Relationship Act (California Business and Professions Code §§ 20000-20043), and California’s unfair competition law (California Business & Professions Code § 17200).
He also advises franchisors, manufacturers, and distributors on navigating California’s unique non-compete and solicitation laws (California Business & Professions Code §§ 16600-16602.5), and developing alternatives to protect confidential information, customer relationships, and system integrity in conformity with those laws.
Mr. Adams is known for taking a decisive, strategic approach to franchise disputes. Often, immediate injunctive relief is needed to protect brand standards, enforce contractual rights, and bring disputes to an early resolution. In other cases, a more delicate approach may be required. Either way, Mr. Adams has helped numerous franchise systems protect and enforce their statutory and contractual rights while remaining focused on long-term system stability and enterprise value.
Mr. Adams has represented franchisors across nearly all system categories, including food and beverage (quick service, fast-casual, full-service, coffee, and beverage), pet service (grooming, dog daycare & boarding, retail), home services (cleaning, pest control, restoration, plumbing, HVAC, home improvement), fitness and health (gyms, personal training, massage, weight loss, IV/vitamin injections), barbershops, senior care, education (private schools and tutoring centers), hospitality, retail shops, commercial janitorial, real estate, staffing, and wide range of other mobile and brick-and-mortar systems.
Mr. Adams has built a reputation for aggressively pursuing and defending franchisor rights and achieving favorable outcomes to safeguard the integrity of his clients’ franchise systems.
Employment Litigation
Mr. Adams’ employment litigation practice grew organically from his franchise work after a long-standing franchisor client retained him to defend a California employment case at trial—resulting in a full defense verdict. Since that time, he has built and now leads a robust employment litigation practice at Mortenson Taggart Adams LLP.
As the Chair of the firm’s Employment Litigation Practice, Mr. Adams represents franchisors, hotel chains, manufacturers, distributors, and other large business systems in their California employment disputes. He is known for his aggressive pre-trial motion practice and strategic focus on simultaneously gaining the client leverage for a favorable resolution while still preparing the matter for trial.
Mr. Adams has tried numerous employment disputes to conclusion in both court and arbitration, including defending employers against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation (whistleblower), wrongful termination, and complex wage-and-hour violations. Mr. Adams has had ample success applying his experience litigating complex commercials litigation cases to employment cases.
He routinely defends employers against claims under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and class and representative actions, including PAGA claims brought under the Private Attorneys General Act (Labor Code §§ 2698–2699.6).
Mr. Adams’ proactive, results-driven approach in employment cases has consistently protected his clients’ interests and minimized their liability.
General Commercial Litigation
Complementing his franchise and employment practices, Mr. Adams also handles a broad range of other commercial litigation matters, including complex business disputes involving breach of contract, fraud, business torts, unfair competition, trade secret misappropriation, and intellectual property rights.
Whether litigating a case to secure a favorable settlement or preparing to prevail at trial, Mr. Adams consistently delivers results that align with his clients’ business objectives and bottom lines. His combination of subject-matter expertise and courtroom experience makes him a formidable advocate for all forms of business litigation.