GINA N. MALANDRINO

Partner

Did You Know?

Thanks to her three young sons, Gina can name every type of truck found at a construction site.

Gina is allergic to peanuts but can’t resist eating them at baseball games.

Gina would have been a lefty had she not broken her arm as a child.

Gina is a certified scuba diver and dreams of seeing a great white shark up close someday.

Gina ran the Chicago marathon twice but broke her foot while training for her third marathon.

Gina loves coffee so much that she’s had to wean herself from a pot a day habit more than once.

Gina has such a strong sweet tooth that it’s nearly impossible for her to turn down dessert.

As a former dancer, one of Gina’s guilty pleasures is watching Dancing with the Stars.

As a child, Gina learned to play violin, clarinet and saxophone.

Gina never misses a Pearl Jam show within 100 miles of Chicago.

Gina is a general corporate and commercial transactions attorney. She concentrates her practice on franchise and licensing law, commercial contracts and transactions, private equity financing, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate and organizational matters.  Gina represents a broad range of franchise companies, from emerging brands to mature brands, in various industries including hospitality, restaurants, pet care, fitness, motor fuel and convenience stores. She assists franchisors of emerging brands navigate the complexities of developing a franchise program.  She also provides ongoing support and assistance to franchisors through all phases of development and operation with everyday business and operations matters they encounter.  Representative matters include drafting disclosure documents, counseling clients on regulatory and compliance issues, negotiating commercial business relationships, rebranding existing franchise systems, establishing joint venture relationships, expanding domestically and internationally, and assisting non-U.S. based franchisors expanding into the U.S. market.

Prior to joining Cheng Cohen, Gina practiced in Chicago in the areas of general corporate, transactional, technology, finance and real estate law, including mergers and acquisitions, privately-held company securities issuances and private placements, commercial transactions, corporate formation and governance, and general contract preparation, review and negotiation.

  • Education

    • Juris Doctor, Chicago-Kent College of Law
    • Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • Associations

    • International Franchise Association
    • American Bar Association Forum on Franchising
      • Women’s Caucus Committee
  • Bar Admissions

    • State of Illinois
  • Awards & Recognitions

    • Franchise Times “Legal Eagle”
  • Speaking & Publications