David Koch, ​‘84, an adjunct clin­i­cal assis­tant pro­fes­sor of law at Michi­gan Law, co-found­ed Plave Koch PLC in 2007 after many years of large law firm part­ner­ship. His prac­tice focus­es on fran­chis­ing, licens­ing, and sup­ply chain issues, includ­ing struc­tur­ing fran­chise pro­grams and license arrange­ments, cor­po­rate and com­mer­cial trans­ac­tions, reg­u­la­to­ry com­pli­ance, antitrust coun­sel­ing, adver­tis­ing and mar­ket­ing, inter­na­tion­al expan­sion, and pri­va­cy issues.

Koch has 23 years of franchising experience with clients in foodservice, hotels, educational services, staffing, car rental, automotive aftermarket, insurance, homeowner services, retail, and other industries. Before entering private law practice, he served as an attorney-advisor to the Hon. Daniel Oliver, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). He began his career as a staff attorney in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. He also served as counsel to the minority leader of the Illinois House of Representatives.

Koch has served as associate editor and editor-in-chief of The Franchise Lawyer, the newsletter of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Forum on Franchising. He is a member of the ABA’s Section of Antitrust Law and the International Bar Association’s International Franchising Committee. Koch has spoken at numerous franchise legal and business conferences, including programs in India, Poland, Romania, England, and Canada. He has authored or co-authored more than 30 published articles and conference papers.

He is admitted to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Relat­ed Information

Education
  • Uni­ver­si­ty of Iowa, BA, with high hon­ors, eco­nom­ics
  • Uni­ver­si­ty of Michi­gan, JD, cum laude