Overview
Richard Reinis is Senior Counsel in Glaser Weil’s Century City office, bringing over five decades of legal and business experience to the Firm. As a seasoned litigator and corporate strategist, Richard has advised clients across a broad range of industries, including restaurant, apparel, education, franchise, real estate and agriculture.
His distinguished career includes extensive experience in resolving disputes involving:
- Trade secrets
- Partnership dissolutions
- Intellectual and real property
- Employment matters
- Insolvency issues
- Franchises
Since joining Glaser Weil, Richard has successfully represented numerous franchisees drawing on his practical and extensive franchise experience. He has also litigated a shareholder dispute to the appellate level, collecting a sizable recovery, advised a national agricultural retailer in connection with expansion and its relationship with private equity, assisted in trust distributions to foreign beneficiaries, negotiated lease terminations for a multi-unit restaurant operator, served as general counsel to a national sales association, structured a highly compensated executive employment agreement, reviewed a shareholder distribution plan following a sale of company assets and negotiated settlement of pending disputes for a number of clients.
For 18 years prior to joining Glaser Weil, Richard was a partner at a national Am Law 100 and an Am Law 200 firm. From 1998 to 2006, he founded and served as CEO and General Counsel of the Krispy Kreme Southern California franchise, transforming it into the brand's largest franchisee. In addition, Richard co-founded the first area developer for Noodles & Co., a national public restaurant company, and, in 2021-22, partnered with the Williams family of Cincinnati and others to acquire the iconic Skyline Chili restaurant chain.
Richard also managed a boutique law practice in the fashion industry for 20 years, during which he partnered in the development of University Village in Riverside, California, created a wine exporting business, and founded and operated an international surf brand licensing company. This blend of legal acumen and hands-on business leadership has uniquely positioned Richard to provide practical, results-driven counsel to his clients.
In 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Richard to the state’s Fast Food Council, where he represents the interests of franchisors. The nine-member FFC is responsible for establishing wages for California's 550,000 fast food workers and oversight of working conditions and training within the industry. This appointment is not his first government service—for 11 years, he served as a commissioner and Co-Chair of the State Bar Legal Services Trust Fund Commission, having been appointed by California's Supreme Court Chief Justice. In 2018-19, Richard co-chaired the Stakeholders Conference on the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission, presiding over hearings with members of the judiciary, legislature, legal service providers and commissioners to determine the future relationship between the Commission and the State Bar. This resulted in the establishment of the Commission’s independence.
Richard also testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce in 1998, contributing a statement on the California garment industry that is now part of the Congressional Record. Additionally, he co-authored and signed the first Long Form Agreement with Secretary of Labor Robert Reich in 1995, which governed “Hot Goods” in the apparel industry, allowing apparel to be sold, even if made in a non-complying garment contracting shop, so long as the manufacturer or brand owner paid all lost wages.
Richard earned his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 1969, where he served as Chief Justice of the Moot Court, a staff writer for the USC Law Review, and President of the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council, USC Chapter. He received his B.A. from Princeton University in 1966, where he was a standout athlete, earning First Team All-Ivy League honors in football.
Results
Richard’s recent experience includes his representation of:
- Numerous franchisees in operational, transactional and business disputes, drawing on his extensive franchise industry experience.
- A shareholder in a business dispute through the appellate level, resulting in a substantial recovery.
- A national agricultural retailer in connection with its expansion strategy and relationship with private equity investors.
- Foreign trust beneficiaries in connection with trust administration and distributions.
- A multi-unit restaurant operator in negotiating lease terminations.
- A national sales association as outside general counsel on a broad range of corporate and business matters.
- A senior executive in the negotiation and structuring of a highly compensated employment agreement.
- Company shareholders in reviewing and implementing a shareholder distribution plan following the sale of company assets.
- Business owners and corporate clients in negotiating settlements and resolving pending commercial disputes.
Additional notable experience includes his representation of:
- A 50% shareholder in a dissolution proceeding of a real estate holding company.*
- A majority shareholder in a dispute with a minority shareholder and operator of an online real estate auction company.*
- An Inland Empire franchisee in the sale of the client’s locations and territorial rights.*
- A restaurant operator in a dispute with a multiple-location landlord.*
- A national electric vehicle (EV) charger installation company in a dispute with a subcontractor over explosion damages.*
*Denotes prior firm experience.
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Insights
News
Quoted, “Minimum Wage Efforts Reach A Crossroads,” Law360, June 12, 2025
Speaking Engagements
Speaker, “Managing Under Pressure – Krispy Kreme Follies: When Your Back’s Against the Wall, What Then?” Vistage, YPO, 2007-present
Speaker, FLSA Compliance in the Apparel Industry, U.S. Department of Labor, 1996-1997
Thought Leadership
Author, "California's $20 wage hike and the future of fast food,” Daily Journal, November 11, 2024
Awards and Recognition
Awards and Recognition
Appointed, California Fast Food Council, 2024-2028
AV Preeminent Rated for 30 Years, Martindale-Hubbell
Southern California Super Lawyers, 2012–2013
ALMLaw.com Distinguished Leader Award, 2024
Leadership and Community
Member, California Fast Food Council, 2024-2028
Co-chair and Commissioner, California State Bar Trust Fund Commission, Appointed by Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye, 2013-2023
Member, Chancery Club, 2020-present
Founding Board Member, California Fashion Association, 1995-2024
Independent Trustee, Max H. Gluck Foundation, 1984-Present
Past Fellow, Culinary Institute of America, 2016
Former Board of Trustees Member, University of California Riverside Foundation, 1998-2012
Co-founder and Past Chairman and CEO, Great Circle Family Foods, LLC, the exclusive Krispy Kreme franchisee of Southern California, 1998-2006
Founder, Compliance Alliance (the nation's largest volunteer organization dedicated to FLSA compliance)
Former Board of Trustees Member, California State Bar Foundation, 1993-1998
Former Board Member and President, Children's Museum of Los Angeles, 1992-1997
Former Trustee, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, 1992-1997
Services
Industries
Education
J.D., University of Southern California, 1969
B.A., Princeton University, 1966
Admissions
- California
