Magazine profiles veteran lawyer and successful growth of The Dwyer Group

Duke Johnston, general counsel and vice president of legal and governmental affairs for The Dwyer Group, is featured on the cover of Texas Lawyer’s “In-House Texas” that published Oct. 5.

The head of a strong in-house legal team, Johnston was recognized for a company that “hums” in this troubled economy.  With two lawyers, five paralegals and two legal assistants, Johnston’s department has worked non-stop in 2009, handling contract negotiations on new Franchise agreements that have resulted in a record-breaking 171 new Franchises being added to The Dwyer Group’s brands to-date.

“We’ve been able to survive pretty well because of the industries we’re in,” Johnston tells the magazine.  “People still have to get the toilet fixed [and] the lights turned on.”

The Dwyer Group is on track to finish the year with some 290 new franchises across its six service-oriented concepts: Aire Serv, Glass Doctor, Mr. Appliance, Mr. Electric, Mr. Rooter and Rainbow International.  And the skill of a good legal department is also keeping the franchisees and the franchisor on good terms throughout the duration of those contracts. 

Johnston tells Texas Lawyer his goal to seek conflict resolution at the earliest opportunity, rather than an adversarial win-or-lose approach, has helped The Dwyer Group and its brands continue to succeed.  The company maintains good relations among 420 employees and 1,500 franchises worldwide.

About The Dwyer Group, Inc.®:
The Dwyer Group, Inc., based in Waco, Texas, is a holding company of six franchise businesses, each selling and supporting a different franchise under the following service marks: Aire Serv®, Glass Doctor®, Mr. Appliance®, Mr. Electric®, Mr. Rooter® (Drain Doctor in the UK and Portugal), and Rainbow International®. Collectively, these independent franchise concepts offer customers world-wide a broad base of residential and commercial services. The Dwyer Group is a portfolio company of The Riverside Company, a private equity firm with offices in New York, Cleveland, Dallas and San Francisco.