FOCUS Brands Welcomes Lauren Fernandez Staley as Vice President of Legal

ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwire - Dec 6, 2011) - FOCUS Brands announced today that it has named Lauren Fernandez Staley as Vice President of Legal. The newest member of FOCUS Brands Executive Committee, Lauren will oversee and coordinate all legal services for Carvel® Ice Cream, Cinnabon®, Seattle's Best Coffee®, Schlotzsky's®, Moe's Southwest Grill® and Auntie Anne's® Pretzels.

Lauren comes to FOCUS Brands from CIBA VISION Corporation where she was Global Trademark Counsel and Associate General Counsel. In these roles, she oversaw the organization's international trademark portfolio, including marketing and advertising review, contract management, compliance, litigation and enforcement, privacy, business development, mergers and acquisitions and policy making. Prior to CIBA VISION, Lauren was an associate attorney at Atlanta-based Gardner Groff Greenwald and Villanueva, P.C., where she directed the firm's trademark practice and assisted partners in various areas of intellectual property practice.

Lauren received her JD from the Emory School of Law, her MBA from the Emory Goizueta Business School and her BA in English Literature from Stetson University. In addition, she serves as a subcommittee member of the INTA U.S. Parallel Imports Committee and on the Executive Committee of the State Bar of Georgia/IP Law Section.

"We are thrilled to have Lauren join the FOCUS Brands team," said CEO Russ Umphenour. "As our organization continues its rapid growth, Lauren's experience with the intricacies of global trademarks, as well as her breadth of knowledge of licensing and intellectual property, will be invaluable."

About FOCUS Brands
Atlanta-based FOCUS Brands Inc. is the franchisor and operator of over 3,300 ice cream shoppes, bakeries, restaurants and cafes in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 50 foreign countries under the brand names Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Schlotzsky's®, Moe's Southwest Grill®, and Auntie Anne's® Pretzels as well as the franchisor of Seattle's Best Coffee® on certain military bases and in certain international markets. Please visit www.focusbrands.com to learn more.