Representing owners, hotels, serviced apartment and gaming operators, developers, financiers and other prominent participants in the hotel and leisure industry, we boast an outstanding track record having worked on more than 2,000 hotel-related matters alone over the past decade, covering lodging chains to boutique hotels, from family resorts to six-star suite hotels and serviced apartments. We regularly advise on and negotiate hotel management agreements, covering most of the major hotel and lodging chains and have extensive experience having worked on projects involving around 50 brands. We also work with major gaming companies in deploying strategies to manage casinos (more recently of distressed gaming companies), including preparation of management agreements.

Our representative experience throughout the world includes:

• Hotel-related agreements: Representing hotel owners and managers in drafting and negotiating hotel management agreements (full service and limited service), franchise agreements, technical services agreements, residence agreements and the full range of other agreements relating to hotel management and ownership.
• Acquisitions and disposals: Handling acquisitions and disposals of hospitality properties worldwide, including national and international portfolio transactions. Also, negotiation of assumption agreements, subordination agreements and other contracts on properties which are encumbered by management agreements.
• Financing: Representing major hotel lenders and hotel owners in connection with hospitality finance transactions. Transactions include lender-side and borrower-side mortgage debt, mezzanine financing, preferred equity and securitization of hotel revenue streams among other structures.
• Fund formation and ownership structuring: Establishing and developing structures for equity capitalization of hospitality ownership, including REITs, private equity vehicles, joint ventures and co-mingled funds. We have established investment funds for all kinds of investors to suit their individual preferences and requirements. Structuring advice includes particular attention to international tax and regulatory concerns.
• Restructuring, bankruptcy, and insolvency: Advising clients on issues associated with the restructuring or sale of non-performing loans, and with insolvency, foreclosure and bankruptcy in the hospitality arena.
• Construction: Advising on construction-related matters for developers, lenders, owners and/or contractors.
• Dispute resolution: Handling a range of dispute resolution processes for construction related disputes and disputes arising out of the operation of hotels.
• Regulatory issues: In the industries we serve, the regulatory concerns are significant. Licensing, approval, and compliance requirements can differ depending on the jurisdiction. In conjunction with lawyers from our Government and Regulatory practices, we also assist with approval and compliance methodologies and provide ongoing advice to respond to legislative, regulatory and business plan changes.
• Hotel life cycle matters: Advising clients on the full range of issues associated with hospitality acquisition, ownership, disposal, and financing. We enjoy a unique position as one of the leading full-service providers of legal services internationally. Our advice also includes guidance on:
  • Intellectual property, information technology and licensing issues
  • Labor and employment issues, including staff manuals and employment contracts
  • International tax matters
  • Pension and retirement schemes
  • Environmental and planning issues
  • Regulatory considerations
  • Outsourcing