Hospitality
Partnering with clients to enhance their positions and investments in the hospitality industry.
WHY LOCKE LORD
With over 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, our multidisciplinary team has assisted prominent national and international hotel, resort and time-share owners, developers, brand and independent managers, franchisors and franchisees, lenders, special servicers and investors in hotel financing, workout, enforcement, development, franchising, operations, and acquisition and disposition matters. We have also represented restaurant developers, owners, operators, franchisors and franchisees in a multitude of transactional and litigation matters. We have worked on projects in the United States and around the world, including projects in the Caribbean and throughout Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Clients come to us for advice on a broad range of issues, the most common of which include:
- Acquisition and disposition of hotel and restaurant entities, properties and brands, including representation of real estate investment trusts in hotel acquisitions and dispositions
- Negotiation of management agreements for luxury, upscale and limited service hotels and condominium hotels
- Development and renovation matters, including development agreements, construction contracts, technical services agreements and purchasing agreements
- National and international tax advice and structuring for investments, acquisitions and dispositions
- State and local tax matters, including tax abatement and tax credit programs (including historic and new market tax credits)
- Planning and structuring both debt and equity investments in international hotel and resort properties, including complex joint venture arrangements involving foreign entities
- Financing matters, including mortgage financing, loan syndications, and participations and senior, mezzanine and subordinated credit facilities for acquisition programs, construction and operations
- Loan and securitized loan workout, restructure and enforcement matters on behalf of lenders and special servicers, including foreclosure, deed in lieu of foreclosure, cash collateral control and related loan enforcement techniques involving (i) negotiating new hotel franchising and licensing arrangements with international hotel brands, (ii) negotiating new or continued hotel management arrangements with independent hotel managers and (iii) arranging for continuation or new issuance of liquor-license permits and approvals
- Sale-leaseback arrangements
- Creation and operation of hotel industry reservations platform
- Environmental assessments and counseling
- Financial restructuring and bankruptcy
- Franchise and license agreements
- Group and convention contracts
- Labor and employment matters and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance
- Licensing and intellectual property arrangements
- Litigation services, including contract disputes and the defense of employment and wage-and-hour suits
- Marketing and advertising agreements
- Privacy, data security and data breach matters in the United States and Europe
- Restaurant operator agreements
- Retail leases
- System-wide supply agreements for goods and services