We offer a talented team of hospitality lawyers dedicated to serving clients on the most critical aspects of their business. Our deep experience with the legal and contractual aspects unique to the industry makes us an effective partner in negotiations for developments, acquisitions, joint ventures, and financing transactions, rebranding, dispositions, and negotiation of hotel management agreements, shared services, amenities and franchise agreements. Our clients include the leading international investment funds, real estate advisors, developers, public and private pension funds, REITs, investment banks and institutional lenders.
Our hospitality team includes lawyers from our real estate, public and structured finance, labor, litigation, environmental, restructuring and tax practices. We collaborate across offices, enabling us to provide seamless advice from an integrated team of lawyers. In addition to real estate, we have developed particular experience in other aspects of the hospitality sector:
Gaming Finance
Our Banking & Finance lawyers have a distinct focus on the gaming and hospitality sector, advising clients on acquisition finance, buyouts and other corporate finance transactions for casinos and hotels as well as gaming equipment manufacturers and distributors.
Our Indian Tribal Finance Group has unmatched experience in financings on behalf of Native American tribes for casinos and resorts.
Litigation
We represent leading hotel brands in employment litigation, contract disputes and insurance litigation arising out of natural disaster related property damages and business interruption losses.
Advised Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers on the sale of Ihilani JW Marriott Hotel at Ko’Olina, to be converted to a 186-room Four Seasons luxury hotel in addition to 206 Four Seasons residential condominium units.
Assisted an international opportunity fund in its acquisition of senior securitized and junior participation interests of a US$160 million mortgage loan encumbering the San Francisco Westin Hotel and the concurrent deed in lieu of foreclosure transaction. Also advised on the US$350 million sale of the hotel.
Represented an international real estate opportunity fund in connection with the US$128 million sale of The St. Regis, Washington D.C.
Represented an international real estate opportunity fund in connection with the US$125 million financing of The Ritz Carlton New York Central Park.
Represented a mezzanine debt fund in connection with a mezzanine financing of the Waldorf Astoria and in negotiating an intercreditor agreement with the mortgage lender to finance the sponsors’ capital plan for repositioning the restaurant and meeting spaces at the hotel.
Advised a public pension fund on the acquisition and financing of the Princeville Hotel, its rebranding, renovation, restructure of hotel employee arrangements, and implementation of reciprocal easements, usage agreements for hotel, golf courses and other Princeville resort properties.
Representing the City of San Francisco in the development of a new, approximately 350-room, four star hotel on the former Hilton Hotel parcel, including drafting and negotiating the hotel operating agreement, technical services agreement, preopening agreement and centralized services agreement as well as real estate aspects of the construction of the hotel.
Assisted an opportunity fund in a joint venture for the acquisition, renovation and rebranding of the Hotel Meliá in Atlanta to a Crowne Plaza Hotel, and in connection with a US$150 million financing secured by an eight hotel property portfolio.
