Leisure & Hospitality | USA

Dentons has a dedicated team with a standout reputation in the leisure and hospitality space. Drawing upon its extensive global reach, the team assists clients with complex cross-border matters, ranging from management agreements to sales and mixed-use developments. Its enviable client list includes several market-leading international hotel brands as well as investors.

Latham & Watkins' team is a transactional powerhouse with significant expertise in the hotel, leisure and gaming sectors, routinely acting on complex financings, M&A and joint ventures. Leveraging its extensive global reach, the team routinely acts for leading hotels and casino operations based in the USA and Europe. Its client base also encompasses a broad spectrum of leading financial institutions, private equity houses and wider investors. Latham is increasingly active in transactions involving public-private partnerships.

Paul Hastings possesses a standout track record in complex and sophisticated work, calling on a multidisciplinary team able to provide advice on matters ranging from resort development to management and joint ventures. The team represents a diverse range of clients, including REITs, developers and private equity lenders, among others. The group also has impressive cross-border capabilities in international hotel arrangements. It also offers notable ancillary strengths in litigation, tax, intellectual property and wider corporate law.

DLA Piper leverages its extensive global network to advise on international mandates for a range of leading multinational brands in the hospitality industry, alongside roles acting for developers, lenders and investors. The team is highly experienced in real estate transactions, financing, resort development and litigation. The group is also adept at handling global hotel franchising and licensing matters.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher has a strong hospitality practice with considerable experience in a variety of transactional matters, alongside wider strengths in areas including management agreements, joint ventures and mezzanine financing. The group's client roster encompasses well-known hotel brands, portfolio owners, investors and financial institutions.

Goodwin has a distinguished practice with in-depth knowledge of hospitality real estate transactions, offering experience in acquisitions, restructuring issues, franchising and management agreements. The team offers additional expertise in REIT issues, including notable capabilities advising clients on investment fund formation matters. The group is renowned for its ability to represent equity investors and leading brands in both domestic and international matters.

Greenberg Traurig is highly proficient in hotel and hospitality development projects, management agreements and transactions, with notable expertise concerning Caribbean and Latin American markets. The group draws on a breadth of knowledge across the team to provide counsel on additional matters, such as mixed-use projects and timeshares. The practitioners advise clients from a broad range of sectors, including international hotel groups, country clubs and other leisure facilities.

Perkins Coie maintains its strong reputation in complex litigation and business transactions, acting for a broad spectrum of developers, hotel operators, private equity firms and wider investor clients. Areas of strength for the group include financing transactions and hotel development projects, alongside noted experience handling national bankruptcies within the hospitality space.

Akerman has an impressive hospitality outfit that is adept at handling a broad manner of transactional and contentious work on behalf of hotel owners, developers and investors. The team represents clients in corporate and real estate transactions, with noted capability in cross-border matters.

ArentFox Schiff is esteemed for its high-level joint venture and transactional experience for market-leading clients. The team focuses on real estate deals, with additional expertise in franchising, employment issues and intellectual property. The group is also adept at handling a range of financing transactions for borrowers, lenders and developers.

Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott demonstrates broad strengths in transactional work, management agreements and financing matters for hotel owners, investors, developers and lenders. The team draws on its cross-border expertise to assist clients operating across Europe, Asia and South America. The group's experience also extends to employment-related disputes and labor concerns.

Goulston & Storrs has a solid hospitality practice with experience working alongside major hotel brands, financial institutions and investors on a variety of transactional matters and operational issues. The team's areas of expertise include management agreements, joint ventures and financing, alongside niche strengths in matters such as liquor licensing.

Holland & Knight demonstrates expertise in representing high-profile brand operators on management agreements. Further specialties of the team include timeshare issues, as well as the acquisition and financing of resorts. The clients benefit from the firm's strong practices in complementary areas, including a well-resourced real estate practice with notable strengths in international transactions.

Morris, Manning & Martin is recognized for its broad hospitality practice, which attracts a notable cross-border client base comprising investors, owners and developers. The practitioners boast strong transactional capabilities complemented by recent expansion into the representation of hotel operators. The team is also noted for its niche historic hotel expertise.

Arnold & Porter has a highly proficient hospitality group with notable expertise acting for developers, owners, investors and lenders across the entirety of hotel matters. The firm's strengths include acquisitions and management agreements, alongside capabilities in emerging disciplines such as cybersecurity risk. The team is fully equipped to advise on matters involving properties in the USA and overseas.

BakerHostetler has an experienced practice with significant expertise in representing investors and well-known brands in the hotel and resort space. The group excels across a variety of areas, including advising on licensing and branding, mixed-use projects and sales and management agreements. The team also houses specialists equipped to advise on hotel industry-specific labor and employment matters, and is additionally active on deals involving timeshare properties.

Foley & Lardner has an experienced team that focuses on the hotel and resort industry, alongside wider capabilities in the restaurant, food and beverage space. The team works across the spectrum of hospitality matters, from real estate and corporate transactions through to management agreements and brand protection issues. Drawing on a firmwide pool of expertise, its practitioners advise on wider areas such as labor, tax and mezzanine financing.

Manatt Phelps & Phillips' team boasts considerable strength in the leisure and hospitality space. The group represents clients stemming from a broad range of sectors, including hotel owners, REITs and developers. Its practitioners are well versed in handling significant matters, ranging from high-profile acquisitions to complex hotel management agreements. The team has considerable experience of providing counsel on matters involving cross-border components.

The Pillsbury Winthrop group advises clients on a wide spectrum of matters, including licensing issues, management agreements and transactions. The team demonstrates its ability to provide counsel on leisure facilities, luxury hotels and casinos. The team also has strength in handling deals containing international elements.

Proskauer Rose demonstrates a breadth of experience in a range of leisure and hospitality sectors, including gaming and casino developments as well as hotels and resorts. The group provides sophisticated advice to operators and REITs on contentious, commercial and real estate matters. The practitioners adeptly handle cross-border transactional work across jurisdictions in the USA, Europe and Asia.

The team at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton is renowned for its ability to handle hotel acquisitions. The group is also adept at advising clients on a broad range of issues, such as management agreements and fund formation matters. The team has an impressive client list that is comprised of developers, operators, lenders and investors. Due to the firm's strength in other areas, the leisure and hospitality practice is able to draw on expertise in the real estate and finance space.

Sidley Austin has a notable real estate practice with a strong presence in leisure and hospitality matters across the USA, Europe and Asia. The group's expertise include conveyancing, financing, investment and joint ventures, alongside significant wider ancillary strengths in labor and employment, tax and disputes work. Its clients include hotel management companies, hedge funds and international investors, among others.

Skadden Arps has an elite real estate offering with a wealth of expertise navigating transactions in the hospitality sector. The team acts for a wide variety of clients including REITs, investors, hotel owners and property developers. The team boasts notable capability in handling cross-border deals, particularly Europe and the Middle East.

The Venable team offers a strong performance across a range of hospitality matters, including resort development, joint venture work, franchising and management agreements. The practitioners demonstrate strength in handling sector-specific tax issues. The group has considerable experience of representing prominent hotels and brands, trade associations and investors.