Hospitality

Holland & Knight has a dedicated team of lawyers who have served the hospitality industry for more than 30 years. We work in collaboration to address all of the legal needs of developers, lenders and owners in every segment of the hospitality industry, including hotels, timeshares, gaming resorts, restaurants and more. Our services include:

• Construction: Growth in the global hospitality industry continues to drive construction, and our team can provide you with comprehensive advice on legal issues surrounding the building, development, managing and financing of projects around the world. We can also advise you on current and emerging issues, such as indoor air quality.
• Corporate Services: Our team has extensive experience providing business advice to participants in the hospitality industry on a wide range of issues, including contracts and joint venture agreements, hotel management agreements, mergers and acquisitions, corporate compliance and governance and U.S. and foreign taxation.
• Data Privacy and Security: It is critical for hospitality companies to effectively manage data privacy and security matters and comply with the growing number of related regulations, best practices and regulator guidance. We can provide you with highly experienced technical and legal counsel on a wide array of issues, from managing your online data collection, mobile apps and devices, to handling your online, email and telephone marketing practices, to using social media platforms, to helping guide you through international data transfers. We can also help prevent or deal with data and security breaches, as well as respond to federal and state regulator inquiries and investigations.
• Environment: Environmental concerns are present in virtually every hospitality project around the world. Our team can help you address the environmental issues that accompany the development and operation of your projects worldwide.
• Financial Services: Financial capital is a common need among participants in the hospitality industry and our team can help you secure the funding necessary to support your operations. We have extensive experience with the documentation, due diligence and closing of all forms of financing, including commercial lending, project finance, structured finance, key money, private equity and venture capital. In addition, when market conditions impact your operations, we can assist with restructuring your debt, including workouts and bankruptcy.
• Hospitality, Resort and Timeshare: Our hospitality team is experienced in the development and financing of hotels, mixed use resorts, timeshare and fractional products and private residence, ski and golf clubs. We advise developers, owners, operators, managers, marketers, lenders and homeowners' associations that range in size from small private companies to Fortune 500 companies. The reach of our hospitality practice covers both vacation and urban destinations in the U.S. and includes international transactions in Canada, the Caribbean, Asia, Europe, Mexico and Latin America.
• Native American Law: Gaming operations are accompanied by unique and often challenging legal issues. Our team has been involved in dozens of casino, hotel and resort developments and can represent you from the earliest planning stages through project opening, operations and regulation.
• Insurance: Hospitality operations carry potential for a wide range of liability risks and insuring obligations. We can help you anticipate those risks and protect your interests through effective insurance planning, coordination with your risk manager and appropriate documentation of insurance and indemnification contracts.
• International: As hospitality projects continue to develop throughout the world, so too does the need for coordinated global legal counsel. Our team can assist you with all of your transactional, real estate, tax and dispute resolutions needs across the globe.
• Labor, Employment and Benefits: With the prevalence of large workforces and unionized employees, labor and employment issues are of great importance to hospitality companies. Our team can guide you through common employment issues such as policies, training and benefits as well as issues that are critical in your industry, such as OSHA and workplace safety. We can also represent your interests in labor relations and can defend against claims of discrimination and retaliation. 
• Land Use and Zoning: Land use issues are a key concern for most companies engaged in the hospitality industry. Our team can help you with all of your land use needs, including obtaining land use and real estate development approvals, drafting zoning relief ordinances and negotiating agreements for improvements needed for development projects.
• Litigation and Dispute Resolution: Disputes are a common occurrence in today's business world and this is certainly true within the hospitality industry. We will aggressively defend your interests in any type of dispute so you can remain focused on your core business objectives. Our team also includes industry-experienced mediators and arbitrators who serve as "knowledgeable neutrals" as part of our Alternative Dispute Resolution practice.
• Public Policy & Regulation: The hospitality industry is subject to a vast array of regulations at the state and federal levels in the United States and by various levels of government in foreign countries. Members of our team have extensive experience in state and federal policymaking and regulatory matters and can help you safely navigate the rules. In addition, we can also help you advance your interests through effective government relations and the drafting of legislation and negotiation of tax and development-related incentive agreements with governmental bodies and administrative agencies.
• Real Estate: Companies engaged in the hospitality industry often require significant real property holdings to conduct their business. We can help you with the acquisition, development, leasing and sale of the real estate necessary for your operations.