A Strong Link in a Complex Chain
For restaurants, bars, hotels and others in the hospitality industry, the complexities of serving the public and managing service employees, while striving for profitability and growth, can prove daunting. Acquisitions and investments, capital projects, regulatory compliance, safety issues, and day-to-day operations require counsel who can effectively deal with the wide range of potential legal issues confronting the industry on a daily basis. It is crucial to find the right legal counsel who can address both corporate and consumer-related issues with equal dexterity.
Saul Ewing's hospitality attorneys provide a wide range of legal services, from navigating day-to-day issues to preparing for growth, whether organically or through capital formation or franchising. Our team brings together attorneys with experience in real estate, corporate law, labor and employment, and intellectual property to help developers, investors, owners and operators in the hospitality sector determine how they can minimize risks, maximize opportunities and position themselves for success.
Determining if your concept is ready to grow through franchising, we are experienced in working with companies that are considering embarking on franchising including the development of franchise plans and strategies as well as the crafting and negotiation of franchise agreements. We have worked with national brands from their startup phase through significant liquidity events such as public offerings or acquisitions.
We provide comprehensive services in the following areas:
Real Estate
- Acquisitions and dispositions
- Negotiating, drafting and renewals of leases
- Zoning and land use matters
- Construction and development
Corporate
- Corporate structuring, governance and finance
- Partnership, joint venture, operating, distribution, licensing, advertising and other agreements
- Private equity, capital raising and investments
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Franchise plans, strategies and agreements
Labor & Employment
- Day-to-day human resources issues
- Workplace policies, practices and procedures
- Employee handbooks
- Discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, and restrictive covenant litigation
Tax and Employee Benefits
- Tax strategies, advice and audits
- Employee benefits counseling
- Executive compensation
Intellectual Property
- Trademark strategies, portfolios, prosecution and enforcement
- Copyright strategies, registrations, and enforcement
- IP licensing, management and compliance
Advertising & Brand Management
- Advertising claim substantiation
- Advertising content review and clearance for digital, social, broadcast and traditional media
- Social media, entertainment and influencer guidelines
- Marketing programs, including sweepstakes, promotions, contests and loyalty programs
- Website and application development and design
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines on employee, consumer and blogger endorsements
Regulatory Compliance
- ADA Title III compliance strategies
- Corporate Transparency Act compliance
- Liquor licenses
- Food, beverage, and agriculture regulatory advising
Litigation
- Landlord / tenant and leasing disputes
- Claims under ADA Title III
- Claims arising under service contracts, distributor agreements, hotel management agreements, and other contracts
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Advertising Division (NAD) enforcement and dispute resolution matters
- General liability claims
- Construction litigation
