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This is Jim Butler, author of www.HotelLawBlog.com and hotel lawyer. Please contact me at Jim Butler at jbutler@jmbm.com or 310.201.3526.

« January 2007 | | March 2007 »
Posted On: February 26, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hospitality Lawyer -- How good is the hotel business and how good can it get?

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By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
26 February 2007

Hospitality Lawyer on state of the hotel industry and its prospects. We are enjoying great times in the hospitality industry and the prospects are excellent that the good times will continue for at least several more years. But how good is it, and how good can it get? Let's take a look!

Continue reading " Hospitality Lawyer -- How good is the hotel business and how good can it get? " »

Posted In: Outlook and Trends

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Posted On: February 13, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer -- Why are Bill Gates and a Saudi Prince buying Four Seasons Hotels now?

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By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
13 February 2007


Hotel lawyer on the future of the hotel industry. Another milestone has been laid. The Board of Directors of Four Seasons Hotels Inc. -- a public company -- has formally accepted a $3.4 billion ($82 per share) purchase offer which surfaced on November 6, 2006 by a group of investors whose principals include Bill Gates, the Prince, and Isadore Sharpe, CEO of Four Seasons. It's a fascinating deal! But what does it really mean?

Continue reading " Hotel Lawyer -- Why are Bill Gates and a Saudi Prince buying Four Seasons Hotels now? " »

Posted In: Outlook and Trends

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Posted On: February 8, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer: As goes the economy, so goes the hospitality industry -- the ineluctable elasticity of demand!

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By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
8 February 2007

Hotel Lawyer on hotel fundamentals. One of the things that has fascinated me about the hospitality industry for more than 20 years now, is the close -- almost intimate -- relationship of industry performance to the U.S. economy's performance. Some might say this is intuitive, that when the economy does well, all business does well. But that is not always true. There are some businesses which do better in hard times, like discount and bargain stores, and there are some that seem impervious, like ultra luxury goods. However the relationship of the lodging industry's performance to the general economy, has been carefully documented by the experts, and it is worth noting. The implications are interesting.

Continue reading " Hotel Lawyer: As goes the economy, so goes the hospitality industry -- the ineluctable elasticity of demand! " »

Posted In: Outlook and Trends

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Posted On: February 1, 2007 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer -- "Hotel Industry Snapshot" from ALIS

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By Jim Butler, Hotel Lawyer | Author of www.HotelLawBlog.com
1 February 2007

Yesterday, I shared the first in a series of reports and observations from the recent Los Angeles hotel investment conference (ALIS). You may find it as interesting as I do to hear industry leaders describe current issue in their own words. If so, check out yesterday's posting: "Notable quotables from hotel industry thought leaders 2007."

But today, I would like to take a different approach, reflecting my personal observations on the state of the hotel industry taken from a number of Conference panels, a lot of one-on-one meetings with industry leaders, and a few hours with the Lodging Industry Investment Council -- the hotel industry's think tank.

Captured here for www.HotelLawBlog.com is my "Hotel Industry Snapshot" as of February 1, 2007 -- a perspective on the issues and developments that seemed to be the most important around the ALIS Conference. They may portend future opportunities . . . or challenges to be overcome. You will probably hear a lot more about them in the near future.

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« January 2007 | | March 2007 »

About the Authors

Jim Butler

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Jim Butler is recognized as one of the top hotel lawyers in the world. He devotes 100% of his practice to hospitality, representing hotel owners, developers and lenders. Jim leads the Global Hospitality Group®—a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe.
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Robert Braun

Robert Braun is a partner in JMBM's Corporate Department and a senior member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe. Bob represents owners in both transactional and operational issues. He advises clients with respect to business formation, financing, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing, joint ventures and strategic partnerships. He has represented hotel owners in the negotiation of several hundred management agreements, as well as spa management and franchise agreements. Bob also advises hotel owners regarding telecommunications, software, internet, e-commerce, data processing and outsourcing agreements. To read Bob's articles, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com and select "Management Agreements." For more information, please contact Bob Braun at 310.785.5331 or rbraun@jmbm.com.

Marta Fernandez

Marta Fernandez is a partner in JMBM's Employment and Labor Department and a senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe. As a management labor lawyer with more than 20 years of experience, Marta specializes in representing hospitality industry clients in all aspects of labor and employment including labor-management relations such as union prevention, collective bargaining for single as well as multi-employer bargaining units, neutrality agreements and defense of unfair labor practice charges before the NLRB. She defends employers in administrative and litigation claims, such as employee claims of sexual harassment and discrimination and counsels clients in preventative strategies such as executive training, arbitration enforcement, and policies and procedures. To read Marta's articles, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com and select "Labor & Employment." For more information, please contact Marta Fernandez at 310.201.3534 or at mfernandez@jmbm.com.

Catherine DeBono Holmes

Catherine DeBono Holmes is a partner in JMBM's Corporate Department and a senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe. Cathy assists hotel clients with hotel management and franchise agreements, purchase and sale transactions, and condo hotel regime structuring. She has taken hotel owners through complex RFP processes involving all the major hotel brands. She has significant expertise in condo hotels and advises clients in the specific business and legal aspects of condo hotel regime structuring and documentation, including CC&Rs, HOA docs, unit management agreements, shared facilities agreements, rental management agreement programs and securities compliance matters (structuring, documentation and training). To access Cathy's articles on www.HotelLawBlog.com, click on the topics "Condo Hotels" or "Green Hotels" For more information, please contact Cathy Holmes at 310.201.3553 or cholmes@jmbm.com.

Guy Maisnik

Guy Maisnik is a partner in JMBM's Real Estate Department and a senior member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe. Guy's deep and broad transactional practice includes complex real estate finance and venture capital transactions, including project finance, commercial finance, leveraged leasing and real estate acquisitions. He assists clients with development, leasing and disposition, loan portfolio acquisitions, loan and debt restructure, workouts and real estate exchanges. Go to www.HotelLawBlog.com for current information in these areas. For more information, please contact Guy Maisnik at 310.201.3588 or mgm@jmbm.com.

David Sudeck

David Sudeck is of Counsel in JMBM's Real Estate Department and a senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe. David has significant experience in the vacation ownership arena, focusing on the formation and registration of condominiums, timeshares and fractional interest regimes. He negotiates hotel, spa and restaurant management agreements, and assists client in the development, acquisition, sale and leasing of hotels, golf courses and restaurants. For David's take on current issues in the timeshare arena, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com and click on the topic, "Timeshare." For more information, please contact David Sudeck at 310.201.3518 or dsudeck @jmbm.com.

Robert Kaplan

Robert Kaplan is a partner in JMBM's Bankruptcy, Insolvency and Restructurings Group and a senior member of the Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe. Bob represents lenders, special servicers, hard money lenders, community banks, national banking associations, distressed debt investors, and equity investors, positioning them for the best possible outcome by acting expeditiously to preserve value and increase cash flow. His industry experience and his knowledge of the current capital markets -- where distressed assets often include complex deal structures and securitized loans -- allows him to bring creative and effective strategies to the table. When aggressive litigation is the best strategy, he is a vigorous and effective advocate for his clients. Bob represented the securitized lender in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case filed by the Clift Hotel in San Francisco, and in the subsequent negotiations and successful sale of the loan to a third party. The lender -- acting by and through GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corporation as special servicer -- was the holder of a $60 million loan secured by a Deed of Trust on the Clift Hotel. He has also served as counsel to CapMark, J.E. Robert Company, Inc., AMRESCO Management Inc. and Midland Loan Servicer in their capacity as special servicers on troubled hotel loans in CMBS pools. For more information, contact Robert Kaplan at 415.984.9673 or rkaplan@jmbm.com.

Martin Orlick

Martin Orlick is a partner in JMBM's Real Estate Department and a senior member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe. Marty specializes in representing hospitality industry clients in Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and defense. He has represented more than 300 businesses in ADA issues, many of them hotels and restaurants, as well as hotel mixed-use properties. Marty is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) and a frequent speaker on the ADA and other topics. To read Marty's articles, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com and select "ADA." For more information, please contact Marty Orlick at 415.984.9667 or morlick@jmbm.com.

James Abrams

James Abrams is Of Counsel at JMBM and is a senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $60 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe. Jim has served the hospitality industry for 40 years and specializes in lodging and hospitality law and in representing and advising trade associations and other non-profit entities. Jim has significant experience in government affairs at the national level, the state level – including the California Legislature and scores of state agencies – and with local governments and agencies. He has authored successful ballot measures and scores of bills for his clients. Jim served as the President and CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Association from January 1, 1991 through December 31, 2008 and is currently an adjunct professor in the Hospitality Industry Management Program at the University of San Francisco. He is a frequent speaker and writer on all aspects of the law relating to the lodging and hospitality industries, and he is the author of the book Laws Pertaining to the California Innkeeper, which is published by the California Hotel & Lodging Association. To read Jim’s articles, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com. For more information, please contact Jim Abrams at (415) 398-8080 or jabrams@jmbm.com.

Global Hospitality Group®
1900 Avenue of the Stars
7th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Direct: (310) 201-3526
Direct Fax: (310) 712-8526
E-mail: jbutler@jmbm.com

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Ask The Hotel Lawyer ™

Ask the Hotel Lawyer™ is a quarterly column that I write for JMBM's Global Hospitality Advisor®. If you have a question you would like to submit to Ask the Hotel Lawyer™ please use the comments box below. While your question may not be of sufficient general interest for the column, I will try to respond to you individually if you leave your contact information below. Jim Butler.