Close Box

By RSS

Subscribe

Enter your email address:

« September 2011 | | November 2011 »
Posted On: October 29, 2011 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

EB-5 Financing for Hotels: Brian Su's EB-5 Investment Boot Camp in Los Angeles on November 11, 2011

For the most recent update on this topic, click here

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®
Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com
29 October 2011

EB-5 financing is a hot topic, particularly for hotels.

My partners and I in the JMBM Global Hospitality Group® have been talking about EB-5 financing for some time in our blogs. A complete list of the articles with links is below for your convenience.

EB-5 financing is important for hotel developers. And, hotels are the most popular EB-5 investment!

From the responses we have received, we know there is tremendous interest in the hotel community about using the EB-5 program to finance hotels.

In addition, we know from our discussions with Chinese marketing agents that hotels are the most popular of all EB-5 investments to Chinese investors.

With the continuing constraints on lending for new hotel development, the EB-5 program offers an alternative source of financing that has been proven to work on new hotel developments around the country.

Continue reading " EB-5 Financing for Hotels: Brian Su's EB-5 Investment Boot Camp in Los Angeles on November 11, 2011 " »

Posted In: Chinese Investment , EB-5 Financing

Print Email This Post

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: October 25, 2011 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Chinese investment in U.S. hotels: What the real estate professionals want to know

For the most recent update on this topic, click here

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®
Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com
25 October 2011

On Friday, October 21, 2011 I did a Q&A interview with the National Real Estate Bisnow about Chinese investment in U.S. hotels. Here is the full Question & Answer exchange, a portion of which appeared in the Biznow article.

There's been an explosion of Chinese investment in the US, especially real estate. And many people believe it will surpass the Japanese investment of the late '80s (estimated to have exceeded $120B).

There's been an explosion of Chinese investment in US real estate. Who's investing and where, and how much investment do you expect in 2011?

The increasing wave of Chinese investment in the U.S. is being fueled by the Chinese government (generally acting through construction companies, banks and other intermediary companies) and an exploding class of wealthy Chinese. The top .05% wealthiest Chinese have investible funds of more than $2.7 trillion, and there is a rapidly growing class of billionaires and more than 800,000 millionaires. Plus there is a huge rising middle class looking to travel and enjoy life.

Of course, in addition to Mainland China there are the Chinese in Taiwan, and everywhere else such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia.

A recent Merchants Bank report estimates that rich Chinese individuals -- those with assets of more than 10 million yuan -- have about 3.6 trillion yuan ($564 billion) invested overseas. No reliable numbers are available for total Chinese foreign investment or Chinese investment in the United States. The investors are largely staying under the radar to avoid publicity and possible adverse reactions, and there seems to be no means to track the investments and get an aggregate investment number.

Continue reading " Chinese investment in U.S. hotels: What the real estate professionals want to know " »

Posted In: Chinese Investment , EB-5 Financing

Print Email This Post

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: October 18, 2011 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Fairmont v. Turnberry decision is issued by Federal Court

For the most recent update on this topic, click here

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®
Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com
18 October 2011

Important new court case on terminating hotel management agreements -- Fairmont v. Turnberry.

JMBM's Global Hospitality Group®, together with Dennis Richard of Richard and Richard, represented the owner of the Turnberry Isle Resort & Spa in obtaining a significant decision involving Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. On Friday, October 14, 2011, a Miami Federal District Court denied Fairmont Hotel's request for a preliminary injunction to be reinstated as the operator of the hotel.

We think this is an interesting and important decision. We believe that this 71-page opinion written by Magistrate Judge Goodman and adopted and reaffirmed by Judge Donald L. Graham is destined to become one of the more important cases in the area of hotel management agreements. Grounded on solid legal precedent -- with English common law, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case by Chief Justice John Marshall, and a well-known line of hotel cases -- and public policy, this is one of the best-written, most thoroughly researched and comprehensive decisions in the area.

Continue reading " Fairmont v. Turnberry decision is issued by Federal Court " »

Posted In: Hotel Management Agreements

Print Email This Post

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: October 15, 2011 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer with optimism for the hotel industry from at the Dallas Lenders Conference, Fishing for Solutions 2011

For the most recent update on this topic, click here

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®
Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com
15 October 2011

Optimistic keynote at the Dallas Lenders Conference from FelCor Chairman Tom Corcoran

One of the bright spots at Steve Van's Fishing for Solutions lender conference was the keynote address given by FelCor Lodging Trust Chairman, Thomas J. Corcoran. Known for his blunt and sometimes salty candor, Tom sounded a call for a reality check for doomsayers, likes where we are now in the hotel industry and expects things to get better.

Yes, he reads the newspapers, knows all about the "market volatility" and pokes fun at how the world cringes on reports that Slovakia may not approve the European bailout of Greece. Everyone is over-reacting to news he says.

Here are the details . . .

Continue reading " Hotel Lawyer with optimism for the hotel industry from at the Dallas Lenders Conference, Fishing for Solutions 2011 " »

Posted In: Outlook and Trends

Print Email This Post

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: October 15, 2011 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Lawyer in Dallas listening to the Special Servicers

For the most recent update on this topic, click here

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®
Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com
15 October 2011

Hotel Lawyer from CMBS Special Servicer heaven with the latest insights from the Dallas Lenders Conference

For 11 years now, Steve Van and his team at Prism Hotels have held what is probably the best lender conference in the country. Attendance is by invitation only. The one-day program is attended by industry leaders and about 100 of the Who's Who of the hotel lending world. If you are a special servicer, you want to be at this meeting. The convocation has swelled in size from about 35 at the first meeting, but Steve resists all the temptations to grow too large so that this remains an informal meeting place for serious dialog and candid discussion.

Generally, the conference delegates include the top people from the major special servicers, such as Midland Loan Services, C-III Asset Management, CW Capital, Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, ORIX Capital Markets, KeyBank Real Estate Capital, Bank of America and the like - all the people you would like to see but never find at the major investment conferences. The sessions are highly interactive, more akin to think tank sessions and sharing of experiences and concerns than the typical conference lecture format.

I was privileged to lead a panel of thought leaders on "Trends in Hotel Loan Sales," and Guy Maisnik (my partner and vice chair of our Global Hospitality Group®) spoke on the panel "Special Servicers Survival Guide for Loan Defaults - CMBS 201: What has changed?"

Here are some highlights of the meeting that I thought were noteworthy . . .

Continue reading " Hotel Lawyer in Dallas listening to the Special Servicers " »

Posted In: Outlook and Trends

Print Email This Post

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: October 6, 2011 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Hotel Labor & Employment Update: California Supreme Court one step closer to decision in meal and rest period case

For the most recent update on this topic, click here

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®
Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com
6 October 2011

My partner, labor and employment lawyer Scott Brink, has informed us that the California Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in a high-profile labor law case, Brinker Restaurant v. Superior Court, on November 8, 2011. He believes it is likely we will see a decision within the following 90 days.

The outcome could curb a wave of class action lawsuits in California -- or provide the fuel for more of them.

At issue in the case is whether California employers must ensure that their employees actually take their meal and rest periods or merely make them available. Here is Scott's update.


Continue reading " Hotel Labor & Employment Update: California Supreme Court one step closer to decision in meal and rest period case " »

Posted In: Labor & Employment

Print Email This Post

Bookmark and Share

Posted On: October 3, 2011 by the JMBM Global Hospitality Group®

Updating Service Animal Policies of Your Hotel or Other "Place of Lodging"

For the most recent update on this topic, click here

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®
Hotel Lawyers | Authors of www.HotelLawBlog.com
3 October 2011

ADA Defense & Compliance Lawyers. What are some of the most common questions asked of our ADA Defense Lawyers? Many of them relate to "service animal" policies at hotels, restaurants and other places of public accommodation. One of the most read articles on Hotel Law Blog was a posting I did 5 years ago on this subject. Who's crying "Woof"? What you must know about the ADA requirements for disabled guests and their service animals . . .

But with recent developments, we thought it was time to update that information with the effect of the latest amendments to the regulations on this subject published by the Department of Justice implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Many thanks to hotel lawyers David Sudeck and Marty Orlick for their help on this article.

Continue reading " Updating Service Animal Policies of Your Hotel or Other "Place of Lodging" " »

Posted In: ADA Defense and Compliance

Print Email This Post

Bookmark and Share

« September 2011 | | November 2011 »

About the Authors

Jim Butler

img001.jpeg

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 1,300 properties located around the globe.
More >>

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 1,300 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 1,300 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 1,300 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 1,300 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 1,300 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 1,300 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 1,300 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 500 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 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.

Eudeen Chang

Eudeen Chang is a lawyer in the Litigation Department of JMBM's Orange County office and a member of the Global Hospitality Group®. He represents hotels in a variety of litigation matters, including ADA defense. He is well-versed in all aspects of litigation, from pre-lawsuit strategizing to trial, post-judgment collection and through appeal. He also serves as outside general counsel for a number of small and mid-sized companies and high net-worth individuals. Contact Eudeen at EChang@jmbm.com or 949.623.7232.

Victor Shum

Victor Shum is a corporate and securities partner in JMBM's Corporate Department and a member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® and Chinese Investment Group™. He has advised clients on EB-5 matters since 1999 and assists hotel developers on EB-5 financing as well as public and private securities, mergers and acquisitions, cross-border issues, and other strategic business transactions, including real estate transactions and intellectual property and technology licensing matters. For more information, contact Victor Shum at 415.984.9611 or vshum@jmbm.com.

Scott Brink

Scott Brink is a senior member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® and a partner in JMBM's Labor & Employment Law Department. Scott is a management labor lawyer with more than two decades of experience representing employers in all aspects of labor relations and employment law including union prevention, collective bargaining negotiations, defense of unfair labor practice charges before the NLRB, wrongful discharge litigation, individual and class action employment discrimination and wage-and-hour claims, sexual-harassment litigation, arbitrations, personnel policies, California wage and hour law, and employee discipline and discharge. An experienced trial attorney, Scott has litigated a number of high-profile and complex cases involving a wide range of labor and employment law matters. For more information, contact Scott Brink at RSB@jmbm.com or 310.785.5365.

Travis Gemoets

Travis Gemoets is a partner in JMBM's Employment and Labor Department and a member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group®. His clients include hotel owners, investors, and managers across the globe as well as hospitals, restaurants, professional offices, and manufacturing plants, to name a few. An experienced trial lawyer, he represents management in all facets of labor and employment law, including claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage/hour class actions, union/management contract negotiations and disputes, trade secrets, unfair competition, and workplace violence. Travis advises employers nationwide on these areas as well as on disability and religious accommodation, protected absences, personnel policies and handbooks, employee discipline and discharge, and labor relations. Contact Travis at TXG@ jmbm.com or 310.785.5387.

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

Subscribe

  • By RSS
  • By Email
By RSS

Subscribe

By Email
Enter your email address:

Browse

  • Topics
  • By Date
  • Search
Topics
By Date
Search

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.