Articles Posted in Hotel Finance − Hotel Debt & Hotel Equity

Published on: August 4, 2017

EB-5 Financing Lawyer: Why you do NOT want to form your own regional center

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

04 August 2017
Click here for the latest articles on EB-5 Financing.

This article is an updated version of the one that was originally published about 3 years ago on HotelLawBlog.com on 30 July 2014.

Why you do NOT want to form your own regional center
by
Jim Butler, Hotel & EB-5 Finance Lawyer
How should developers pursue EB-5 financing?

Although the EB-5 immigrant visa program has been around since 1990, the current trend of using it as a source of financing for hotel and other real estate started 20 years later – around 2010. We worked on one of the first hotel EB-5 financings for the W Hotel & Residences in Hollywood, and we have since worked on more than 100 EB-5 projects all over the country. Now, the use of EB-5 financing for construction has gone mainstream. High profile EB-5 financing closings include $450 million for the Century Plaza Los Angeles, $100 million for the Ritz Carlton & JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles, $150 million for the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills, and $1 billion for the Silverstein project at the World Trade Center in New York City (with a Four Seasons Hotel).

As a growing number of savvy hotel developers hurry to assess the EB-5 financing opportunity, they frequently receive conflicting advice as to the best way to pursue EB-5 financing. Many immigration lawyers and advisors tout the advantages of the developer forming its own regional center – basically to shave a few points off the all-in cost of EB-5 financing.

This advice may work well for the EB-5 advisors (in that they may get $100,000 or more in fees) and for certain hotel developers. But for most of the hotel developers we know, forming a captive regional center is a bad idea. This article should provide a note of caution for developers considering this course.

Based on our extensive experience with financing hotel development from EB-5 funding sources, we believe that the answer for most hotel developers will be to obtain “preferred” status for themselves and their projects – if they can do so – and to tap into the very best established EB-5 funding sources. For more on this approach, see “Development financing: How to win the race for EB-5 capital.”

Restricted capacity in channels for accessing EB-5 capital

As hotel developers compete in a very crowded field seeking the finite amount of EB-5 funding available each fiscal year (because there are only 10,000 visas available per year), there is something of a “race” to gain access to the limited resources for tapping EB-5 capital. CONTINUE READING →

Published on: August 2, 2017

EB-5 Financing Lawyer: The 5 questions every developer is asking about EB-5 financing

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

4 August 2017
Click here for the latest articles on EB-5 Financing.

This article is an updated version of the one that was originally published about 3 years ago on HotelLawBlog.com on 25 July 2014.

The 5 questions every developer
is asking about EB-5 financing
by
Jim Butler, Hotel & EB-5 Finance Lawyer
EB-5 financing has gone mainstream for hotel development

The use of EB-5 financing has exploded over the past 8 years as an important funding source for new development – particularly for hotel developments. It is clearly now part of the “mainstream.” It is used by many institutional players, including government entities such as port authorities, major hotel brands like Marriott and Hilton, and some of America’s most successful and respected companies, such as Great Wolf Resorts, the Related Companies, and Silverstein Properties.

As lawyers who have worked on more than 100 EB-5 projects all over the country, we have noticed that everyone who investigates EB-5 financing wants answers to 5 big questions about the EB-5 financing opportunity for their project. It should come as no surprise that most of our EB-5 projects involve financing for new hotel development, because hotels are the most popular type of project for EB-5 investors, and we have one of the most prominent hotel law practices in the world. However, our team has also successfully used EB-5 financing for a number of non-hotel projects, including hospitals, senior living, restaurants, solar farms, and infrastructure projects.

The 5 questions every hotel developer is asking about EB-5 financing

Our developer clients say their top concerns in pursuing EB-5 financing is to quickly and reliably determine the answers to the following 5 questions below before they spend substantial time and money or forego other opportunities. They don’t want to waste their time on a wild goose chase. We think every developer considering EB-5 financing should be asking the same questions.

Will EB-5 work for me on my project?
How much money can I get?
How much will it cost?
How long will it take?
How can I get certainty of execution?

CONTINUE READING →

Published on: August 1, 2017

EB-5 Financing Lawyer: EB-5 construction financing term sheet for top developers

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

01 August 2017
Click here for the latest articles on EB-5 Financing.

This article is an updated version of the one that was originally published on HotelLawBlog.com on 05 December 2014.

JMBM’s EB-5 construction financing program terms
for top developers
by
Jim Butler, Hotel & EB-5 Finance Lawyer
EB-5 financing comes in many colors and shapes

JMBM believes that for most developers, EB-5 financing is best structured as mezzanine debt or preferred equity, to optimize the total amount of financing and reduce the cost of the capital stack. Normally, senior construction debt (secured by a first priority lien) will be significantly cheaper than EB-5 money, but senior lenders (particularly if the subject project is a hotel) rarely lend more than 50% to 55% of the total cost of construction. Most of our clients like to use this cheap senior debt and then add some low-cost EB-5 mezzanine debt on top of it to get total loan-to-cost ratios up to 80% or more.

We also find that the structure outlined above is popular with the most experienced and reliable regional centers in the business (many of whom we have worked with). JMBM has closed more than $1.5 billion of EB-5 financing and has developed an expertise in structuring the EB-5 financing to address our client’s needs and goals. The highlights of the current market terms for this financing are described below.

JMBM is sourcing low-cost mezzanine capital for new construction through EB-5 financing for its top developer-clients.

To qualify for this program, the borrower must be an experienced developer with a superb track record, a superior reputation and a great project. If you do not meet those threshold requirements, then you don’t need to read any further, because this program likely is not suitable for you.

If you might benefit from mezzanine financing with an all-in cost to you of approximately 7% to 8% per annum, then you may want to consider JMBM’s “preferred” EB-5 financing program, which is summarized below. CONTINUE READING →

Published on: August 1, 2017

EB-5 Financing Lawyer: FAQs: Essentials of EB-5 construction financing for developers

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

01 August 2017
Click here for the latest articles on EB-5 Financing.

This article is an updated version of the one that was originally published approximately three years ago on HotelLawBlog.com on 14 August 2014.
FAQs: Essentials of EB-5
construction financing for developers
by
Jim Butler, Hotel & EB-5 Finance Lawyer
Below are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and answers regarding EB-5 funding for developers (click the link for answer, or scroll down)

1What is EB-5?
2Why is there so much interest in EB-5 financing?
3Is EB-5 funding available for new construction?
4Can I use EB-5 funding to buy an existing project?
5Is there any limitation on the kind of project funded with EB-5?
6How much does EB-5 money cost?
7How do I know if EB-5 will work for me and my project?
8What is a regional center and do I need one?
9Why is getting the “right” regional center so critical?
10Should I form my own regional center?
11What is a TEA?
12How much money can I raise?
13What are the 6 biggest mistakes developers make with EB-5?
14What does JMBM do to help developers with EB-5 financing?

FAQs (with answers)

1. What is EB-5?
EB-5 is a provision in the United States immigration laws. It is the fifth “Employment Based” immigration provision providing expedited visa processing (hence “EB-5”). The program is a win-win-win arrangement, giving wealthy immigrants the opportunity to earn a “fast-track” to US citizenship if they make a minimum investment of $500,000, and create a minimum of at least 10 new jobs in the United States. In return, communities get the benefit of economic stimulation created by this investment and the new jobs. And developers get a valuable source of financing for new projects that is otherwise more difficult to obtain and more expensive from other sources.

2. Why is there so much interest in EB-5 financing?

In the last 5 years, EB-5 financing has become extremely popular in development circles for financing projects in the United States, and it is being widely used by mainstream, institutional players including government entities such as port authorities, major hotel brands like Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton, and some of the largest owners of hotels and restaurants. EB-5 financing has provided low-cost, non-recourse, 5 to 7 year term financing for the development and construction of new projects and offers a number of advantages to developers. For the past few years, the demand for EB-5 funding has exceeded the 10,000 annual visas available to raise such capital from immigrant investors and/or the capacity of the fund raising channels (mostly regional centers and marketing agents).

3. Is EB-5 funding available for new construction?

Generally, YES. CONTINUE READING →

Published on: July 29, 2017

EB-5 Financing Lawyer: More than $1.5 billion of EB-5 construction financing closed for JMBM clients

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

29 July 2017
Click here for the latest articles on EB-5 Financing.

This article is an updated version of the one that was originally published on HotelLawBlog.com on 08 May 2017.
More than $1.5 billion of
EB-5 construction financing closed for JMBM clients
by
Jim Butler, Hotel & EB-5 Finance Lawyer
EB-5 is a proven means of financing for development projects.

EB-5 financing is an important and viable source of construction financing for hotels, hotel enhanced mixed-use, and other development projects. Eight years ago, when JMBM started helping hotel developers with EB-5 financing, many worried about whether this is a legitimate and reliable financing source.

Now, after billions of dollars of development have been funded with EB-5, this type of financing is regarded as mainstream. It is used by many institutional players, including government entities such as port authorities, major hotel brands like Marriott and Hilton, and some of America’s most successful and respected companies, such as Great Wolf Resorts, the Related Companies and Silverstein Properties.

As an active source of EB-5 funding for select developers, JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® team has been busy too. We caught up with Jim Butler and David Sudeck for an update on recent developments in this area as summarized in the Q & A below.

Q: How much EB-5 financing has JMBM provided to its clients?

By mid-2017, the JMBM Team has closed more than $1.5 billion in EB-5 financing for our clients’ development projects, and we sourced more than half of that amount.

Over the last 8 years, we have worked on more than 100 EB-5 projects, primarily representing developers in securing and closing their EB-5 financing projects all over the country; this includes high profile locations in California, Florida, New York, and Texas, but also in more bread-and-butter locations including Georgia, Nebraska and Maryland. CONTINUE READING →

Published on: July 25, 2017

EB-5 Finance Lawyer: Are hotels still the darling of EB-5 financing?

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

25 July 2017
Click here for the latest articles on EB-5 Financing.

The article below was updated in July 2017 based upon an earlier version which appeared on HotelLawBlog.com.

The EB-5 immigrant investor visa program has provided billions of dollars of affordable construction financing for a wide variety of projects ranging from high tech and alternate energy to traditional types of commercial real estate.

Over the last decade, EB-5 investors have overwhelmingly chosen real estate projects, particularly those with hotel, multifamily, senior living, and mixed-use components. While the enabling legislation for the program does not limit the type of project financed, it does require that at least 10 new jobs be created in the United States for each investor seeking a visa.

This article discusses why hotels are consistently among the investments most favored for EB-5 financing, and why they are likely to remain so for some time to come.
Are hotels still the darling of EB-5 financing?
by
Jim Butler, Hotel & EB-5 Finance Lawyer
As EB-5 financing has become an important part of new development and construction financing over the past 5 to 10 years, EB-5 investors and EB-5 lenders have shown a strong preference for hotel projects. Here are some of the reasons that hotels continue to be the “darling” of EB-5 financing: CONTINUE READING →

Published on: July 20, 2017

EB-5 Finance Lawyer: Tips to avoid the 6 most common mistakes developers make with EB-5

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

20 July 2017
Click here for the latest articles on EB-5 Financing.

The article below is updated as of July 2017. It first appeared on HotelLawBlog.com on 8 May 2017.

EB-5 generates billions of dollars of affordable construction financing for developments located in the United States that create new jobs for US citizens. JMBM’s EB-5 financing group has closed more than $1.5 billion of EB-5 financing for our clients’ development projects, and we sourced more than half of that amount.

Although there are many exciting success stories, we see developers frequently blundering into a small number of easily avoided mistakes, which can be very costly. So here is our short list of the mistakes and tips to avoid them.

Tips to avoid the 6 most common
mistakes developers make with EB-5
by
Jim Butler, Hotel & EB-5 Finance Lawyer
There are a number of mistakes developers often make with EB-5 financing. Here are a few tips to avoid 6 of the most common mistakes: CONTINUE READING →

Published on: May 5, 2017

EB-5 extended without change: President Donald Trump signs bill

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

05 May 2017

Click here for the latest articles on EB-5 Financing.

EB-5 extended through September 30

Just after noon on Friday, May 5, 2017, President Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017. The new law approves $1.1 trillion in Federal appropriations through September 30, 2017.

One of the provisions of the bill extends the EB-5 Regional Center program without change through the same date.

Although the Consolidated Appropriations Act did not change any provisions of the EB-5 program, we expect further Congressional and regulatory efforts in the very near future.

As we said yesterday,

Industry leaders view this extension of the program as the necessary threshold to achieve a long-term legislative solution to the issues that have been raised about the EB-5 program before any regulatory changes are implemented and before the next sunset date of September 30, 2017.

We expect all stakeholders in the EB-5 business to be pushing very hard toward this end.

CONTINUE READING →

Published on: May 4, 2017

EB-5 Financing for Development — Update on EB-5 Extension

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

04 May 2017

Click here for the latest articles on EB-5 Financing.

We are getting a lot of calls from our developer clients and friends asking about the status of the EB-5 Regional Center authorization that was about to sunset on May 5, 2017, along with appropriations for the Federal Government.

A “clean extension” for EB-5

Early on Monday morning, May 1, 2017, the House Appropriations Committee approved a $1.1 trillion budget to fund the government through September 30, 2017. That proposed bill includes a “clean extension “(i.e. no amendments) to the EB-5 Regional Center program through the same period.

On May 3, the House passed the spending bill, and on May 4, the Senate gave its approval. The bill now goes to President Trump who is expected to sign the new budget into law.

If expectations are met, the government shut down will be avoided and the EB-5 Regional Center Program will continue without interruption. CONTINUE READING →

Published on: April 12, 2017

JMBM’s 27th Annual Meet the Money® National Hotel Finance and Investment Conference

By Jim Butler and the Global Hospitality Group®

LOS ANGELES—The Meet the Money® 2017 conference will bring hospitality industry leaders together from May 8-10 in Los Angeles at the Hyatt Regency Hotel LAX. This marks the conference’s 27th year, where hotel owners, operators, developers, consultants, investors, brands, lenders and other capital providers will gather to get deals done and discuss and catch up on the latest issues and opportunities involving the hotel industry.

“This year’s conference is particularly important,” said Jim Butler, Chairman of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group®. “The hospitality industry is at an interesting point in mid-2017. Intriguing opportunities will be available for the diligent and well-connected, but greater perils will also challenge investors. This conference will present many experts’ perspectives on what properties in which markets will thrive or perish. It is a great time to be an entrepreneur in the hotel industry.”

The theme this year is “Opportunity or Peril? Finding the right key to the right door.” Industry experts from top brands across the country will focus on the state of the industry and strategies that will aid in discovering opportunities and avoiding risks. Panelists will join discussions on successful development strategies, current capital markets, creative solutions for existing properties, foreign investment, and a range of other topics. The full conference program is now available online.

Since its inception in 1990, Meet the Money® has connected thousands of senior hotel financing experts, developers and hospitality insiders. Keynote speaker Richard K. Green, Ph.D., director of the University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate, along with over 130 influential heavyweights in the industry have been assembled to provide insight on navigating the current market. Additional presentations will include a spotlight interview with Trump Hotel CEO Eric Danziger, and a CEO panel with top executives from Condor Hospitality Trust, Monday Properties, Interval International, CMB Regional Centers, and Aimbridge Hospitality. A full list of all conferences speakers can be found on the conference website.

About Meet the Money
For 27 years, Meet the Money® has provided a unique environment for forging relationships and gaining up-to-the-minute information about the world of hotel investment and finance. The conference is big enough to attract heavy hitters, but small enough to network with them. At Meet the Money®, there is time, atmosphere and availability to have meaningful meetings with deal-making potential. Register now at MeetTheMoney.com.

About Global Hospitality Group® of JMBM
The hospitality attorneys in the Global Hospitality Group® of Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP comprise the premier hospitality practice in a full-service law firm, and the most experienced legal and advisory team in the industry. Our team of hotel lawyers and business advisors has more than $87 billion in hotel transaction experience, involving more than 3,900 properties located around the globe, and providing one of the most extensive virtual data bases of market terms for deals and financings.

Jim Butler

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 JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® — a team of seasoned professionals who have helped clients around the world with more than 4,700 hospitality properties worth more than $125 billion.
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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 seasoned professionals who have helped clients around the world with more than 4,700 hospitality properties worth more than $125 billion. 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 seasoned professionals who have helped clients around the world with more than 4,700 hospitality properties worth more than $125 billion. 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.

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 seasoned professionals who have helped clients around the world with more than 4,700 hospitality properties worth more than $125 billion. 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 a Partner in JMBM's Real Estate Department and a senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of seasoned professionals who have helped clients around the world with more than 4,700 hospitality properties worth more than $125 billion. 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 seasoned professionals who have helped clients around the world with more than 4,700 hospitality properties worth more than $125 billion. 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 seasoned professionals who have helped clients around the world with more than 4,700 hospitality properties worth more than $125 billion. 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.comand select "ADA." For more information, please contact Marty Orlick at 415.984.9667 or morlick@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 an experienced trial attorney and represents management in all facets of labor and employment law, including wage/hour class actions, claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, trade secrets and unfair competition, union/management relations and workplace violence. He is a member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group(r), in which capacity he negotiates union contracts and resolves labor disputes throughout the country, defends class action claims, develops strategies for the mass onboarding and separation of employees, and recommends proactive changes to employers' policies and practices in order to minimize potential liability risks. Reach him at 310.785.5387 or tgemoets@jmbm.com.

Mark S. Adams

Mark S. Adams is an experienced trial lawyer and a member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® and Chinese Investment Group™. He focuses his practice on business litigation including contracts, corporate and partnership disputes, and hospitality disputes and litigation. On behalf of hotel and resort owners, Mark has successfully litigated the termination of long-term, no-cut, hotel management agreements, franchise agreements, fiduciary duty issues, investor-owner disputes, TOT assessments, and more. He has wide-ranging trial experience in a variety of commercial disputes, including complex multi-party litigation and class actions. He has tried numerous cases in state courts, federal courts, and in domestic and international arbitrations, and is a frequent author and speaker on trial practice. Mark's trial wins have been covered by Forbes, Reuters, and other publications. He has obtained two of California's annual 50 largest jury verdicts in the same year. Mark has taken or defended nearly 1,000 depositions throughout North America, Europe and the Middle East. He has been quoted as an expert on noncompete agreements in the Wall Street Journal. For more information, contact Mark at 949. 623.7230 or markadams@jmbm.com.

Bennett Young

Bennett Young is a partner in JMBM's Bankruptcy, Insolvency and Restructurings Group and a senior member of the Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of seasoned professionals who have helped clients around the world with more than 4,700 hospitality properties worth more than $125 billion. His clients include lenders, financial institutions, secured and unsecured creditors, distressed investment funds, businesses, receivers, special servicers and creditors' committees. Ben represented the owner of a partially completed multi-billion dollar resort property in the restructuring of its finances and has represented lenders to hotels and casinos. For more information, contact Ben Young at 415.984.9626 or byoung@jmbm.com

Sheri Bonstelle

Sheri Bonstelle is a partner in JMBM's Government, Land Use, Environment and Energy Department, and a member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group®. She represents owners and developers in land use, zoning, environmental, litigation and construction matters. She manages all aspects of the entitlement process, including representing clients before local and state agencies, commissions and councils. Sheri also represents clients in a variety of land use and real estate litigation matters in state and federal courts, including cases arising under CEQA and other environmental laws. Her hotel experience includes handling the adaptive reuse of an historic office building as a luxury boutique hotel. For more information, please contact Sheri Bonstelle at 310.712.6847 or SBonstelle@jmbm.com.

Kevin McDonnell

Kevin McDonnell is a partner in JMBM's Government, Land Use, Environment and Energy Department, and a member of JMBM's Global Hospitality Group®. Kevin represents developers and owners of hotels in a broad range of land use and zoning issues including entitlements, code enforcement, easements and parking requirements, as well as related Parcel Map and Tract Map subdivision issues. His hospitality experience includes hotels, condo-hotels and mixed-use projects. A registered Civil Engineer and Structural Engineer in California, and a former building official for the City of Los Angeles, Kevin brings unique experience and insight in Zoning and Building Code applications and Code Enforcement issues. For more information, please contact Kevin McDonnell at 310.201.3590 or kkm@jmbm.com.

Jamie Ogden

Jamie Ogden is a tax lawyer at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP. He advises individuals and businesses on a range of tax planning, tax controversy and estate planning matters. Jamie’s experience includes all tax aspects with respect to the hospitality industry, including acquisitions and dispositions (including Section 1031 exchanges), financing and management agreements. He also serves as lead tax counsel on M&A transactions, financing, internal corporate restructurings and deferred compensation matters. Jamie also works frequently with litigators on the tax aspects of litigation, judgments and settlements. Jamie has extensive experience with foreign compliance matters, including each variation of the IRS amnesty programs. In addition to his experience in private practice, Jamie also brings several years of service from both state and federal government. For more information, contact Jamie at JOgden@jmbm.com or 310.201.3510.

Wei Deng

Wei Deng is General Counsel of Bosen American Capital, Inc. where in addition to his legal duties, he is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and proposing United States investment opportunities to the company. Wei was previously with JMBM, where he focused on transactional and litigation matters.

Jay Thompson

Jay Thompson has extensive experience representing private companies, business owners, family offices and investors in mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions and private securities offerings. Jay serves as general counsel to many of his clients, their management, and board of directors, helping to shape and execute their business strategies, facilitate growth and liquidity, as well as to advise them on day-to-day legal and other strategic issues. He is known for his practical approach to business issues. Contact Jay at JThompson@jmbm.com or 949.623.7258

Marianne Martin

Marianne Martin has nearly fifteen years of experience advising clients on a variety of commercial, financing, bankruptcy, restructuring and M&A matters, with a particular niche dealing with distressed and/or turnaround situations. Her clients frequently include private equity and hedge funds, independent sponsors, family offices, public and private corporations, financial institutions and banks, healthcare-related companies, municipalities and venture capital funds. She has represented clients in various capacities, including as borrowers/debtors, lenders, acquirers, and agents/trustees in negotiating and documenting complex commercial transactions, out-of-court restructuring transactions and advising on purchasing considerations in secondary market debt transactions. Contact Marianne at MMartin@jmbm.com or 310.201.3531

Trevor Countryman

Trevor Countryman is an associate in the firm's Real Estate Department. He advises clients in all aspects of real estate transactions including property acquisitions and dispositions, financing, leasing, development and construction. Trevor's clients range from large funds to individual developers and opportunistic investors, engaged in deals involving office, retail, multi-family, single-family, mixed-use and hotel properties. Contact Trevor Countryman at 310.201.3546 or TCountryman@jmbm.com.

Vanessa Han

Vanessa Han is an associate in JMBM's Corporate group. Vanessa can be reached at VHan@jmbm.com or 310.785.5383

Vince Farhat

Vince Farhat is Chair of JMBM's White Collar Defense and Investigations practice. Vince has extensive jury trial experience and focuses his practice on representing companies and individuals in criminal and civil investigations and prosecutions by government enforcement agencies, as well as complex federal litigation. He also advises companies in connection with complex and sensitive internal investigations. Prior to joining JMBM, Vince served as an assistant United States attorney in the Major Frauds Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Contact Vince Farhat at 310.785.5382 or VFarhat@jmbm.com.

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.