Lodging and Leisure

Attorneys practicing in Lodging and Leisure

Nelson Mullins has more than 20 attorneys practicing in the Lodging and Leisure Group. Our attorneys have handled transactions in more than 40 states in properties as diverse as Chicago high-rises, Caribbean resorts and developments in foreign countries including Mexico, the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts and Aruba.

From beginning to end, Firm attorneys assist clients in areas such as franchise management acquisition, disposition, finance and refinance, venture capital, and consulting. When needed, these attorneys also assist clients in finding a construction lender, permanent lender or other equity sources.

Hotels

Nelson Mullins has experience handling every aspect of the development and acquisition of hotels. This experience includes helping to acquire the land, establishing finance for construction and negotiating equity with partners as well as management and franchise agreements. Whether limited service, semi-limited or full-service hotels, Nelson Mullins can assist with the legal needs of hotel owners and developers. Our successes include:

  • managing the largest restructuring of a Caribbean hotel, including 17 law firms from eight countries, with all legal detail being completed in only eight months
  • developing a new franchise concept for a major hotel chain, which the company has since adopted and is using nationwide
  • representing the largest national hotel chain in litigation
  • managing $500 million in new hotels per year for the last three years
  • handling joint ventures for most major hotel chains
  • structuring a joint venture finance deal between a hotel developer and a real estate investment fund
  • forming and initial public offering of a hotel REIT
  • structuring a joint venture finance deal between a hotel developer and an institutional pension fund
  • selling and conveying of hotels, including sale/leasebacks and dispositions to REIT’s

Resorts

From golf courses and country clubs to marinas and condos, Nelson Mullins has the experience to successfully manage your resort venture. We can assist with financing construction, negotiating equity with partners, negotiating finance agreements and negotiating management contracts. Selected representation includes:

  • closing the sales of 53 Caribbean resorts in one year
  • handling difficult zoning issues for major resort developers
  • negotiating community documents
  • overseeing environmental permitting
  • assisting major resort developers in the Southeast with acquisition and disposition of land

Office Space

From Peachtree Street to Park Avenue, Nelson Mullins has handled all aspects of leasing for major buildings nationwide. Recent experience includes management of the complex legal issues for a $500-million financial center.

Retail Space

Nelson Mullins can handle legal matters related to leasing, landlord-tenant disputes, land acquisitions and financing for shopping centers nationwide. Recent experience includes management of all legal issues for 12 strip-mall shopping centers.

Health Care Facilities

Firm attorneys provide services to health care clients that include acquisitions of individual nursing homes and portfolios as well as buying, selling, refinancing, developing, constructing, owning, operating and investing in health care facilities. Selected representation includes:

  • advising clients on Medicare and Medicaid legal issues
  • counseling clients on special licensure that differs from state to state
  • representing clients in employee claim situations
  • advising nursing homes nationwide on Certificate of Need issues
  • providing counsel for owners and operators of assisted living, Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC), senior citizen-oriented neighborhoods and ancillary home health services

Multi-Family Living

Nelson Mullins has significant experience in apartment and condominium legal matters. Our group has the ability to manage HUD financing and tax-credit financing. We also have experience in issues that develop with the conversion of high-rise apartments into condominiums. Selected representation includes:

  • handling a $60-million portfolio sale
  • structuring a joint venture finance deal between an apartment developer and a real estate investment fund
  • coordinating the sale of five apartment complexes in the Southeast worth a total of $200 million

Telecommunications

Nelson Mullins has assisted clients in the lease and sale of hundreds of cellular sites. Recently, we managed all legal issues connected with a 650-site cellular bulk disposition.