/PRACTICES/

Hotel and Leisure

We constantly represent investors, hotel managers and operators, timeshare resort owners, property developers and sales companies, including several of the world’s most well-known hotel chains and entertainment resorts. Benefit from experienced lawyers from our different teams, we are committed to providing integrated and practical advice on hotel and leisure projects from inception and operation through to the exit phase.

Our practice area in this sector also covers commercial leasing, acquisition, development, construction and land use, complement with expertise in the areas of litigation and corporate affairs. Lawyers of our team have extensive experience in the field of hospitality and consumer products, some of them having previous experience as corporate counsels. This enables us to acquire deep knowledge of the specific legal regulations of this sector and to propose solutions tailored to the specific needs of the client’s businesses.

Our services in this field include:

1. Negotiation of hotel contracts (management agreements, franchise operations, lease management)
2. Market entry and structuring, including partner selection, legal due diligence, negotiations and documentation
3. Structuring of timeshare product
4. Laws on hotel real estate
5. Hotel regulations
6. Joint-ventures
7. Mergers & Acquisitions, project finance
8. Licenses, permits and other regulatory matters
9. Brand protection, trademark registration and the enforcement of intellectual property rights

Representative Cases

- Representing a European leading hotel brand, Accor Group, in its PRC operational counseling and dispute resolution
- China business advise for Marriott Vacation Club
- Advising a Chinese large group on their business to launch a timeshare platform. Our services include advise on design of the timeshare product, formation of corporate structure, investment and transfer of property, compliance on marketing and sales documentations, etc.
- Representing a Chinese owner on a mixed-use project development, a part of which includes sales of condominium hotel rooms
- Working with an Asia developer regarding its efforts to develop a shared ownership resort in a Northern destination in China
- Representing a German leading retail company in a series of equity and assets acquisition deals with local real estate developers

Presentations

- Alternative Ownership Conference Hotels and Resorts—Asia Pacific (AOCAP) in Singapore. Invited as the legal expert to discuss the topic of "What Do We Mean By Project Governance" (2016)
- Alternative Ownership Conference Hotels and Resorts—Asia Pacific (AOCAP) in Hong Kong. Presentation on the topic of "A Legal Perspective of Shared Ownership in China" (2012)
- International Association for Housing and Services for the Ageing (IAHSA), Shanghai, November 2013. Hosting a half-day workshop on doing business in China, with a focus on senior housing
- ULI Mainland China Winter Meeting 2014, speech on the topic of "Hospital and Senior Care Facilities Development and Investment"
- China’s Legal Training Center, lecture on the topic of the practice on development and operation of commercial real estate and real estate equity fund (2013)