Hospitality, Retail & Food Service

Our group of experienced attorneys understand the diverse set of challenges faced by clients in the retail, hospitality, and food service industries. We can help you meet the challenges faced in the “front of the house,” the “back of the house,” the sales floor, and everywhere in between. Our industry knowledge can help you to anticipate and avoid problems before they happen. Some examples of the services we provide include:

Corporate/Regulatory

• Entity formation and drafting of corporate documents
• Financing, lending and collection issues
• Licensing and product label registration
• Liquor license and liability issues
• Regulatory issues
• Succession planning for owners

Employment

• Defense of employment discrimination and workplace harassment claims
• Defense of joint employer allegations
• Defense of wage and hour claims (tip credits & exempt status under FLSA)
• Employee handbooks
• Employment contract negotiation and drafting

Franchise

• Distribution agreements and counseling
• Franchise negotiations

Intellectual Property

• Brand protection issues (trademarks, service marks, etc.)

• Insurance issues
• Liability avoidance and litigation defense
• Premises liability claims

Real Estate

• Construction and improvement project counseling, negotiation, and drafting
• Real estate (leasing, site development, landlord/tenant disputes, etc.)