Leisure & Hospitality

As the Gulf region continues to gain popularity as a global business and tourism hub, the hospitality industry attracts new players and encourages established brands to develop their offerings. There are now more hotels and leisure facilities in the UAE than ever before, and with that comes new legal challenges and risks.

We advise hotel owners, developers, financiers, businesses and investors in connection with the development, financing and operation of hotels, food & beverage establishments and leisure facilities across the Middle East and into Africa and Asia.

Our team have expertise across all aspects of the hospitality, F&B and leisure industry and have advised on many different hospitality products; most recently around structuring, negotiating and documenting management, licensing and technical services agreements for hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, restaurants, nightclubs, golf, tennis, marina and yacht clubs and luxury spas; including hotel acquisitions and disposals, timeshare, fractional ownership and rental pool arrangements.

The Leisure & Hospitality practice often goes hand in hand with many of Galadari’s other practice areas, including corporate & commercial, real estate & construction, employment, insurance, intellectual property and dispute resolution. On the corporate side, our team advise on mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures and structuring of hotels and leisure facilities.

We have advised on major hotel acquisitions and disposals, expansion planning and various shareholder and franchising agreements. Employment and labour teams assist on the day-to-day activities of our hospitality clients, advising on HR policies, operations, visa and immigration issues. On the real estate side, resort development, sale and lease agreements, project finance, sale of assets, real estate funds and REITs.

We provide litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution when matters become contentious, and our local advocate provide representation in front on local courts and tribunals.

We offer comprehensive solutions, which include but are not limited to:

• Hotel operations
• Franchise
• IP
• Disputes
• Employment
• M&A
• Incentives & loyalty programmes