Hospitality Net

Hotel Lawyer Los Angeles Hotel Investment Conference. A year ago today, we predicted that the hotel industry might be acquired through equity-fund driven acquisitions. (Size no longer matters, and Two deals that may change the lodging world forever). Since that time, many REITs and Hilton were gobbled up (Hilton acquisition) before the capital markets all but seized up in August 2007.

In the past few days, at the end of January 2008, more than 3,100 people choked the hallways at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles for the annual Los Angeles hotel investment conference. The record registration was up from 2,400 last year. The atmosphere was filled with energy and excitement, plus a little more than a dash of anxiety over industry prospects under looming fears of a recession and credit crunch. The concerns were palpable, and as if on queue (but who saw it?), the Wall Street Journal assured us that "The U.S. Economy Is Fine (Really)".

The information and interchange are very interesting. Let's talk about it in the next day or two. WOW! capital availability and cap rates, GREEN prospects for all, employment and staffing, international perspectives, pitfalls and opportunities . . . I cannot wait.

This is Jim Butler, author of www.HotelLawBlog.com and hotel lawyer, signing off. We've done more than $40 billion of hotel transactions and more than 100 hotel mixed-used deals in the last 5 years alone. Who's your hotel lawyer?

PS Did you hear that Schrager/Marriott announced their first 9 sites and new brand name tonight? More tomorrow!

PPS Have you signed up yet for The Hotel Developers Conference? We are getting close to capacity. Rooms are almost sold out at the hotel, and there are only a few opportunities for sponsorship and exhibitors. See The Hotel Developers Conference

Our Perspective. We represent developers, owners and lenders. We have helped our clients as business and legal advisors on more than $40 billion of hotel transactions, involving more than 1,000 properties all over the world. For more information, please contact Jim Butler at jbutler@jmbm.com or 310.201.3526.

Jim Butler is one of the top hotel lawyers in the world. GOOGLE "hotel lawyer" or "hotel mixed-use" or "condo hotel lawyer" and you will see why.

Jim devotes 100% of his practice to hospitality, representing hotel owners, developers and lenders. Jim leads JMBM's Global Hospitality Group® -- a team of 50 seasoned professionals with more than $40 billion of hotel transactional experience, involving more than 1,000 properties located around the globe. In the last 5 years alone, Jim and his team have assisted clients with more than 100 hotel mixed-use projects, all of which have involved at least some residential, and many have also involved significant spa, restaurant, retail, office, sports, and entertainment components -- frequently integrated with energizing lifestyle elements.

Jim and his team are more than "just" great hotel lawyers. They are also hospitality consultants and business advisors. They are deal makers. They can help find the right operator or capital provider. They know who to call and how to reach them. They are a major gateway of hotel finance, facilitating the flow of capital with their legal skill, hospitality industry knowledge and ability to find the right "fit" for all parts of the capital stack. Because they are part of the very fabric of the hotel industry, they are able to help clients identify key business goals, assemble the right team, strategize the approach to optimize value and then get the deal done.

Jim is frequently quoted as an expert on hotel issues by national and industry publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Forbes, BusinessWeek, and Hotel Business. A frequent author and speaker, Jim's books, articles and many expert panel presentations cover topics reflecting his practice, including hotel and hotel-mixed-use investment and development, negotiating, re-negotiating or terminating hotel management agreements, acquisition and sale of hospitality properties, hotel finance, complex joint venture and entity structure matters, workouts, as well as many operating and strategic issues.

Jim Butler is a Founding Partner of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro LLP and he is Chairman of the firm's Global Hospitality Group®. If you would like to discuss any hospitality or condo hotel matters, Jim would like to hear from you. Contact him at jbutler@jmbm.com or 310.201.3526.