Leonard, Street and Deinard’s Hospitality practice group is experienced in providing legal counsel to the hospitality industry including owners, operators, developers, lenders, financial institutions and other businesses serving the hospitality industry. Our attorneys have experience representing clients in billions of dollars of transactions pertaining to the acquisition, financing, operations, development, construction and dispute resolution for hospitality-related businesses.

Because of our diverse experience in the hospitality industry, we are able to provide services in connection with:

• Site acquisition
• Development
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Fractional sales and development
• Construction
• Labor and employment
• Compensation and benefits
• Immigration
• Debt and equity financing
• Franchising
• Corporate governance
• Management agreements
• Intellectual property
• Tax matters
• Permits and licensing
• Debt workouts and bankruptcy

Our Hospitality practice group is one of the largest in the Midwest. We are a leader in the area of resort securities transactions including the Sombras and La Punta developments in Costa Rica, which feature green design elements; a fractional ownership program for a resort in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico; and resort condominiums at the Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center in Alexandria and Grand Marais, Minnesota. We represented the developer in the first air rights hotel deal in the region, and acted as lead counsel to the lender group on one of the largest nationwide restaurant financing transactions.

Our clients—including developers, investors, operators, ownership groups, lenders and property managers—are affiliated with hotels, motels, condo hotels, timeshare properties, vacation and resort communities, and restaurants throughout the region, across the country and internationally.

Our Hospitality practice group has provided counsel to the following clients:

Hyatt Minneapolis Corporation

We represented the developers of the Hyatt Minneapolis in the development and financing of the property. We have acted as general outside counsel since it opened and have also handled tax and leasing matters for the hotel.

East Bay Hospitality, LLC

We worked with East Bay Hospitality on the formation of this “condotel” in Grand Marais, Minnesota, including entitlements; construction contracts; and condominium, financing, and sales and marketing documents.

Le Méridien/Graves 601 Hotel

We negotiated all aspects of the acquisition, lease, financing, construction and operation of Le Méridien/Graves 601 Hotel in an air rights parcel on Block E, including the purchase agreement, construction coordination agreement, coordinated construction and architects contracts, parking agreement, financing documents, operating easement agreements, franchise agreements with Marriott (and, later, Le Méridien), union negotiations and contract, and hotel management agreement.

Kirchert Pakonen Development

We are providing counsel for a large mixed-use resort development in Bahia Salinas, Costa Rica, including equity financing; trademark; securities; and master association, condominium, sales and marketing documents.

Sherman Associates, Inc.

We represent the developer of the new Aloft hotel on Washington Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, which was financed using a complex financing structure that included federal new markets tax credits and was developed as part of a mixed-use development that includes luxury condominium units.

Ramkota Companies and Milestone Hotel Investments, Inc.

Our attorneys assisted the Ramkota Companies and Milestone Hotel Investments, Inc., in the acquisition and financing of more than 50 hotel properties during the past 20 years as well as the sale of more than a dozen hotels during that time. In addition, we provided property tax counsel for these hotels and handled condemnation cases in connection with the taking of easements for and placement of high-voltage transmission lines on the edge of several properties. We also have assisted this client in the management of both hotels and restaurants with their employee benefits and litigation needs.

Quality Inns & Suites — Bloomington/Comfort Inn Airport

We represented the principal owner of a hotel chain in preparing and revising its employee handbook.

Starwood & Resorts Hotels

We represented Starwood in the $15 million sale of the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Minneapolis.

Kelly Inns and Clubhouse Inns

We represented the company in the sale and refinancing roll-up of 17 Kelly Inns and Clubhouse Inns in four states, a transaction of approximately $115 million.

Hotel Minneapolis

We represented Wachovia Bank in the financing for acquisition and redevelopment of Hotel Minneapolis, currently being developed in the Midland Bank Building in Minneapolis.

Homestead Suites

We represented Homestead Village, Incorporated, in connection with the development and sale of three extended-stay hotels in Minnesota.

Hotel Franchise Agreements

We have represented hotel owners in franchise agreements with almost all of the major hotel chains including Marriott, Le Méridien, Radisson, Sheraton, Hilton and Best Western.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE: RESTAURANTS

Our Hospitality practice group has provided counsel in the following matters:

Parasole Restaurant Holdings, Inc.

We currently represent Parasole Restaurant Holdings in a variety of legal matters, including employment, intellectual property, corporate, and real estate. Parasole owns and/or operates the following Twin Cities restaurants: Manny’s Steakhouse, Burger Jones, Chino Latino, Salut Bar Américain, Pittsburgh Blue Steakhouse, Il Gatto, Muffuletta, Good Earth and the Living Room and Prohibition restaurants at the W Minneapolis. We most recently assisted Parasole in its joint venture for the new Manny’s Steakhouse location in Miami.

Multiunit Franchisees

We have represented, and currently represent, numerous multiunit restaurant franchisees including operators in the following systems: KFC, Burger King, Carino’s Italian Grille, Hardee’s, Taco Bell, Arby’s and other national and regional concepts. We have represented franchisees with two to 200 units, providing various legal services including corporate law, debt and equity financing, real estate development, acquisitions and divestures, tax matters, leasing, succession planning and intellectual property.

Upscale Restaurant Concept

We represented the purchaser of an upscale multiconcept restaurant business from a Fortune 500 publicly traded hospitality company. We provided the purchaser with assistance in the acquisition, the debt financing and the equity financing in connection with its purchase of this $40 million revenue restaurant division. Our services also included counsel on real estate matters, multistate licensing, employment and intellectual property matters.

Dancing Pigs, LLC

We represent this well-known East Coast BBQ restaurant chain (Red Hot & Blue) in various matters including acquisitions, financing, tax, corporate and real estate.

Restaurant Financing

Our Hospitality practice group has represented lenders in projects ranging from one-store financings to 100-unit multijurisdictional financings.

We have worked on securitized financings, sale-leaseback financing, build-to-suit projects and enterprise/cash-flow loans regionally and nationally.