‘Karen Friebe and her team have a deep understanding of the hospitality industry, and in particular industry specific contracts such as hotel management agreements.’

‘Karen Friebe and James Fowler have shown deep understanding of the industry and have a thorough knowledge of market practices and standards.’

‘They are knowledgeable about all matters relating to hotel investment.’

‘Karen Friebe – many years experience of the hotel and leisure sector. Highly regarded among hotel investors, financiers and operators.’

‘It has a dedicated and leading franchising law practice.’

‘They are honest, truthful, helpful and beyond reproach. I cannot recommend them highly enough. And they are very human.’

‘Hardworking, always on their game, always willing to help. Exemplary.’

‘The team has the ability to put extra resource onto a deal when strict deadlines are in place; it is really helpful and has enabled transactions to be complete on time.’

‘I would give special mention to Simon Masri; he has given expert advice on several issues relating to complex customer transactions in the hospitality sector.’

‘The service and quality are always top notch. The hotels team have a clear understanding of the requirements in this sector, and the experience means that they know how to deal with every situation. When it comes to negotiations, they know how to conduct this in order to achieve the best outcome.’

‘Matthew Tinger will work day and night when it comes to a transaction. There is nobody else I would trust. He is there to make sure you have the best quality legal, negotiation, and service at every step of the way.’

‘Dentons are a large firm, but clearly have great relationships. Their ability to collaborate is what makes their firm stand out against the rest.’

‘Matthew Tinger and Simon Masri are perhaps two of the most responsive, knowledgeable and commercial partners I have met in the M&A and real estate team.

‘They are also very approachable and good people with a humbleness that I have seen only in a very few.’

‘The Taylor Wessing hotels team is fantastic. They are well respected across the industry and we have nothing but praise for them.’

‘Richard Bursby is one of the top experts in our industry and instantly commands respect from other firms we are up against in our contract negotiations. I find this adds huge value to our position from the off.’

‘Ed Story is technically strong and genuinely one of the nicest people you can meet. His ability to form connections and keep the tone of discussions calm and focused is impressive.’

‘Excellent sector knowledge from real estate, leasing, brand management and franchise agreements.’

‘Mark Rajbenbach has incredible availability and responsiveness; his true sector expertise combined with wider real estate skills suits us very well. A great client partner.’

‘Richard Bursby provides great sector knowledge.’

‘Knowledgeable and plugged into the industry.’

‘BCLP is considered to be one of our go-to firms for complex transactions in the hospitality and leisure sphere.’

‘The breadth of experience and range of specialists within the firm makes it stand out as a preferred advisor for more challenging deals.’

‘Laura Wild is very commercial and dedicated with excellent knowledge and expertise in the hospitality sector.’

‘Chris de Pury stands out in the industry for his ability to structure complex transactions.’

‘Laura Wild is knowledgeable and capable.’

‘An outstanding team of experienced lawyers with very deep insight into the real estate and hospitality industry. BCLP’s market insight and experience were invaluable, the team was nimble and assisted us greatly, especially in light of rapidly evolving market conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.’

‘Nazir Dewji is superbly experienced with a tremendous wealth of experience. Instrumental in assisting us to navigate and overcome the difficult and complex issues arising from our mixed-used development project in London. Precisely the type of lawyer you would want on your side.’

‘Laura Wild is a fantastic lawyer with a great depth of experience and industry insight. Provided tailored advice based on her reserves of experience that assisted us to see our mixed-used development (which includes a 5-star hotel component) in London to completion.’

‘The practice comprises some exceptionally talented people ready to provide a very practical approach to the matter.’

‘Exceptionally good at what they do. Very committed. They approach the matter from a proprietary perspective, almost as though my problems were their problems and our success is their success.’

‘Burges Salmon delivered advice and project management with the utmost professionalism and effectiveness.’

‘A close knit team who can cover all the key areas required in a hotel acquisition. A high degree of partner involvement means that issues get dealt with quickly and deal keeps moving. Whilst the team is Bristol based, they have sufficient strength in depth to hold their own against their London rivals.’ 

‘Robert Forman – great network, great commercial knowledge and understanding of commerical drivers, a bird’s eye overview as well as 100% into the details.’

‘Rupert Weston leads the team and is extremely diligent and is all over the detail, which as a client gives one great confidence.  He is strong in negotiations but conducts them amicably and is pragmatic in realising the bigger picture so as to avoid stalemate and/or unnecessary escalation of costs.’

‘ I have always really been impressed by the quality across the board when dealing with Fieldfisher. A really seamless one stop shop. I also like their can-do, positive attitude .’

‘Paul Houston is outstanding and exemplifies the can-do attitude. A fantastic lawyer – he works incredibly hard for his clients and always ensures timing agendas are met. Top class operator.’

‘The practice has a great understanding of hospitality and specifically hospitality M&A. The leading partners are able to coordinate extremely effectively across disciplines required, which is not always the case at competing firms.’

‘Ramatu Banga on real estate, Vicky Reinhardt and David Bond on hotel management and technical services agreements, and David Wilkinson on corporate are all excellent. A typical hotel/development deal will require all them to work in unison for closing, and they do an excellent job dovetailing to each others work.’

‘David Wilkinson is an extremely talented hardworking commercial lawyer who understands very quickly the key legal due diligence issues and addresses these carefully in any transaction. He is approachable and communicative and we continue to recommend our client base to Fieldfisher for such work.’

‘Attention to detail; responsive.’

‘Fladgate are a major practice but interaction with them feels personal and like a small specialist practice. They take time to understand my business and keep the same people on our work which allows a string relationship to grow.’

‘Stephen Lewis is an outstanding property lawyer and ‘gets’ leisure, which is important to a leisure specialist investor like us.’

‘Consistent high quality service, year after year.’

‘Matthew Pohlman – extremely prepared, well versed and diligent. Able to communicate complex ideas and concepts very effectively.’

‘Great experience and tireless “can do” attitude.’

‘Matt Pohlman is highly professional, very well experienced, and always makes himself available.’

‘Their flexibility was a welcome change compared to other practices we have worked with.’

‘Matthew Pohlman: we were extremely happy to have him in our corner. Given his depth of experience it was not surprising how smooth the whole process was and his direct communication style with the counterparty’s legal team, helped save time for everyone.’

‘They make everything seem manageable.’

‘Anthony Hunt is very approachable.’

‘Very experienced and professional.’

‘Adam Walford is an exceptional lawyer. His legal advice is second to none and his commercial advice is the best I have ever encountered.’

‘Adam Walford is an exceptional property lawyer. His attention to detail and commercial acumen set him apart.’

‘Adam Walford is commercially minded as well as being legally knowledgeable.’

‘They all offer pragmatic high-quality advice in a way that is easy to understand. They balance technical expertise with a good understanding of the commercials.’

‘I highly recommend Stephen Nicolas.’

‘Unique, deep, specialist market knowledge in Europe that results from being involved in most large deals.’

‘Michael James is an incredible negotiator, who cuts through the noise and has a tonne of commercial sense.’

‘Shoosmiths understood what needed to be done to unlock a complex redevelopment opportunity, displaying unlimited patience at times to get documents agreed and exchanged.’

‘A broad depth of experience across the necessary sectors to provide a ‘one stop’ shop service.’

‘Kirsty Chalkley: Commercially astute and always thinking outside of the box.’

‘Pragmatic and commercial, always seeking to make the deal happen and not overly negotiate on minor points.’

‘Catherine Williams – excellent detailed knowledge, personable, super responsive, commercial and pragmatic. Never flustered.’

‘I would describe the team as very ‘user-friendly’, not interested in scoring legal points, but rather on securing your objectives in the most effective manner possible.’

‘They are sensible on fees, and ‘stopping the clock’ when situations drag out, which is s sure way to create a long-term relationship.’

‘You can contact them 24/7 without feeling that you’re burning billable hours. They feel like one of the home team, not just an advisor. Felicity Jones exemplifies this in all our dealings with her.’

‘Dedication; responsiveness; professionalism; real customer care.’

‘WFW is very responsive and creative in non-traditional projects, but provides commercial and timely advice on more traditional projects.’

‘Richard Hughes – knowledgeable and commercial in RE financing matters. Very responsive and efficient.’

‘Rohan Inamdar – Flexible and creative in tight schedules. Detail oriented and thorough.’

‘Felicity Jones – commercial and practical counsel, with big picture understanding.’

‘The team have an exceptional knowledge of the hospitality industry. Their experience and insight is invaluable.’

‘Mike Powner is an exceptional lawyer. Always available for excellent and wise advice. He has an outstanding knowledge of the hospitality sector and the laws and issues pertinent to it.’

‘The team at CRS are just that, a team. Comprised of very capable individuals that have a broad knowledge across all areas affecting real estate in the Hospitality & Leisure sector. The team is able to handle every element of a transaction.’

‘The individuals at CRS are personable, hard working and always quick to understand our requirements. Their approach to difficult transactions is thorough and good humoured.’

‘They have a deep understanding of the sector as well as a deep commercial understanding of what’s important to protect their clients.’

‘They provide great quality, communication and advice.’

‘Philip Shotter is available and reacts very quickly to all queries/questions and requests from the other side which ultimately leads to quick and successful deals.’

‘Paul Jagger and Philip Shotter are both outstanding. They have vast licensing experience and are always approachable. Both return calls speedily and are super efficient and practical.’

‘A superb boutique practice that offers a one stop shop for those in the licensed trade. They not only have extensive expertise in licensing law, but also deal with planning and conveyancing.’

‘They have vast licensing experience and are always approachable. They return calls speedily and are super efficient and practical.’

‘Paul Jagger and Philip Shotter provide exceptional advice that demonstrates a keen appreciation for the hospitality sector. They do so with calm authority that – when combined with an outstanding technical understanding of the law – affords their clients a high degree of comfort and assurance. They are able to work at speed and are supported by a very capable team who convey similar characteristics.’

‘The people I deal with are always available to deal with our matters and cover each other so there is always continuity of matters.’

‘ Ben Kilshaw: commercially minded and quick to respond / turn around matters quickly.’

‘Hamlins is a very client facing practice that has a unique family feel about it. I use them for property matters and have done so for the last twenty-one years. They are efficient whilst also being friendly and engaging.’

‘John Leasure is young, enthusiastic, bright, energetic and a good communicator, John is an asset to the team.’

‘Martin Ochs and his able assistant Lauren Twidale provide a truly exceptional service. Their attention to detail is second to none and they have developed an excellent understanding of our industry that very few other practitioners will have. They are highly responsive and highly supportive and I regard them as pivotal to my ability to successfully oversee the legal function. They display remarkable level of expertise with the civil procedure rules and court process and are exceptional strategists. In addition to all of these amazing attributes, they offer excellent value for money.’

‘Ronald Fletcher Baker’s reputation in this sector continues to grow. The team’s ability to handle high value complex transactions efficiently sets them apart.’

‘Simon Lawrence has decades of experience in the hospitality and leisure sector. He understands how to get deals done efficiently.’

‘John O’Callaghan has a wealth of knowledge in the sector and has great technical ability.’

‘RFB’s reputation in the hospitality and leisure team is continuing to grow. The team is developing a real reputation for acting in large deals and ensuring that the deals are completed efficiently.’

‘Simon Lawrence uses his wealth of experience to ensure that large and complex transactions are completed seamlessly. He is a leader in the field.’

‘John O’Callaghan has a calm and reassuring presence. John’s knowledge, gained over decades, is a real benefit for his clients.’

‘They are responsive, personable and able to explain legal matters and considerations clearly and in layman’s terms.’

‘Approachable. Personable. Non pompous. Respectful. Diligent.’

‘The team is super dedicated and take the time to understand the client’s business, needs and outcomes from the project.’

‘The team has been great at providing a chart of fees, expected costs and work involved.’