Featured Hospitality Attorneys in Miami — Haute Lawyer Network

A hospitality attorney advises hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, and food and beverage operators on acquisitions and development, management and franchise agreements, liquor licensing, employment, ADA and health-code compliance, and operational litigation.

Alcohol licensing in Florida is administered by the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. Quota licenses for full liquor sales are limited by county and frequently change hands at significant value, making counsel essential when buying, transferring, or operating under one.

A hotel management agreement is a long-term contract under which an operator — typically a major brand or independent operator — runs a hotel on behalf of its owner. Negotiating performance tests, termination rights, key-money, and brand standards is a core function of hospitality counsel.

Miami combines a dense beachfront hotel inventory, world-class restaurants, international travel, and a heavily regulated nightlife industry. Operators face overlapping state, county, and Miami Beach municipal regulations that require coordinated legal advice.

Common disputes include premises liability and dram-shop claims, ADA accessibility lawsuits, brand-standard and termination disputes with management companies, employment and tipped-wage class actions, and conflicts with landlords or co-tenants in mixed-use developments.

Hotel management agreements govern the relationship between hotel owners and the operating brand or third-party manager. Key issues include performance standards and termination rights, fee structures (base and incentive), operating budgets, area of protection clauses, brand standards compliance, termination on sale, and dispute resolution. These agreements typically run for 10–30 years and require careful negotiation by counsel with hospitality experience.

A hotel franchise agreement is the contract by which a hotel owner licenses the right to operate under a brand flag (such as Marriott, Hilton, or Hyatt). It typically includes brand standards, fees, term, territory protections, and termination rights. Owners should retain hospitality counsel before signing a franchise disclosure document — and again at major milestones such as renewal, refurbishment, or sale.

Every attorney in the Haute Lawyer Network is individually reviewed by Haute Living's editorial team based on Florida Bar admission, hospitality transactional and regulatory experience, and peer recognition. Attorneys may be members of a paid editorial visibility program. Inclusion does not constitute a legal recommendation or guarantee of any outcome.

Verify bar admission and disciplinary history at the Florida Bar at floridabar.org. The Florida Bar's attorney search is publicly accessible and lists active license status, disciplinary history, and contact information.