LootsLaw PC

Formerly The Law Offices of James M. Loots

Restaurant and Hospitality

Serving Small Business and Individuals Since 1984

There is perhaps no business operation with as many different legal needs as a restaurant, bar, or lodging establishment. With multiple regulatory authorities claiming responsibility for various aspects of operations – from taxes to employment compliance to health to alcohol sales – the paperwork alone is daunting, but even that assumes your business knows and is in compliance with its legal obligations. Informed and experienced legal assistance makes that job easier, and is essential if you are accused of running afoul of one or more of the myriad legal obligations.

Hospitality businesses also face unique landlord-tenant issues, both in the negotiation and renewal of leases and in the many lease provisions that are unique to this industry. Franchised operations confront almost constant interaction and potential conflict with their franchisors, sometimes leading to compliance issues and litigation. Finally, employees in the hospitality field are subject to differing and constantly changing interpretations of existing laws and implementation of new laws with specific and unique application to this industry.

Your best defense against the risk of complaint and exposure to liability is to work with legal counsel who has decades of experience in the field and deals with similar issues and changing legal requirements on a daily basis. James Loots is such an attorney, regularly representing dozens of clients in the restaurant and hospitality field in a career spanning over three decades.

Some legal issues of special concern to restaurants and lodging, with which we regularly deal are:

Regulatory compliance enforcement actions by state and local agencies.
Discrimination and harassment Complaints.
Overtime compensation issues as applied to “tipped wage” workers.
Vendor and Landlord/Tenant contractual negotiations and disputes
Franchise agreement negotiation and conflict resolution.
Purchase and sale of restaurant businesses.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Nothing in this website is intended to provide legal advice, and you should never send confidential information to our firm over the internet via email or any form submission unless and until you and an attorney have established a formal professional relationship. Past results do not predict future outcomes as each client, case and legal situation is different. That said, we invite you to learn more about our practice, affiliated attorneys, and to contact us for more information or to discuss your specific legal needs and see if we can be of assistance. Affiliated attorneys are licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and/or State of Maryland, as well as numerous federal trial and appellate courts. Representation in any other jurisdiction may require association with attorneys not affiliated with LootsLaw PC, and be subject to separate engagement agreement(s) with those attorneys and/or their respective law firms.