Co-operating closely with the practice in the United States, the team at Goodwin assists clients from both the brand and operator, and debt and equity investor sides, with hotel, resort and branded residential matters. The team has a broad offering covering assistance with transactions such as acquisitions, dispositions, and financings, and also handles associated dispute resolution, tax, employment and regulatory matters. Acting for a range of stakeholders in this space and heading up the team is 'top-notch' Matthew Pohlman. Martin Smith is another key lawyer, who advises investor clients on acquisition, disposal, and management and branding of hotel and leisure assets.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘An exceptional firm with a high-quality partner heading up the hospitality practice.'
‘Matthew Pohlman is an exceptional lawyer, excellent communicator, excellent negotiator. He is a top-notch human being. He is enjoyable to work with, extremely responsive and available, with a fast turnaround time on complex issues. I cannot say enough good things about him.'
‘The team is very responsive and dedicated. The work is distributed among lawyers based on relevant expertise and it seems there is good integration among them.’
‘I worked mainly with Matthew Pohlman and I found him very effective in negotiation. He has a very deep knowledge of the market and the client so he is capable of providing efficient support to the specific matter.’
‘Goodwin has a partner in London who may be the best in the UK/EU market (Matthew Pohlman). If and when he needs to, Matthew can draw from a very savvy coterie of hotel and resort lawyers in the United States. The luxury hotel industry in particular has become global, and Matthew is one of the stars.’
‘Matthew Pohlman has years of hotel and resort industry experience, particularly in the luxury sector, not common in UK and EU-based law firms. Because of this very successful focus, he stands out as an international industry star, and is very well recognised for his talent, as well as his experience. He is my number one choice if I need to make a referral to UK-based talent in the luxury hotel field.’
'Doing work on both sides of the owner-operator continuum gives Goodwin a wide view of the issues and approaches.'
'Matthew Pohlman is a standout lawyer, incredibly hard working and responsive to client needs.'
Key clients
- Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
- Caesars Entertainment Corporation
- Oaktree Capital Management
- RoundShield Partners LLP
- Angelo, Gordon & Co
- Crossroads Real Estate
- Firmdale Hotels
- Cairn Hotel Group
- Masterworks Development Corporation (a/k/a Club Quarters)
- Away Resorts
- Leeu Collection
- Avington Financial
- Hyatt Hotels
Work highlights
- Advised Frogmore’s fourth value add fund, Frogmore Real Estate Partners IV, on the acquisition of the corporate structure owning the Hilton London Olympia from HPL Olympia, a subsidiary of Singapore-listed Hotel Properties, as well as the related formation of a joint venture platform with hotel and serviced apartment investor C1 Capital Partners.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Matthew Pohlman