Hospitality

Pullman & Comley’s Hospitality practice group is a multidisciplinary team that represents many of the region’s most recognized and established restaurants, hotels and tourism-related businesses. We serve as counsel to the Connecticut Restaurant Association and the Connecticut Lodging Association, and we have a deep understanding of the multi-faceted and ever-changing issues facing restaurants, hotels and other hospitality clients.

Our team includes attorneys practicing in labor and employment, corporate, real estate, construction, litigation, energy, intellectual property, marketing, advertising and social media, and technology law.  We work with our clients on a multitude of matters including a full range of labor and employment issues, complex regulatory proceedings, the acquisition or sale of liquor licenses, and a full range of litigation matters. We also help to secure financing, acquire or sell assets, review commercial leases and related transactions, and negotiate and enforce franchise agreements.

We represent:

• Multi-concept restaurant groups
• Fine dining restaurants
• Quick-service restaurants
• Hotel and resort operators
• Catering providers
• Regional food chains
• Beer and liquor distributors
• Alcohol distilleries, beer breweries and wineries
• Food service providers
• Private club operators
• Night club operators

Services We Provide

Labor & Employment

In a climate of increasingly complex workplace regulations, restaurant and hospitality employers need strategies that result in productive and cost-effective business outcomes. From employee relations and discrimination claims to employee benefits, Pullman attorneys offer timely, creative and practical advice and solutions that resolve, or prevent, disputes and costly litigation.

Our labor and employment legal services include:

• Wage and hour matters (e.g., tipping, meal break, and overtime compliance)
• Union/management relations, including contract negotiations, grievance handling, and arbitrations
• Implementing comprehensive pre-hire and new-hire procedures particular to hospitality employers
• Drug testing advice and policies
• Employment litigation
• Violence prevention in the workplace programs
• Disability and leave counseling
• Restrictive covenants, including non-competes, no-solicitation provisions, post-employment covenants
• Implementing non-union programs
• Anti-discrimination and harassment programs
• Executive compensation and profit-sharing programs
• Investigating harassment and discrimination claims
• Defending harassment and discrimination claims
• Employee benefits

Additionally, the attorneys in Pullman’s Labor and Employment practice offer a wide variety of training programs, many of which are tailored for executives, managers and human resources personnel. Each program can be customized to address your organization’s unique objectives and to ensure compliance with applicable law.

Corporate

Pullman’s Business and Finance attorneys are well versed in a wide range of transactions involving capital formation, securities law compliance, intellectual property protection, licensing agreements and business franchises. We focus on the fine details and requirements, challenges, and opportunities of our hospitality clients’ businesses, striving to practice law that is both creative and preventative.

Our services include:

• New entity formation
• Contracts review and drafting
• General business representation and guidance
• Preparation of management and licensing agreements
• Private financing
• Tax planning
• Acquisitions and divestitures
• Negotiation, documentation, and completion of mergers and acquisitions
• Purchases, sales, and other transfers of business interests
• Reorganization and restructuring of enterprises
• Negotiation and preparation of commercial and business agreements
• Succession planning

Liquor Licensing

The alcohol industry is heavily regulated at both the state and federal levels, and it can be difficult for alcohol manufacturers, retail licensees, and distributors to navigate these laws and regulations without knowledgeable counsel. Pullman attorneys routinely monitor legislation, Liquor Control Board Advisory Opinions, and court decisions to keep our clients informed and to advise them on any potential impact to their business.

Intellectual Property

Our services include:

• Drafting, negotiating and developing licensing, joint venture and other technology transfer transactions
• Monetizing and protecting valuable marketing and strategic assets
• Negotiation and procurement of core technology functions of business including software procurement, hardware purchasing, technology integration and data networking
• Drafting and negotiating contracts for technology and business process outsourcing, including application service provider, hosting and service level agreements
• Copyrights, trademarks and trade dress, internet and domain names and franchises, design, and utility patent portfolio development and enforcement
• Trade secrets

Litigation

Pullman & Comley’s Litigation attorneys handle all phases of litigation, regularly appearing in state and federal courts, before state and federal administrative agencies and in arbitration proceedings.

Our attorneys represent restaurants and the hospitality industry in a range of litigation matters, including:

• Wage and hour litigation, employment discrimination charges, and other employment- related lawsuits;
• Contract disputes with suppliers and vendors
• Liability issues arising from food service
• Commercial disputes with suppliers, landlords, franchisors or franchisees
• Landlord/tenant disputes

In addition to being strong advocates in the courtroom, our litigators also counsel clients in strategies to avoid litigation and are skilled in the art of negotiation. Our attorneys have significant experience acting as counsel to litigants in alternative dispute resolution settings, and several of our attorneys are American Arbitration Association (AAA) qualified arbitrators.

Real Estate

Pullman’s experienced Real Estate attorneys work closely with other practices within the firm, including our land use, energy and environmental attorneys. We combine skilled insight, personalized service, and contacts throughout the industry to help our clients achieve their objectives.

Our services include:

• Property acquisitions and sales
• Retail and commercial property leasing
• Construction law
• Financing
• Mortgage closings and refinancing
• Zoning and land use
• Tax assessment, appeals, and exemptions
• Municipal code compliance
• Contractors’ and architects’ contracts
• Environmental issues
• Energy procurement and contracts

News

Events

Publications

Press Releases

Labor & Employment Handbook for CT Restaurants

COMING SOON...The NEW Edition of the "Labor and Employment Handbook for Connecticut Restaurants!" 

The Handbook serves as a vital resource for restaurant owners, providing answers to urgent questions regarding labor and employment issues that often require immediate attention. Pullman & Comley's Hospitality attorneys are trusted sources of guidance and advocacy for the hospitality industry and their deep understanding of the issues restaurants face on a daily basis is demonstrated throughout the book. Topics include: 

• Wage and Hour Law - minimum wage, overtime with tip credit, nature of gratuities
• Equal Employment Opportunity Law
• At Will Employment
• Workplace Regulations
• Tip Rate Determination/Education Programs
• CT DOL Exempt and Non-Exempt Worksheet
• Sample Harassment Policy
• Workplace Posting Requirements

The Handbook will be available in 2024.  For additional information, please contact Sally Laroche at slaroche@pullcom.com