Hall Booth Smith, P.C.

A wealth of federal, state, county and municipal laws, regulations and codes confront restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the hospitality and entertainment industries on a daily basis.

About Our Practice

The body of law affecting this industry is extremely broad as issues involving Immigration, Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property, Food and Beverage, Real Estate, Construction, Worker's Compensation and General and Retail liability law constantly surface, putting your business at risk. Being able to efficiently resolve current obstacles while setting in place a structure to minimize future risk is essential to surviving and thriving in today's market. Both businesses in their embryonic planning stages as well as those restaurants and hotels that are well-established are constantly challenged with an evolving body of regulations and law that require vigilant monitoring and a comprehensive understanding of the same.

Our attorneys at Hall Booth Smith, PC (HBS) are well prepared to assist your business with both your transactional and litigation needs. With a number of attorneys, including a former State Senator, who are deeply immersed in governmental affair matters, we can also successfully represent your company and/or industry's regulatory and government affair needs. We routinely speak at a variety of seminars and can design a presentation that addresses your specific concerns.

Ways We Serve You

Our attorneys are well qualified to assist your company in a wealth of areas, including but not limited to:

• Purchasing, selling, and leasing restaurants and other businesses
• Forming your company's business entity structure, including drafting corporate bylaws, articles of formation, and other related formation documents
• Drafting employee handbooks, confidentiality agreements, and other employment documents
• Protecting your intellectual property ownership and rights
• Negotiating commercial leases and sale of land
• Negotiating the build-out or construction of your business space
• Assisting with your real estate needs including leasing, zoning, and land use issues
• Assisting with financing, re-financing, and bankruptcy-related issues
• Negotiating and advising all issues concerning franchising rights, on behalf of the franchisor and the franchisee
• Negotiating and drafting contracts for all vendor and supply agreements
• Securing various permits and licenses necessary for your business such as food permits and beer and liquor permits
• Representing your business in property tax appeals
• Advising on a vast array of employment issues such as hiring, firing, OSHA, employment of minors, employee absences
• Ensuring your compliance with various employment and labor laws that concern issues related to anti-discrimination, wage and hour, harassment, family leave
• Assisting your business and industry through the regulatory and legislative processes of local and state governments;
• Managing and fulfilling all of your litigation needs should litigation be unavoidable
• Assisting in all of your Workers' Compensation matters.

Since the firm’s inception, HBS has embraced the value of diversity, and we continue to cultivate an environment of inclusion and success for all individuals.  We are committed to a cohesive and productive work environment where our varied cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities, and perspectives are communicated, understood, and embraced to enrich our employees and best serve our clients.

Our Commitment
Our efforts to enhance our diverse environment are not restricted to minority employees.  Instead, we believe that everyone, regardless of his or her race, age, or gender, must be included in our diversity mission in order to ensure its success.   The firm’s Diversity Committee is comprised of partners and senior staff members who ensure our diversity mission is not just a sentiment but is also a part of the fabric of HBS.     

HBS actively participates in a variety of events and sponsorships geared towards highlighting the importance of diversity, and the firm continuously seeks opportunities to enhance our diversity program.  This includes involvement with organizations such as the Corporate Counsel for Women of Color and the Minority Corporate Counsel of America as well as our internal mentor/protégé program, in which our senior, female and minority attorneys reach out and mentor other women and minority attorneys and clients.