We have a long history of representing resort hotel operators and developers, including some of the leading publicly-traded companies in this field. We represent clients in connection with acquisitions, development (including as part of mixed-use developments), construction, golf course development and permitting, tax structuring and financing. This representation often involves attorneys from our real estate, corporate, land-use, tax and environmental practice areas.
Representative Experience
- We have represented the financial institutions financing the acquisition of Miami’s Magic City Casino by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, owners of the Wind Creek casinos and resorts. Once the Florida Gaming Control Commission approved the sale, the parties consummated the financing and sale in early February.
- We assisted a publicly traded luxury hotel company in the acquisition of one of New York’s leading restaurant properties and acquisitions of five star hotels in South Carolina, Louisiana, Colorado and the Bahamas.
- We represented an owner in connection with loans of $65,000,000, $58,000,000 and $51,000,000 secured by mortgages on leading hotel properties.
- We represented a syndicate of lending banks as well as a group of investment banks on issues of tribal law regarding the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority’s $1.9 billion refinancing, consisting of a $500 million private placement bond offering and a $1.4 billion senior secured credit facility. The proceeds were used in part to fund $785 million in tender offers for and a $100 million prepayment of certain other debt of the Authority, which owns and operates the Mohegan Sun gaming and entertainment complex in Uncasville, Connecticut and the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino and resort in Pennsylvania.
- One of our partners represented a major hotel company in mixed use developments for hotel, office (or residential) and retail in New Jersey, Chicago and Florida. He also represented a UK hotel company which purchase several hotels in New York City, and worked on hotel developments in the Bahamas and St. Maarten.
- One of our partners represented a publicly-traded company that ran hotels, golf courses, diving facilities and time share facilities in Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, St Maarten, Bonaire, Cayman Brac, St. Croix and Antigua.
Banking and Commerical Lending:
- Syndicate of banks led by Citizens Bank in the $1.4 billion refinancing of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, owner of several casinos and hotel resorts
- Credit Suisse in its $136 million loan to the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in California, owned and operated by the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians
- Syndicate of banks led by Citizens Bank in the $1.4 billion refinancing of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, owner of several casinos and hotel resorts
- Wells Fargo in its $375 million refinancing of Saracen Casino Resort in Arkansas
- Merrill Lynch in a $160 million syndicated bank loan to build a destination resort casino complex in Alabama.
- A Native American Tribe in a $310 million high yield, tax-exempt and secured bank loan facility to finance a major expansion of its resort.
Native American Law:
- $310 million high yield, tax-exempt and secured bank loan facility to finance a major expansion of a resort.
- $20 million and $25.5 million issuances of tax-exempt, variable rate demand bonds to finance eligible resort expansion projects.
- $45 million hotel financing.
- JP Morgan in a $230 million offering of investment grade notes used to construct a new hotel and other resort amenities.
- Merrill Lynch in a $160 million syndicated bank loan to build a destination resort casino complex in Alabama.
- An investment bank in a proposed $350 million high-yield bond offering to construct a casino and resort facility in Northern California.
- Developer of a planned $500 million project to convert a San Francisco Bay naval base into an urban Indian gaming facility and resort complex.
- Real estate investor regarding the transfer of interests in a resort lodge on Indian land.
- LiveNation in negotiating a long-term lease with Mohegan Sun Hotel/Casino for a House of Blues night club and a Foundation Room private club to anchor a new hotel tower.
- Developer in an innovative proposal for off-balance sheet financing to expand a tribal casino and build a hotel.
China Cross-Border
- Represented a NASDAQ listed company in acquisition of equity interests of a hotel located in China.