As a hospitality business owner (or prospective owner), you must carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of entering into a franchise agreement with an established company versus building your own brand. If you choose the franchise path, it is critical to understand the common elements of a franchise agreement and to review and discuss the specific details of any legal arrangement you consider with an experienced franchise lawyer.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!

For the last several years in a row, there has been an effort to enact legislation creating an intermediate appellate court in West Virginia. Currently, West Virginia is one of only a handful of states in which cases go directly from the trial court or court of original jurisdiction to the state’s highest appellate court. Despite the many proposals that have been made, the West Virginia Legislature has thus far failed to enact any law creating a WV intermediate court of appeals.

Businesses exist to create revenue, but revenue isn’t the only way to ascertain a company’s worth. As a business owner, you will likely need to determine your business’s value at least once, but how is that accomplished? Business valuation approaches vary depending on the type of business and the reason for the valuation. Understanding the fundamentals can help you engage the right professionals and maximize the valuation of your business. 

A second COVID-19 relief bill recently passed by Congress and signed by President Trump will provide much-needed additional pandemic assistance for restaurants, though some believe the provisions of the new legislation fall short of what is needed. In this blog, an experienced business owner and restaurant attorney discusses what the COVID relief bill means for restaurants in the months ahead. 

The hospitality industry employs millions and is an important economic driver in the United States and throughout the world. The sector also offers and supports the recreational and leisure activities that improve our quality of life. However, the industry faces serious challenges. Business owners and leaders must be proactive and creative in pursuing strategies to overcome these difficulties. Hospitality mergers and acquisitions (M&A) can be a good solution for some businesses, but these deals must be pursued with the highest level of attention to planning and execution.