![Michael J. Sullivan](/-/media/images/team/s/sullivan-michael-j/950largepng.png?rev=4eb6a670fb9a41e185e05c73902d70e7&sc_lang=ko)
Profile
Michael J. Sullivan is Co-Chair of the firm’s Hospitality Group. Mike has wide-ranging experience in the acquisition, development, finance and disposition of hotels, resorts, branded residences and condo-hotels; management, franchise and operating agreements for hotels; publicly financed hotel management agreements; construction and permanent financings (balance sheet and CMBS); the purchase of distressed mortgage debt instruments secured by hospitality-related real estate; tokenized real estate securities offerings and secondary market trading structures.
Concentrations
- Representation of owners in the acquisition, development, finance and disposition of hotels, resorts, branded mixed-use hotel, residence and condo-hotel projects
- Hotel management agreements, condo hotel rental program agreements, and franchise agreements; publicly financed hotel management agreements
- Restaurant leases and operating agreements
- Real estate sale-leaseback transactions
- Workouts and restructurings
- Hotel construction, mezzanine, bridge and term financings representing owners
- Commercial, ground and net leasing
- Lender representation in hospitality asset financings, including cash management agreements, mortgage and mezzanine financings, intercreditor agreements, SNDAs, and comfort letters
- Tokenized real estate securities offerings and secondary market trading structures
Capabilities
Experience
- Represented Intursa, a subsidiary of Breca, in an agreement with U.S. property management firm Highgate, to manage six Peruvian Hotels.
- Represented an affiliate of Nolan Reynolds International in a $80 Million private real estate offering of limited partnership interests in a Delaware Limited Partnership, NRI Real Token LP (“Operating Partnership”), which is a subsidiary of a newly formed Maryland Corporation, NRI Real Estate Investment and Technology, Inc. that will elect REIT tax status. The REIT shares will be digitized using blockchain technology and become eligible for trading on secondary market exchanges (i.e., one or more Alternative Trading Systems). The Maryland Corporation is registered under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and became a reporting company to facilitate secondary market trading and provide enhanced investor transparency.
- Represent citizenM Hotels in the acquisition of properties in North America, including fee simple acquisitions, acquisitions by ground lease, co-development joint venture investments, and in development and construction financings, operating leases, hotel management agreements and related development and operations matters.
- Represented LaPlaya, LLC, an affiliate of the Barron Collier Companies and Noble House Hotels & Resorts, in the sale of the LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort in Naples, Florida to an affiliate of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB).
- Represented The Related Companies (New York) in the acquisition of the W Fort Lauderdale Hotel & Residences and related financings of the Hotel and Residence components.
- Represented, as part of a team, Anbang Insurance Group Co. in both the acquisition of the Waldorf Astoria New York Hotel from Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. and a long-term hotel management agreement and related agreements with Hilton.
- Represented Starwood Capital Group in negotiation of a long-term hotel management agreement with Sunshine Group, a Chinese Insurance Company, for the management of the Baccarat Hotel located in Midtown Manhattan.
- Represented an affiliate of Lionheart Capital, LLC in the negotiation of a hotel management agreement and related agreements with Sustainable Luxury Mauritius Limited for the Six Senses Resort in Tola, Nicaragua.
- Represented an affiliate of Ironstate Development Company, LLC in the negotiation of a hotel management agreement with HotelsAB, LLC for The Cooper Square Hotel, New York City.
- Represented an affiliate of GFI Capital in the negotiation of a hotel management agreement and related agreements with Ace Group for the Ace Hotel Brooklyn.
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in connection with the development and management of a 500-room Waldorf Astoria and a 1,000-room Hilton in the Bonnet Creek master development near Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in the land acquisition, joint venture agreement negotiations, hotel management agreement negotiations, and local government permitting and entitlements with respect to the 1,400-room Hilton Hotel under construction on International Drive in Orange County, Florida.
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in the sale of various U.S.-located hotels and the negotiation of hotel management agreements with the purchasers as part of a sale/managed back disposition strategy.
- Represented owners and hotel brands in luxury and upper upscale hotel ownership and development joint ventures and related hotel management agreements.
- Represented owners in the negotiation of hotel management agreements involving luxury and upper-upscale hotels in the United States, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, South America and Africa.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America
- Real Estate Law, 2005-2025
- Leisure and Hospitality Law, 2015-2025
- Named, "Lawyer of the Year," Leisure and Hospitality Law, Orlando, 2017
- Listed, Who's Who Legal, 2024
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, Real Estate and Leisure Hospitality, 2004-2024
- Listed, Latin Lawyer, "Latin Lawyer 250 - Practice Recognition: Real Estate & Tourism," 2020-2024
- Listed, Lawdragon, 500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers, 2024
- Team Member, Chambers & Partners USA Real Estate Law Firm of the Year, 2010, 2013, 2017-2018, and 2022
- Team Member, a Law360 “Hospitality Practice Group of the Year,” 2017, 2020-2022
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States, 2007-2010, 2012 and 2019
- Team Member, a U.S. News - Best Lawyers®,"Law Firm of the Year" in Real Estate Law, 2015
- Listed, "Lawyer of the Year," Orlando Real Estate Law, 2013
- Team Member, The Legal 500 United States, "Top Tier" Firm in Real Estate, 2013 and 2014
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-2014
- Team Member, a Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year," 2011-2013, 2015, 2019, 2022 and 2023
- Rated, AV Preeminent® 5.0 out of 5.0
- Past Board Member, YMCA, Orlando Metropolitan, Board of Directors
- Past Chairman, Aspire Charter Academy School, Orlando, Florida, Board of Directors
- Past Faculty, Practicing Law Institute (Hospitality)
- Member, Central Florida Yale Club
- Member, Yale College Alumni, Real Estate Association
- Past Member, Orange County, International Drive Community Redevelopment Area, Advisory Board
Credentials
Education
- J.D., with honors, University of Connecticut School of Law
- B.A., Yale University
Admissions
- Florida