Legal Counsel – Hospitality & Real Estate

About the role

The Legal Counsel will provide comprehensive legal support for Banyan Group’s managed and franchised hospitality portfolio. This includes overseeing all interactions with third‑party property owners from deal origination through the full lifecycle of hotels and branded residences.

Key responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate hotel management, franchise, branded residence, technical services and related agreements with owners, investors and lenders.
• Prepare owner‑side documentation such as consent letters, leases, guarantees, facility agreements and other real‑estate financing documents.
• Advise internal stakeholders on legal and commercial risks in owner‑facing negotiations, covering fee structures, performance clauses, brand standards, FF&E, capex and refurbishment obligations.
• Support the entire owner relationship lifecycle, including pre‑contract structuring, approvals, openings, operational issues, restructurings, workouts, sales, conversions and terminations.
• Facilitate ongoing operational dealings with owners, handling budget approvals, capex, branding, mixed‑use programmes, shared facilities and consent requests.
• Manage owner disputes and contentious matters, coordinating with external counsel when required.
• Develop and maintain standard form agreements, playbooks, guidance notes and self‑service tools for owner‑facing processes.
• Assist with regulatory and compliance matters relevant to hospitality, such as licensing, data protection, marketing, anti‑bribery and sanctions.

Required profile

• Proven experience drafting and negotiating hotel management, franchise, and real‑estate agreements.
• Ability to advise internal teams on legal and commercial risk in owner‑related transactions.
• Experience handling owner disputes and coordinating with external counsel.
• Familiarity with regulatory and compliance issues in the hospitality sector.

Required skills