Leisure and Hospitality Law Real Estate Law
Michael J. "Mike" Sullivan
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2005 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
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, and health care-related properties; management, franchise and operating agreements for hotels; publicly financed hotel management agreements; seniors housing management and third-party lease agreements; construction and permanent financings (balance sheet and CMBS); and the purchase of distressed mortgage debt instruments secured by hospitality-related and medical real estate.
Overview
- Yale University, BA, graduated 1980
- Florida, The Florida Bar
- Aspire Charter Academy School, Orlando, Florida, Board of Directors - Chairman
- Central Florida Yale Club - Member
- Practicing Law Institute - Faculty
- Yale College Alumni, Real Estate Association - Member
- YMCA, Orlando Metropolitan, Board of Directors - Board Member
- Florida, The Florida Bar
- Aspire Charter Academy School, Orlando, Florida, Board of Directors - Chairman
- Central Florida Yale Club - Member
- Practicing Law Institute - Faculty
- Yale College Alumni, Real Estate Association - Member
- YMCA, Orlando Metropolitan, Board of Directors - Board Member
- Yale University, BA, graduated 1980
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Leisure and Hospitality Law, Orlando (2017)
- Real Estate Law, Orlando (2013)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Leisure and Hospitality Law
- Real Estate Law
Special Focus:
- Real Estate
Awards:
- AV Preeminent® 5.0 out of 5
- Florida Trend magazine, "Legal Elite," Litigation, 2004-2006
- Orlando magazine, "The Best Lawyers in Orlando," 2010
- Law360 "Real Estate Practice Group of the Year," 2011 and 2012
- The Legal 500 United States, 2007-2010 and 2012
- Super Lawyers magazine, Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-2013
- Chambers USA Guide, Real Estate and Leisure Hospitality, 2004-2013
- Winning Team, Chambers USA Award for Excellence, Real Estate, 2010 and 2013
- The Legal 500 United States, "Top Tier" Firm in Real Estate, 2013
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- Areas of Concentration
- Acquisition, development, finance and disposition of hotels, resorts, branded mixed-use hotel, residence and condo-hotel projects, senior living communities, surgical centers and medical office buildings
- Hotel management and franchise agreements; publicly financed hotel management agreements
- Public and private development and finance agreements
- Real estate sale-leaseback transactions
- Workouts and restructurings
- Hotel and health care facility construction, mezzanine, bridge and term financings
- Commercial, ground and net leasing
- Significant Representations
- 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 International in the negotiation of a hotel management agreement and related agreements with respect to Hilton Mexico City - Reforma hotel in Mexico City, Mexico.
- Represented private equity funds in the purchase of distressed debt instruments secured by hotels and related hospitality real estate.
- Represented private equity funds and REITs in the purchase of upper-upscale, upscale and mid-scale urban hotels.
- Represented an affiliate of Glenmont Capital Management, LLC in purchase of downtown Orlando, Florida hotel and re-branding of same as a "Sonesta" Hotel.
- Represented Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., as hotel manager and mezzanine lender in connection with the Westin Charlotte Hotel & Parking Garage and in connection with a $75 million construction loan by a syndication of lenders led by Wachovia Bank N.A. secured by the Westin Charlotte.
- Part 2
- Represented Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. as hotel manager and mezzanine lender in connection with the Westin River North Hotel in Chicago, Illinois.
- Served as lead counsel in the negotiation of hotel management agreements involving upper-upscale, upscale and mid-scale chain scale segment hotels in almost every state in the United States.
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in negotiation of hotel management contract for management of the Beverly Hilton, and as hotel manager in connection with a $130 million mortgage loan made by Archon Financial, L.P. secured by the Beverly Hilton.
- Represented CNL Retirement Properties, Inc. and affiliates in the acquisition of 22 medical office facilities from Medical Office Properties, Inc. for a total price of $256 million.
- Represented CNL Retirement Properties, Inc. in a $109 million capital sale leaseback transaction involving 11 assisted living communities.
- Represented CNL Retirement Properties, Inc. in the acquisition of 26 medical office properties from The DASCO Companies LLC and affiliates for $206 million and related financings.
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in the sale of the Harrison Conference Center's subsidiary to Aramark Corporation.
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in the sale of the Red Lion Hotels subsidiary to West Coast Hospitality Corporation.
- Part 3
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in the sale of the Hilton Boston Back Bay property to an affiliate of Highland Hospitality LLP, and in the negotiation of the hotel management agreement retained by Hilton.
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in the sale of the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs property located in Arizona to an affiliate of Highland Hospitality LLP, and in the negotiation of the hotel management agreement retained by Hilton.
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in the sale of the Hilton Portland and Towers property to an affiliate of Cornerstone Real Estate Advisors, and in the negotiation of the hotel management agreement retained by Hilton.
- Represented Hilton Hotels Corporation in the sale of the Hilton Washington, D.C. to Destination Hotels & Resorts, Inc., and in the negotiation of the hotel management agreement retained by Hilton.
- Represented Applied Development Company in the development of a W hotel in Marrakech, Morocco, and negotiation of the hotel operating agreement and related agreements for a W-branded hotel and residence project.
- Represented Applied Development Company in the negotiation of hotel operating and related agreements for a W-branded hotel and residence project currently under development in Hoboken, New Jersey.
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