News

Akerman law firm forms National Restaurant Industry Group

The new group includes nearly 30 lawyers and regulatory professionals with broad experience representing restaurant industry clients in major U.S. and international markets.

December 5, 2014

Akerman LLP, a top 100 U.S. law firm serving clients across the Americas, has announced the formation of its Restaurant Industry Group, a multidisciplinary team devoted exclusively to the restaurant industry.

"An intimate understanding of the restaurant industry is absolutely critical to representing our growing number of restaurant clients," said Wayne Wald, chair of the Akerman Restaurant Industry Group and a partner in the firm's New York office, in a company press release. "The Akerman Restaurant Industry Group integrates our extensive industry knowledge and experience across multiple practice areas, and positions us to further provide effective and efficient legal services to restaurant companies and other industry stakeholders."

The Akerman Restaurant Industry Group includes nearly 30 lawyers and regulatory professionals with broad experience representing restaurant industry clients in major U.S. and international markets. Located in New York, Florida, Washington, D.C., and California, the team advises clients in operational, transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters, with particular strengths in mergers and acquisitions; capital markets and other financing transactions; franchising and licensing matters; real estate leasing and development; alcohol beverage regulations; labor and employment matters; intellectual property counseling; and commercial and transactional business disputes.

According to the release, the firm represents numerous publicly-traded and privately-held national and regional restaurant companies; franchisors and franchisees of national restaurant chains; high-end independent restaurateurs and restaurants; and private equity firms that invest in restaurant industry companies.

Notable clients include Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc., the largest Burger King franchisee globally, and Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc., which owns and operates the Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana fast-casual restaurant brands. Additional clients include: Dave & Buster's; Front Burner Brands, Inc., the owner and operator of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.; Hard Rock International; Ker's WingHouse; Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill; and TGI FridaysSM Restaurants.