Description:
Position Summary:NewcrestImage is seeking a Vice President, Legal to manage all legal matters across its hospitality investment, development and hotel platform. Reporting to the Managing Partners, this leader will handle hotel acquisitions and dispositions, franchise and management agreements, financing, development, litigation, employment and compliance for a portfolio of 35 luxury and select-service hotels. Hotel-industry legal experience is required. This role is ideal for a practical, business-minded attorney who wants to build and lead the legal function of a growing hospitality company.
Key Responsibilities:
Transactions & Real Estate
Hotel Agreements & Brands
Finance & Capital
Litigation & Disputes
Employment & Labor
Regulatory & Compliance
Corporate Governance & Entities
Risk & Insurance
What Success Looks Like:
Required Qualifications:
Preferred Qualifications:
Leadership Competencies:
- Lead legal on hotel acquisitions and dispositions: PSAs, LOIs, diligence, title, survey, zoning, estoppels, closings
- Draft and negotiate JV, LP and operating agreements with partners and investors
- Support development: land purchases, entitlements, easements, parking and ground leases
- Structure branded-residence documents (condo declarations, HOA, rental programs) for luxury projects
- Negotiate franchise agreements with Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and others — key money, PIPs, area protection, termination / liquidated damages
- Negotiate and enforce hotel management agreements, including performance tests and termination rights
- Manage brand comfort letters, change-of-ownership and transfer applications
- Review vendor, technology, parking, F&B and service contracts at property level
- Negotiate loan documents, guaranties, refinancings, bridge and mezzanine facilities
- Coordinate lender counsel, SNDAs, estoppels and closing checklists
- Prepare and review investor offering documents (PPM, subscription docs) with securities counsel
- Document seller-financed notes, loan purchases and workouts
- Manage the full docket: guest injury / premises liability, employment claims, construction and contractor disputes, collections
- Select, direct and budget outside counsel; implement matter budgets and e-billing review
- Coordinate insurance tenders and defense with carriers and brokers
- Lead property-tax appeals, refund claims and demand-letter responses
- Advise on wage-hour (FLSA and state law, incl. California), leave, accommodation and I-9 compliance
- Lead or oversee workplace investigations; respond to EEOC / agency charges
- Draft handbooks, offer letters, separation and executive agreements
- Advise on union and NLRA matters where applicable
- ADA Title III, life-safety, health and fire code compliance across hotels
- Liquor licensing (e.g., TABC) and F&B regulatory matters
- Privacy and data: PCI-DSS, state privacy laws, data-breach response
- Human-trafficking awareness laws, OFAC / KYC for investors, anti-bribery and code of conduct
- Maintain the entity structure: formation, good standing, annual filings, operating agreements, minute books
- Own signature-authority matrix and document-retention policy
- Implement a contract lifecycle management system and standard templates
- Support principals with board-service and insider-trading policy compliance
- Partner on the property, casualty, D&O and cyber insurance program
- Set indemnity and insurance requirements in all contracts
- Lead crisis response for serious incidents with COO and communications
- Report legal risk and reserves to Managing Partners quarterly
What Success Looks Like:
- Deals — acquisitions, dispositions and refinancings — close on schedule
- Outside counsel spend reduced through in-house handling and matter budgets
- Fast, consistent contract turnaround using standard templates
- Every litigation matter has a clear strategy, budget and reserve
- All company entities in good standing with filings current
- Company-standard positions adopted in new franchise and management agreements
Required Qualifications:
- J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school
- Licensed and in good standing; Texas bar or eligible for Texas registered in-house counsel status
- 12+ years of practice, including law-firm training in real estate, hospitality or corporate
- 5+ years of hotel-industry legal experience — owner, operator, REIT, management company or brand
- Hands-on negotiation of franchise agreements, HMAs and hotel PSAs
- Real estate finance and loan documentation experience
- Proven management of litigation and outside counsel budgets
Preferred Qualifications:
- General Counsel or Deputy GC experience in a hotel owner / operator platform
- Construction and development law (AIA / ConsensusDocs, GC disputes)
- Condominium / branded-residences experience
- California employment law exposure
- Private-fund, JV and securities (Reg D) experience
- Experience in a family-office or entrepreneurial, owner-led company
Leadership Competencies:
- Business Partner — Finds the path to yes; frames risk in dollars and odds
- Hotel Fluency — Understands brands, operators, PIPs and hotel economics
- Negotiator — Firm on what matters, flexible on what doesn't
- Judgment — Knows when to escalate, when to settle, when to fight
- Builder — Creates templates, systems and a lean legal team
- Integrity — Trusted counsel to principals; protects the platform
