HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY COUNSEL

Running a hospitality business is no joke. You're open when others are sleeping, running payroll for rotating crews, and navigating rules that don’t always make sense. You’ve got to manage tips, uniforms, last-minute callouts, scheduling quirks, guest complaints, surprise inspections — and somehow stay legal while staying open.

We help restaurant owners, bar managers, hotel operators, and hospitality groups cut through the noise. From your very first hire to your last paycheck — and every audit, training, or dispute in between — we’re the legal team that gets how hospitality really works.

DAY-TO-DAY COMPLIANCE: EMPLOYMENT POLICES THAT ACTUALLY WORK

We build legal systems that make sense in the real world — not in theory. You get plain-English policies, solid training, and tools that help you lead without lawsuits.

• Drafting employee handbooks tailored for hospitality teams, with policies that align with shift work, tipping, uniforms, and timekeeping
• Classification audits for employees and independent contractors, including exempt/non-exempt and freelance roles
• Development and review of onboarding documentation, including offer letters, pay notices, wage acknowledgments, and mandatory notices
• Tip credit compliance, tip pooling structure analysis, and service charge application under state and federal law
• Spread of hours, minimum wage, and meal/rest break requirements — and how to avoid violations
• Disciplinary documentation systems that protect against wrongful termination and retaliation claims
• Off boarding best practices, including separation notices, final pay timing, and COBRA/state continuation compliance
• Harassment prevention and workplace conduct training for FOH and BOH staff, with multilingual or culturally relevant options, with policies that align with shift work, tipping, uniforms, and timekeeping

ENFORCEMENT, INSPECTION & GOVERNMENT HEADACHES

Audits. Investigations. Agencies you didn’t know existed until they showed up. We help hospitality employers navigate government oversight without panic — and without missing a beat.

Whether it’s wage theft claims, licensing violations, or human rights complaints, we know how to talk to agencies, protect your rights, and keep the business running while you respond. Guidance and representation across the full spectrum of New York’s regulatory alphabet soup from New York’s full regulatory alphabet soup — including:

• Wage theft prevention compliance and audit defense, including proactive audits and backpay risk assessments
• Investigations and enforcement actions from NYS Department of Labor (NYS DOL), U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), New York State Division of Human Rights (DHR), and New York City Commission on Human Rights (NYCCHR)
• SLA (State Liquor Authority) licensing, disciplinary actions, violation defense, and conditional settlement negotiations
• NYC agency investigations, including the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), Department of Buildings (DOB), Department of Health (DOH), and other city-level entities
• SDAT (Department of Administrative Trials and Hearings) ticket defense and violation response for common NYC enforcement issues
• DOB (Department of Buildings) violations for unpermitted work, signage, or structural compliance
• FDNY (Fire Department of New York) inspections related to fire safety systems, exits, sprinklers, and permits
• Coordination of legal response, hearing preparation, and settlement negotiation to avoid default penalties and keep permits in good standing

LAWSUITS, LEASES & BUISNESS DISPUTES

Not every issue starts with an employee. We help hospitality businesses resolve high-stakes problems involving contracts, commercial space, customers, and public access — before they spiral into lawsuits (and after, if needed).

We’ve handled everything from missed contractor deadlines to real estate fights with landlords to ADA claims about bathroom access or online menus. It’s not just about litigation — it’s about keeping your doors open and your reputation intact.

• Real estate negotiations, lease reviews, and landlord/tenant disputes specific to restaurant and hospitality spaces
• Contractor and vendor disagreements, including contract enforcement, breach claims, and payment disputes
• ADA accessibility litigation involving physical storefronts (ramps, entrances, bathrooms) and digital accessibility (website usability and WCAG compliance)
• Wage and hour litigation, including FLSA and NYLL class and collective actions involving tipped employees, overtime violations, and spread of hours claims