Internationally Renowned Hotel Industry Attorney Richard F. "Rick" Ross Moves to Sonnenschein
May 31, 2006
Ross and high-profile team of hotel and resort industry lawyers join law firm’s new Phoenix office.
(CHICAGO, May 31, 2006)—Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP announced today that a group of five prominent hotel/real estate attorneys led by Richard F. “Rick” Ross have joined the law firm as members of its Hotels & Resorts Global Practice group, which Ross will now head. They come to Sonnenschein from Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P., where Ross served as global chair of the firm’s Hotels & Resorts Global Practice and co-chair of its Real Estate practice. In addition to Ross, the group includes partners Meghan Cocci and Mark Daliere, of counsel Bruce Martin, and associate Alan Kierman. All are based in Phoenix, where Sonnenschein has opened a new office.
“Rick has a preeminent reputation in the hotel and resort industry because of his successful, multi-dimensional representation of a broad range of clients in the United States and around the world,” said Jana Cohen Blackman, chair of Sonnenschein’s national Real Estate Group. “He and his team will add tremendous value through their specialized business focus and established relationships, while they will benefit from our depth in a variety of practice areas including real estate, litigation, corporate and tax.”
Ross has an extensive hotel/resort industry-focused practice and has been involved in projects throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia and the Pacific Islands. He represents developers, owners and operators on the due diligence, acquisition, development, financing and operation of hotels, resorts, spas and golf courses. Ross is recognized for his industry-leading experience in negotiating and documenting hotel management agreements for both owners and operators. He has been actively involved in structuring and documenting condominium-hotels and hotels with residential and other mixed use condominiums, as well as various mixed-use hotel-resort projects.
“Sonnenschein has had great success since the firm was founded 100 years ago, and I am proud to be joining during such a momentous milestone in its history,” said Ross. “I believe that our hotel team will make strong contributions to a very forward-looking law firm, and I know we will benefit from the strong collaborative network that already exists across all of Sonnenschein’s offices and practices.”
A frequent speaker at national conferences on various hotel industry topics, including management agreements and hotel condominium structures and issues, Ross serves on the Executive Planning Committee of the New York University Annual International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference and is a member of the steering committee for The Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS). He also is a member of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the Urban Land Institute Recreational Development Council, the International Society of Hospitality Consultants, the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate and Valley Partnership.
Cocci represents hotel owners and operators in the due diligence, acquisition, development, financing and operation of hotels, resorts, condominium-hotel projects, spas and golf courses. Her experience includes counseling high-profile clients in challenging business negotiations related to hotel management and technical service agreements, golf course, spa and condominium-hotel management agreements, and condominium marketing and licensing agreements for branded condominium-hotels and hotels with residential components.
Daliere’s broad-based practice spans projects and developments located throughout the United States and Europe. He represents owners, managers, franchisors and franchisees in single-asset and portfolio acquisition and disposition transactions, joint venture formation and workouts, and financing transactions. He has significant expertise with respect to the due diligence, acquisition, development and financing of hospitality properties and counsels developers, owners and operators in the documentation and development of condominium-hotels and hotels with residential and mixed-use components.
Phoenix is Sonnenschein’s tenth office in the United States.
“Opening a Phoenix office was a natural decision for us based on the outstanding attorneys whom we are adding to the firm and their dynamic global practice,” said Duane C. Quaini, Sonnenschein chairman. “We expect to realize many advantages from establishing this office, which include expanding our ability to service all of our clients.”
Sonnenschein, with more than 700 attorneys and other professionals in 10 U.S. cities and a global reach, serves the legal needs of many of the world’s largest and best-known businesses, nonprofits and individuals. For more information, visit www.sonnenschein.com.
Media Contact:
Linda Butler
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
(312) 876-3453
LButler@sonnenschein.com
