James R. Butler is a distinguished real estate attorney and the founder of the Global Hospitality Group® at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell, widely recognized as the premier hospitality legal practice in a full-service law firm. Specializing exclusively in hotel and hospitality law, the firm stands out for its deep industry expertise, having assisted clients with more than 4,700 hospitality properties valued at over $125 billion.
The team’s approach combines extensive legal experience with a proactive advisory role, offering clients access to one of the most comprehensive virtual databases of market terms for deals and financings available. They cater primarily to hotel owners, developers, investors, and operators, providing strategic counsel on complex transactions, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution within the hospitality sector.
Services Offered
- Acquisition and dispositions
- ADA compliance and defense
- Chinese investment and EB-5 financing
- Hotel finance (loans, joint ventures, and other financing)
- Hotel mixed-use development
- Labor and employment law
- Management, branding, and franchise agreements
- Management agreement termination and repositioning
- Restaurant law
- Workouts, bankruptcies, receiverships, and foreclosures
- Condominium hotels
- Construction and development
- Data technology, privacy, and security
- Disaster response and recovery
- Green hotels and sustainability compliance
- Innkeepers law
- International hotel investment
- Land use and entitlements
- Lifestyle hotels
- Resort fee litigation
- Timeshare law
The Global Hospitality Group® serves clients globally, with a strong focus on properties in the Western United States and international markets. The firm is also noted for hosting the annual Meet the Money® conference, a leading hospitality investment event, and for its widely-read Hotel Law Blog, which provides ongoing industry insights and updates.
