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Christy Reuter loves her shoppers. Not simply as names on a contract — in an actual, roll-up-her-sleeves, answer-emails-at-midnight sort of manner.
“My shoppers are somewhat loopy,” admits the Clean Rome LLP companion and chair of its hospitality observe. “However I like that about them. You need to be somewhat loopy to be on this enterprise.”
That is precisely why Reuter thrives in hospitality legislation. Eating places are fast-paced, unpredictable and stuffed with high-stakes choices. When operators want somebody to guard their enterprise, whether or not it is a last-minute lease negotiation, a licensing deal or a trademark dispute, Reuter is the one they name.
She ensures her shoppers keep protected in an trade the place the precise authorized steering can imply all the things.
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The restaurant trade is constructed on ardour, however ardour alone will not shield you from a nasty deal. That is the place an skilled hospitality lawyer makes all of the distinction.
“I can inform straight away when somebody would not perceive this trade,” Reuter tells Shawn Walchef, host of the Restaurant Influencers podcast. “They argue over the fallacious issues, miss vital particulars and find yourself making horrible offers.”
She compares it to going to the fallacious sort of physician. “You do not go to a heart specialist in case your foot hurts,” Reuter says. “It is the identical factor with attorneys. You need somebody who lives and breathes hospitality legislation, who understands the nuances of restaurant offers.”
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Reuter’s capacity to navigate high-pressure hospitality offers did not develop in a single day. As common counsel for Cipriani, she helped lead the restaurant firm by way of main authorized battles, together with the financial disaster and high-profile tax issues.
“When you could have over 500 workers, guaranteeing that everybody is aware of all the things’s going to be okay is a problem,” she says. “I realized the right way to put out fires quick as a result of, on this enterprise, small authorized missteps can flip into large issues.”
She’s labored on main restaurant offers in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and past. From negotiating restaurant administration contracts to serving to manufacturers broaden globally, her authorized experience ensures that operators aren’t simply protected — however positioned for achievement.
And one of many largest errors she sees? Not defending the model.
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Defending your model
For a lot of restaurant operators, the authorized aspect of branding is an afterthought. They construct an awesome idea, launch a killer menu and develop a loyal following — solely to understand too late that they by no means protected their title.
“Operators do not all the time take into consideration trademarking their model early on,” Reuter says. “However when you do not shield your title, another person will. And when you lose management of your model, it is nearly unimaginable to get it again.”
A robust trademark is not only a authorized technicality — it is the inspiration of a restaurant’s long-term success. Whether or not it is licensing alternatives, growth plans or just holding a competitor from stealing the title, Reuter ensures her shoppers keep in management.
On the finish of the day, Reuter’s job is about greater than contracts and negotiations. It is about defending the individuals and companies of which she believes.
“My job is not simply to evaluation contracts,” she says. “It is to ensure my shoppers aren’t signing one thing that might damage them years down the highway.”
That is why she fights for each deal prefer it’s her personal. As a result of in hospitality, the precise lawyer is not simply an advisor — they seem to be a companion within the enterprise.
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