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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 Blank Rome LLP associate and chair of its hospitality apply. “However I really like that about them. You need to be somewhat loopy to be on this enterprise.”
That is precisely why Reuter thrives in hospitality regulation. 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 every part.
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The restaurant trade is constructed on ardour, however ardour alone will not shield you from a foul 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 crucial particulars and find yourself making horrible offers.”
She compares it to going to the fallacious kind 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 regulation, who understands the nuances of restaurant offers.”
Reuter’s capability to navigate high-pressure hospitality offers did not develop in a single day. As basic counsel for Cipriani, she helped lead the restaurant firm via main authorized battles, together with the financial disaster and high-profile tax issues.
“When you’ve over 500 staff, guaranteeing that everybody is aware of every part’s going to be okay is a problem,” she says. “I discovered put out fires quick as a result of, on this enterprise, small authorized missteps can flip into huge 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 increase globally, her authorized experience ensures that operators aren’t simply protected — however positioned for fulfillment.
And one of many biggest mistakes 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 identify.
“Operators do not at all times take into consideration trademarking their model early on,” Reuter says. “However in case you do not shield your identify, another person will. And when you lose management of your model, it is virtually not possible to get it again.”
A strong 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 preserving a competitor from stealing the identify, 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 folks and companies of which she believes.
“My job is not simply to overview contracts,” she says. “It is to verify my shoppers aren’t signing one thing that might damage them years down the street.”
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 associate within the enterprise.
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