Scott Antel

Owner/Founder
Scotts FZ

Scott Antel is a highly respected emerging markets hotels & hospitality lawyer with 25+ years’ experience advising both owners/developers and, less frequently, international operators in the Middle East, Africa, Russia/CIS countries, Turkey, Southern & Eastern Europe and the Caribbean on hotel & resort, branded residential and mixed-use developments. A former senior partner in DLA Piper and BCLP, Scott regularly advises clients on all aspects of hotel & resort development, with a specific focus on branded residential and mixed-use development, as well as advising on related operational matters, including disputes and litigation. He has acted on hundreds of hotel projects including numerous landmark projects such as Sochi 2014, Grand Hotel Europe and Astoria Hotel in St Petersburg, the Ritz Carlton and Mandarin Oriental in Moscow, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental and Chedi hotels in Oman, JW Marriott and W Yas Island in the UAE, Sofitel and Hyatt hotel and residence projects in Cyprus and many others projects in numerous locations, including Moscow, St Petersburg, Sochi, Almaty, Istanbul, Bodrum, London, Muscat, Zanzibar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Makkah, Riyadh, Tehran, Muscat, Limassol, Crete, Montenegro, Vietnam and more than 15 African countries. He also works in the franchise sector advising hotels, restaurants and retail clients and on the structuring and set up of inbound franchise investment and operation, including franchise conversions of managed hotels. Scott is recommended as a "Leading Adviser" and "go to" hospitality lawyer by Chambers Europe and Legal 500 legal directories and listed in Best Lawyers. He serves on the Advisory Boards of the Arabian, African, Southern European snd Russian Hotel Investment Conferences and is a regular outspoken speaker at these events, as well at the Berlin (IHIF) and ALIS (US) hotel conferences. Scott is a regularly published thought leader and frequently quoted on hospitality related legal and commercial matters. Scott was recipient of the Russia/CIS Hotel Investment Forum's 2012 “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his contribution in developing the hotel industry in these emerging markets, the only lawyer or consultant to ever receive this prestigious award. In 2011 he was elected a member of the International Society of Hospitality Consultants (ISHC). A UK citizen, Scott variously resides in Dubai, London and Moscow.