Profile

Elias Hayek

Shareholder & Co-Chair of the Middle East and European Hospitality Group
Greenberg Traurig

Elias J. Hayek, co-chair of the firm’s Middle East and European Hospitality Group, represents multi-asset owner/developers, private equity funds, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, brand owners, and third-party operators in the hospitality, leisure, and entertainment sectors. He handles cross-jurisdictional hospitality- and leisure-focused commercial and real estate transactions and has closed more than 500 transactions in more than 45 cities across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Elias sits in the firm’s United Arab Emirates office and spends time in Saudi Arabia and London. Elias handles hospitality mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, management, licensing and franchising agreements, hotel project leasing agreements, mixed-use and branded residential developments, and sale and lease/manage back transactions. He advises on a broad spectrum of hospitality development and operational issues and also works on management and licensing agreements for food and beverage, restaurant, health, and wellness operations, along with general corporate and commercial transactions for third party management, licensing, franchising, and service agreements. Elias also advises clients on hospitality related contractual disputes and arbitrations. Before joining the firm, Elias held the position of global chair of the hospitality and leisure practice at a U.S.-headquartered international law firm for almost a decade. Prior to returning to private practice, Elias served as vice president, legal – Europe, Africa, and Middle East Division at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. from 2000-2017, with responsibility for all regional legal matters concerning corporate, development, and operational affairs of the company’s hotel portfolio of over 300 hotels.