The Hotels and Tourism group boasts a team of professionals with extensive knowledge of the industry, providing clients with legal services of the highest quality. As a multidisciplinary team, we deal with and provide solutions to a whole host of issues (tax, corporate/commercial, intellectual property, labor and employment, environmental, antitrust, etc.)
The group’s main activities include:
- Acquisition of hospitality and tourism businesses in general (hotel chains, hotel operators or owners, travel agencies, transport companies, cruise operators, etc.).
- Design of executive and employee compensation programs in cases of international assignment.
- International projects and advice on international agencies and governments.
- The tax and legal design of investments or the start-up of tourism-related businesses (hotels, condo-hotels, timeshare arrangements, air, sea or land transport companies, travel agencies and online activities, etc.). Advice, design and legal implementation of the vertical integration of various tourism-related businesses (hotel, travel agency, aviation, cruise ship, etc.).
- Tax audits at enterprises. Due diligence reviews of the main tax and legal issues.
- Analysis, drafting and negotiation of contracts in general and contracts for services (hotel management, hotel leases, combined travel agreements, agency agreements, transportation agreements, aircraft charter parties, etc.) in particular.
- Acquisition of assets (real estate, aircraft, vessels, etc.).
- International business expansion: international tax planning and legal design, drafting and negotiation of contracts, and coordination with other international firms we regularly work with.
- Definition of transfer pricing policies. Quantitative analysis and legal documentation for intra-group transactions.
- Formation of joint ventures to start-up and manage businesses.
- Public subsidies: analysis of the public aid available based on the geographical area, activity or business and nature of the investment. Assistance in preparing application and related documentation. Periodic review of compliance with requirements.
- Environmental advice: technical and legal review.
- Tax and legal analysis of business restructuring processes and their implementation
- Disputes arising from acquisitions and sales already made. Litigation with clients and/or suppliers.
- Tax and legal aspects of business and asset finance (asset finance for hotels, vessels, aircraft, etc.
- Applications for and obtainment of administrative permits and licenses for the opening or operating of tourism businesses or activities. Assistance with administrative inspections and appeals filed with the authorities (central or local government) and judicial review proceedings before the Albanian courts.
- Labor and employment advisory services (hiring of personnel, legislation applicable to foreign workers, employee remuneration, working hours, disciplinary proceedings, collective layoff procedures in Albania, etc.)