Chirag Kabrawala practices in the area of real estate law with an emphasis on the hospitality and resort development industries. Chirag’s personal experience through the ownership and operation of limited- and full-service hotels, including two Comfort Inn branded hotels in upstate New York, provides him with unique experience regarding the several and complicated legal concerns facing the hospitality industry.
As a member of the firm’s Hospitality Industry Team, Chirag has experience in the acquisition, development, financing, franchising and disposition of hotels, restaurants, resorts, condo-hotels and related properties. His work includes handling sophisticated purchase, sale and lease transactions, drafting and reviewing contracts, franchise agreements and providing counsel through all phases of real property acquisition and divestment, including due diligence, closing and post-closing development matters.
Chirag also works closely with the firm’s Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Creditors’ Rights practice, where he counsels clients in the hospitality industry in the negotiation and documentation of loan workouts and restructuring of debt. During the global economic downturn, Chirag has been heavily engaged in advising owners, operators and lenders as to dealing with distressed hotels and he has applied his personal experience in the industry to arrive at thoughtful workout strategies and solutions. During early 2011, Chirag successfully represented a local hotel developer in the negotiation of a discounted note purchase and loan workout resulting in savings of over $6 million to the client. Most recently, Chirag helped negotiate a discounted note purchase of three cross-collateralized properties, resulting in savings of over $4 million for the client.
Prior to the practice of law, Chirag was associated with Deloitte & Touche, LLP, one of the world’s largest accounting and consulting firms, where he served as an advisor to multinational corporations with respect to U.S. income tax planning for inbound and outbound international business transactions.
Chirag is involved with professional and charitable organizations, including the Asian American Hotel Owners’ Association (AAHOA), an organization that represents over 20,000 hotels and serves as the voice of Asian American owners in the hospitality industry. He is also actively involved with Shepherd’s Hope, Inc., an organization which provides access to healthcare for uninsured residents of Central Florida, where he is currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors and co-chair of the Governance Committee.
Chirag is a member of the Florida and New York State Bar Associations. Chirag is fluent in Gujarati.