Washington D.C. (May 23, 2018) - Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP (MMM), a full service AmLaw 200 firm, announces the addition of Christina Hassan to the firm’s robust Hospitality Practice Group as Partner. Hassan, formerly with Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, joins the ranks of hospitality veterans Partner Carol Weld King and Partner Tom Gryboski, Chair of the Hospitality Practice Group. In April 2018, the firm significantly expanded its D.C. office, adding 11 attorneys and patent agents and seven staff members, quadrupling its size over the last five years.
Hassan has a global commercial real estate practice with an emphasis in the hospitality and lodging industry, and has carved out a niche working with lifestyle, boutique hotels. She advises hotel operators, private equity funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs), publicly held corporations and real estate developers on transactions involving the acquisition, financing, disposition, development, franchising, leasing and management of hotels, resorts, restaurants and special event facilities. She often works as a strategic extension of her clients’ leadership teams, helping them with the full range of legal issues that come across their desks, including management agreements, operational issues and risk management.
“Christie’s practice is multidimensional and global, and she will bring an invaluable perspective to our growing hospitality group,” said Carol Weld King. “Having worked with Christie both as a partner and then as a client when she was in-house, I have seen her in action first-hand, and I am excited to be working alongside her again.”
“MMM’s depth of knowledge in real estate and hospitality, coupled with its unparalleled bench strength with attorneys like Carol and Tom, will give my clients the support they need,” said Hassan. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to join this business-minded team.”
“Christina is a seasoned hospitality lawyer and her thoughtful and practical approach to deals makes her a great asset to MMM,” said Gryboski. “Her robust expertise working with lifestyle and boutique hotels also fits perfectly in our national practice at the firm.”
Hassan’s clients include lifestyle and boutique hotels both nationally and overseas. Prior to joining MMM, Hassan was a partner in Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP’s Washington, D.C. office. Before that, she served as senior vice president and associate general counsel of Morgans Hotel Group, a boutique hotel operator headquartered in New York. Hassan has also been a partner in the Washington D.C. office of Hogan Lovells, where she was a member of the Hotels, Leisure and Gaming practice. Hassan has also been ranked by Chambers USA 2018 Nationwide for Leisure & Hospitality.
MMM is nationally-recognized for its innovative and expansive work in the Hospitality sector, representing major destination hotels in gateway cities, historic hotels undergoing significant renovations and hospitality projects in mixed-use developments. Best known for owner/investor representation, MMM hospitality attorneys handle high-profile, large-scale projects in key markets that require everything from acquisition and disposition, financing, joint public/private partnership developments and the negotiation of complicated capital structures. In the last three years, the Hospitality group has handled over $7 billion in transaction volume.
The firm has earned high national and metropolitan rankings including Chambers & Partners, U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” and others.
