Blank Rome Adds Hospitality Law Team, Expands National Reach

Blank Rome LLP has expanded its national hospitality and real estate capabilities with the addition of five veteran attorneys from Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP. The incoming partners, Jim Butler, David Sudeck, Mark Adams, Jeff Myers, and Joe Mellema bring decades of experience in hospitality law, real estate, finance, and litigation.

Jim Butler and David Sudeck, who previously co-chaired their former firm’s hospitality group, will now lead Blank Rome’s Hospitality Practice alongside existing co-chair Christy Reuter. Butler, Sudeck, and Myers will operate from the firm’s Los Angeles office, while Adams and Mellema join from the Orange County office.

The team is recognized for advising on thousands of hotel and mixed-use projects globally, including complex franchise agreements, acquisitions, restructurings, and innovative financing structures such as C-PACE and EB-5. Their work spans every stage of the asset lifecycle and involves clients ranging from developers to lenders and operators.

The addition strengthens Blank Rome’s coast-to-coast hospitality and real estate practices, particularly in key markets like New York, California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois. The move aligns with the firm’s strategy to grow its international hospitality platform and expand capabilities in complex transactions and high-stakes disputes.

Christy Reuter highlighted the team’s ability to address clients’ needs across disciplines, particularly in litigation and IP protection. The new partners echoed the sentiment, noting Blank Rome’s collaborative culture and national litigation strength as key reasons for the move.

Each attorney brings specialized expertise. Butler is known for strategic hospitality counsel and industry leadership. Sudeck for complex financing structures. Adams is renowned for litigation, especially involving hotel agreements. Myers has transactional hospitality law expertise and Mellema for intellectual property and business disputes involving technology and AI.

For a quick firm update, see Blank Rome New York real estate counsel hire.