Overview
Todd Fieldston is of counsel in the Global Hospitality & Leisure practice based in the firm’s New York office. Todd represents real estate development companies, investors and hotel, lifestyle, and casino/gaming companies throughout the world in all aspects of acquisition, disposition, development, management, leasing, licensing, franchising, and finance of real estate, hotel, resort, casino/gaming, branded residential, private club, yacht/cruise, and celebrity chef-branded food and beverage assets. Todd also provides strategic advice to companies in connection with hospitality mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, fund formations, joint ventures, and the formation, development, and expansion of hotel and lifestyle brands.
Education
- Boston University School of Law, J.D., 2007
- University of Pennsylvania, B.A., 2004
- New York University, Graduate Certificate in Real Estate, 2014
- Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management, 2010
Representations
- Red Sea Global and Amaala Company (affiliates of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia) in the development of two multi-billion dollar luxury integrated hotel, resort, residential, food and beverage, and entertainment mixed-use projects, including “The Red Sea Project” (including approximately 50 luxury and lifestyle hotels and resorts and 1,000 private residences) and “Amaala” (including approximately 25 ultra-luxury hotels and resorts and 900 private residences) both of which are located along the coast of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia, including drafting form transactional documents, providing general legal support, and negotiating and documenting all hotel and residential agreements for the Four Seasons Red Sea and Clinique La Praire Amaala.
- The Related Companies LP in connection with:
- negotiating and documenting all hotel agreements with Hilton Worldwide and food and beverage agreements with Think Food Group/Jose Andres for The Grand LA, a billion dollar mixed-use project in Los Angeles, CA;
- negotiating and documenting all hotel agreements with a major international hotel branded operator for the multi-billion dollar Related Santa Clara mixed-use project outside of San Francisco, CA;
- negotiating and documenting all private club agreements for the Wine Spectator Club and ZZ/Carbone Club (with Major Food Group) at Hudson Yards in New York City; and
- structuring The Set Club, a residents-only club, at The Set Luxury Apartments in Hudson Yards in New York City.
- MSD Partners and The Athens Group in negotiating and documenting all hotel, residential, and private club agreements with Four Seasons for the re-development and rebranding of the historic Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club into the Four Seasons Naples in Naples, FL.
- OKO Group and Aman Hotels in negotiating and restructuring all hotel, residential, food and beverage, and private club agreements as well as various agreements in connection with OKO Group’s US$754 million refinancing with JP Morgan for the Aman Hotel & Residences in New York City.
- Infinity World in various asset management assignments with MGM Resorts International in connection with BetMGM and the CityCenter in Las Vegas, NV.
- Affiliates of the Qatari Investment Authority in negotiating and documenting all hotel agreements with Highgate for the Grosvenor House Suites aparthotel on Park Lane in the Mayfair District in London, England.
- Fort Partners and IMMOBEL in negotiating and documenting all hotel and residential agreements with Four Seasons for the Four Seasons Marbella in Spain.
- Fort Partners and Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings LTD in negotiating and documenting various yacht management, development, and licensing agreements and other transactional documents for the multi-billion dollar partnership with Four Seasons to create Four Seasons Yachts, a Four Seasons-branded luxury cruise line.
- Equinox Hotels in negotiating and documenting all hotel and residential agreements for Equinox-branded hotels and residences in Seattle, Houston, New York (Hudson Yards), Los Angeles (The Grand LA), London, Santa Clara, and Chicago.
- RB Capital (Reuben Brothers) in connection with:
- negotiating and documenting all operating lease, hotel, and residential agreements with Corinthia Hotels for the re-development and rebranding of the historic Surrey Hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan into the Corinthia New York;
- negotiating and documenting a complex food and beverage lease and all private club documents with Casa Tua for the Casa Tua Club at the Corinthia New York City (the former Surrey Hotel);
- negotiating and documenting all hotel agreements with Oetker Collection for the Vineta Hotel (the former Chesterfield Hotel) to be operated by Oetker Collection in Palm Beach, FL; and
- various issues arising out of its foreclosure on the Century Plaza development, including the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, CA.
- Fontainebleau Development in negotiating and documenting the operating lease with the joint venture between Fontainebleau Development and Koch Industries, various agreements in connection with the US$2.2 billion financing by JP Morgan and all food, beverage, and club management and license agreements for all food, beverage, and club venues for the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel and casino in Las Vegas, NV.
- sbe in the negotiation and drafting of hotel and residential agreements with TMC Group for the Delano Hotel & Residences Indian Wells in Coachella Valley in Indian Wells, CA.
- MAXXAM Inc. in the negotiation and drafting of hotel and residential agreements with a major international hotel brand for two luxury resort and branded residential developments in Puerto Rico.
- Hesperus Group in the development of the Waterloo Hotel in Austin, TX, the negotiation and documentation of a franchise agreement with Hilton Worldwide for a CURIO franchise and negotiating and documenting a joint venture with The Buccini/Pollin Group and hotel agreements with the PM Hotel Group.
- SHVO in negotiating and documenting all food and beverage agreements with The Dinex Group (Daniel Boulud) for all food and beverage venues, including Café Boulud, at the Mandarin Oriental Residences in Beverly Hills, CA and the residents-only Boulud Privé, the first private dining concept by Daniel Boulud, at the Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue in New York City.
- Study Hotels in advising on the expansion of the lifestyle university-focused hotel company (with lifestyle hotels at Yale, UPenn, Johns Hopkins, and U. Chicago) in formalizing its corporate governance, including drafting various corporate documents for the operating, property and intellectual property holding, and subsidiary entities, advising on and preparing Study Hotels for a strategic capital investment and drafting a form suite of hotel, license, and development agreements.
- Thomas Cook Group plc (predecessor to Thomas Cook (UK) Company Limited) in the development of Thomas Cook-branded hotels, including the creation of a suite of management, technical services, licensing, and similar agreements as well as negotiating several hotel management deals throughout Europe.
- BeachBox Ibiza S.A. in the negotiating and documenting all hotel and residential agreements with Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas for the Six Senses Ibiza in Ibiza, Spain.
- Attestor Capital in negotiating and documenting all hotel agreements with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group for the Mandarin Oriental Lake Como on Lake Como, Italy.
- Witkoff Group in negotiating and documenting hotel agreements and other transaction documents with Marriott International for the EDITION and JW Marriott brands for The Drew hotel and casino in Las Vegas, NV.
- Virgin Hotels in negotiating and documenting hotel agreements for the Virgin Hotel Las Vegas hotel and casino (former Hard Rock Las Vegas) in Las Vegas, NV.
- Mohari Canada Inc. in negotiating and documenting all hotel agreements with Two Roads Hospitality Group for the Thompson Hotel in Toronto, Canada.
- AON Holdings in the analysis, re-negotiation, and re-drafting of critical elements of a management agreement with InterContinental Hotels Group for the InterContinental Hanoi Landmark Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam.
- Takenaka Corporation in connection with:
- negotiating and documenting all hotel agreements and other transactional documents with Hyatt Hotels Corporation for the Park Hyatt in Kyoto, Japan;
- re-negotiating and documenting all hotel agreements for the Nikko Hotel in San Francisco, CA; and
- various asset management and other related issues for the Andaz Hotel in New York City.
- CBCS Washington Street LP in negotiating and documenting all hotel agreements with Barriere Hotels as well as ongoing asset management for The Fouquet’s New York hotel in New York City.
Engagement & Publications
- Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, Spring 2016-Present, where he teaches a course on hotel transactions in the Graduate Real Estate Development program.
- Moderator at The Americas Lodging Investment Summit, January 26-27, 2020, where he moderated a panel on hospitality transactions.
- Guest Lecturer at New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, December 16, 2016, where he lectured on distressed hospitality and real estate transactions.
- Panelist at Practising Law Institute’s “Hotels 2016: Law and Practice” program, November 28, 2016, where he spoke about hotel management and franchise agreements.