In a further strategic expansion of its leading Hospitality Practice, Greenberg Traurig has added industry veteran Elias J. Hayek as co-chair of the firm’s Middle East and European Hospitality Group, working from its UAE and KSA offices. Hayek joins from an international law firm, where he led its global Hospitality Leisure Group for close to a decade. In addition to Dubai and Riyadh, Hayek also plans to spend time in London. He represents major clients in the hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries, helping them navigate complex commercial transactions, including M&A, JV, management agreements, licensing and franchising, hotel project leasing, mixed-use and branded residential developments, and sale-leaseback deals. With three decades of cross-jurisdictional experience, he has closed more than 500 transactions in more than 45 cities across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Earlier in his career, Hayek spent 17 years at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in Brussels, where he served as vice-president of legal for the Europe, Africa and Middle East division, responsible for the regional legal affairs of the company and over 300 hotels. His experience includes representing a UAE government entity in creating a joint venture agreement with a leading global gaming and hospitality company to develop a multi-billion-dollar gaming resort in the region. He has advised subsidiaries of Saudi Arabia’s public investment fund on the development, subdivision and branding agreements for several multi-billion dollar “giga project” developments. He has also represented European private equity fund subsidiaries on the acquisition, development and operational agreements for multiple high-end luxury and upscale properties across Europe. Hayek received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Corporate Counsel’s (ACC) Global Board of Directors, and is a former chairman and president of the ACC’s Middle East chapter. He also has served as chair and co-chair of the International Bar Association’s Leisure Industries Section, vice-chair of the Corporate Counsel Forum, and as an officer of the Arab Regional Forum’s Legal Practice Division. Hayek is licensed to practice law in California and as a Dubai Legal Consultant. He earned a JD from the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law, and a BSc in business administration and finance from California State University. He speaks English, Arabic and French.
