San Diego Business Lawyers

DPA Attorneys at Law is a California hospitality law firm that serves as a one-stop legal shop for the hotel owner. On the transactional side, we handle hotel real estate deals, including hotel purchase and sale agreements, loan document review, and commercial real estate financing. We also assist with corporate structuring, business formation, and LLC formation so your investments are protected from day one. On the litigation side, our attorneys defend hotels against employment claims, ADA lawsuits, franchise disputes, and premises liability matters. Because our founding partner and several of our attorneys have owned and operated hotels themselves, we approach every business contract and hotel lawsuit with a practical, owner-first perspective.

Don’t ignore it, and don’t pay the demand before speaking with an attorney. Accessibility lawsuits are among the most common claims filed against California hospitality businesses, partly because the state’s Unruh Civil Rights Act allows plaintiffs to seek minimum statutory damages of $4,000. Our ADA defense team handles hotel ADA defense, restaurant ADA defense, and ADA website accessibility defense for online booking and ordering platforms. We evaluate whether the claim has merit, identify procedural defenses available under California law, and work toward the most cost-effective resolution. Beyond defending the case, we help you strengthen ADA compliance across your property and website to reduce the risk of future claims from repeat filers.

Hotel wage and hour defense is one of the most active areas of our practice. California employment law is complex, and missed meal breaks, off-the-clock work, or misclassified employees can quickly escalate into a hospitality class action or a Private Attorneys General Act claim. Our hotel employment defense attorneys represent owners in hotel PAGA defense, overtime disputes, and hotel wrongful termination defense, as well as discrimination and retaliation claims. We investigate the allegations, review payroll and timekeeping records, and build a strategy aimed at limiting your exposure. We also prepare employee handbooks and HR compliance documents, since proactive compliance steps can help reduce potential penalties under California’s 2024 PAGA reforms.

Yes. Franchise matters are a core part of our work. Before you sign, we review and negotiate your hotel franchise agreement or hotel management agreement to secure favorable terms on fees, property improvement plans (PIPs), territorial protections, and exit rights. If the relationship breaks down, we represent owners facing hotel franchise termination, liquidated damages demands, and other franchise dispute issues with major brands. Our franchise agreement and litigation attorneys also advise restaurant franchise owners on similar agreements. Managing Attorney Pooja Mehta, Esq. brings more than 20 years of hospitality experience to these negotiations, helping clients understand the real business impact of every clause long before a franchise termination becomes costly.

We defend owners in a wide range of hotel litigation matters. Common cases include hotel premises liability defense, hotel slip and fall defense, and hotel bed bug defense, which often turn on maintenance records, housekeeping procedures, and guest conduct. We also handle more serious claims, including hotel human trafficking lawsuit defense and hotel sexual harassment defense, where early investigation and careful strategy are critical to protecting your reputation. When a carrier wrongly denies a claim, our insurance litigation attorneys pursue insurance coverage and bad faith insurance claims. For properties under development or renovation, we provide construction defect defense on hotel construction projects. Whatever the hotel lawsuit, our goal is an efficient, practical resolution.

Yes. Our quick service restaurant practice supports QSR owners and multi-unit operators throughout California. On the transactional side, we negotiate restaurant lease terms, handle restaurant real estate acquisitions, review restaurant franchise agreements, and assist with liquor license applications through the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC license). When disputes arise, we provide restaurant litigation defense, including restaurant employment defense, restaurant wage and hour defense, restaurant overtime lawsuit defense, and restaurant wrongful termination defense. We also handle restaurant class action defense, restaurant slip and fall defense, and restaurant ADA defense. Because restaurants face many of the same employment and accessibility risks as hotels, our team brings the same practical, business-focused approach to every restaurant client.