Greenberg Traurig has strengthened its global hospitality group with the addition of a partner based across the firm’s UAE and Saudi Arabia offices.
Elias Hayek joins from Squire Patton Boggs, where he led the firm’s global hospitality and leisure group for close to a decade.
Hayek will co-chair Greenberg Traurig’s Middle East and European hospitality group, dividing his time between Dubai, Riyadh, and London.
He advises on projects and transactions in the hospitality, leisure, and entertainment industries, having closed more than 500 transactions in over 45 cities. Earlier in his career, he spent 17 years at Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide in Brussels, where he served as vice president of legal for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) division, responsible for the regional legal affairs of the company and over 300 hotels.
Beyond corporate and commercial transactions, his practice includes managing and licensing agreements for hotels, food and beverage, restaurants, and health and wellness operations. He also advises clients on hospitality disputes and arbitrations.
His experience includes representing a UAE government entity in creating a joint venture agreement with a 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.
Greenberg Traurig executive chair Richard Rosenbaum said in a statement: “With the addition of Elias, a globally respected leader in hospitality law, we are not only expanding one of the world’s top real estate and hospitality practices—we are further solidifying our position as the preeminent real estate practice in the Middle East and Europe. This move aligns with our long-term vision: selecting extraordinary talent fully versed in their relevant industries, building strength on strength, empowering our teams on the ground, and delivering market-leading, pragmatic and responsive counsel to clients involved in the region’s most transformative projects.”
“The opportunity to help lead the firm’s hospitality efforts in the Middle East and Europe was the ideal next step for my practice,” said Hayek.
The UAE and Saudi Arabian hospitality scene is undergoing transformation driven by national visions and investments in giga-projects and tourism initiatives.
Greenberg Traurig launched in the Middle East in 2023 with offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Since then, the firm has been growing steadily in the region, planting roots in the key industries and business sectors most active in the Middle East.
