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Hotel lobby — AC Advisory

Brisbane, Queensland — Hotel & Property Advisory

Legal & Commercial Advisory for Hotel Owners, Property Developers and Hotel Operators

Senior executive legal expertise for hotel owners, operators, and property developers, delivered with commercial judgment, not just legal process.

Work with us +61 438 005 147

Recognition

2025 Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Lawyer of the Year — Winner Lawyers' Weekly In-House Awards
2026 Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Lawyer of the Year Lawyers' Weekly In-House Awards
2026 Excellence Award — Highest Scoring Finalist of the Night Lawyers' Weekly In-House Awards
Angie Coleman — Principal, AC Advisory

About

Executive legal advisory
built from the inside

AC Advisory is led by Angie Coleman, a senior executive legal advisor with more than 23 years of experience across the hotel, property, construction and infrastructure sectors.

Angie has held Executive Director and General Counsel roles within major hotel and property groups, giving her a rare perspective: she has sat on both sides of the table. That operational understanding shapes every engagement. Her advice is commercially grounded, not just legally correct.

We provide high-calibre legal and commercial advisory services to hotel owners, operators, developers and investors who need senior-level legal judgment without the overhead of a permanent in-house team.

Enquire now

23+

Years' experience

6

Jurisdictions

What we do

Practice areas

Full capability →

Hotel Legal Advisory

Extensive experience across all aspects of hotel legal work, from complex HMA negotiations to franchise structuring and compliance frameworks.

  • Hotel Management Agreement review, drafting & negotiation
  • Franchise documentation & disclosure
  • Operator selection & relationship management
  • Hotel opening project management
  • Compliance frameworks & regulatory advice
  • Dispute strategy & resolution

Transactions & Development

End-to-end transaction support for hotel and property acquisitions, divestments and development projects across Australia and New Zealand.

  • Acquisitions, divestments & development support
  • Deal structuring, due diligence & execution
  • Management rights acquisitions
  • New builds, conversions & repositioning
  • Stakeholder negotiation & project governance

Governance & Compliance

Board governance frameworks, risk management structures, and regulatory compliance for hotel operators and property groups.

  • Governance framework design & review
  • Risk management frameworks
  • Whistleblower & privacy programs
  • Company secretarial support
  • Board advisory

Commercial & IP

Commercial contracting, brand protection and intellectual property advice.

  • Operator & franchise agreements
  • Brand protection
  • Supply & technology contracts
  • Short-term letting structures
  • Strata & body corporate advice

Fractional General/Senior Counsel Support

Senior in-house legal leadership on demand (full or part-time) without the cost or commitment of a permanent hire.

  • Temporary on-demand senior legal advice & oversight (holiday leave or vacancies)
  • Crisis management (data breaches, investigations)
  • Legal team transformation & capability uplift
  • AI implementation in legal operations
  • Staff & director education sessions
  • Large matter management, taking workload off the rest of the team
  • First legal counsel whilst establishing a team
  • Management of external counsel in large disputes or regulatory investigations

Past experience

Selected experience

A selection of notable matters drawn from over two decades advising on Australia and New Zealand's most complex hotel and property transactions.

2025

Anantara Perth Hotel — Minor Hotels' First 6-Star HMA in Australia

Negotiated Minor Hotels' first Anantara Hotel Management Agreement, Technical Services Agreement, Licence & Royalty Agreement in Australia, along with associated landowner, financier and lessor deeds within a master planned development (new build). Drafted and negotiated branded residence agreements.

2025

Oaks Auckland — Minor Hotels' First NZ Hotel Management Agreement

Led legal work and negotiations for the opening of Oaks Auckland Hotel (414 rooms) under tight timeframes, coordinating across regional and people management complexities. Minor Hotels' first HMA in New Zealand.

2025

Queens Wharf & Geelong Management Rights Acquisitions

Led acquisitions of management rights for Queens Wharf Residences QLD (200 rooms), Geelong R Suites VIC (128 rooms), and Geelong Vue Suites VIC (60 rooms), including owner negotiations and project management under compressed timeframes.

2025

Avani Wollongong — New Build HMA in Mixed-Use Development

Negotiated entry into an HMA, Technical Services Agreement, Licence and Royalty Agreement and associated financier deeds for a new-build 107-room Avani Hotel in a mixed-use development.

2025

Brand Protection Injunction

Applied for and obtained an interlocutory injunction within one month to restrain use of a deceptively similar hotel brand by a third-party owner (with the assistance of external counsel).

2025

Federal Court Franchise Dispute — Mediated Settlement

Managed and settled a Federal Court franchise dispute at mediation, resolving complex claims.

2025

Oaks Crackenback Resort — Ski Resort Acquisition

Oversaw acquisition and opening of Oaks Crackenback Ski Resort, including negotiation of management rights, leases and business purchase agreements in a unique alpine asset class.

2023

NH Hotel Mascot — 40-Year Leased Hotel Acquisition

Negotiated and documented a 40-year lease for Minor Hotels' first NH Hotel in Australia (150 rooms, Mascot), navigating a complex ground lease and land acquisition structure on behalf of the hotel operator, development and FIRB approvals.

2022

Oaks Perth Hotel — 190-Room Leased Acquisition

Negotiated the acquisition and opening of a 190-room hotel in Perth (with 185 individual owners), including 185 individual 40-year leases and an asset sale from the prior hotel operator in very short timeframes, including owner presentations, documentation and negotiations.

2022

Oaks Toowoomba — First Franchised Hotel Documentation

Documented and opened Minor Hotels' first franchised hotel (102 rooms, regional QLD), simultaneously documenting two additional franchise hotels and rewriting the franchise manuals and compliance checklists.

Our approach

The advisor who says how,
not no

"We combine the depth of a senior in-house general counsel with the commercial instincts of an executive who has run businesses and sat at the board table. Our services are built for clients who need legal strategy, not just legal process."
  • I
    Commercially oriented Every brief is considered through the lens of your business objectives. We look for the path to yes, balancing risk, compliance and commerciality in equal measure.
  • II
    Lived industry experience Having held general counsel and executive director roles inside hotel and property businesses, we understand the operating environment from the inside, including what it means to build functions and business lines from scratch.
  • III
    Practical, direct advice No unnecessary complexity. Clients receive clear, actionable guidance delivered on time and on budget, with senior attention on every matter.

Get in touch

Let's discuss
how we can help you

Location

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

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Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

Your enquiry will be directed to angie@acadvisorygroup.com.au and responded to within one business day.