HOUSTON—Two law firms with deep experience and substantial result records in the lodging industry are teaming up to support hotel owners in the wake of massive destruction caused by flooding and winds from hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Patel Gaines and Farrell & Patel are working together to ensure that hoteliers receive just and fair treatment of property damage claims by the insurance industry.

“Each of our firms has done huge amounts of work in the hospitality industry,” said Rahul Patel, managing partner of Patel Gaines. “I literally grew up in my parents' hotels. Our two law practices are very involved with the Asian American Hotel Owners Association and the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, among others. So, we're keenly aware of the legal and insurance issues so many in the industry are now facing. They know us and our track record well.”

Patel Gaines recently gathered several truckloads of household necessities and emergency supplies, and delivered them to the small town of Rockport, TX. The fishing and tourism town suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Harvey's first landfall, which destroyed much of the town and surrounding areas.

“As an attorney that has worked for hotel owners and operators for the past eight years, we have seen almost everything. However, what the Gulf Coast and Houston area hotels are going through is very much unprecedented,” Patel tells GlobeSt.com. “Right now, it is merely a patch, hold and 'do what you can' attitude among the lodging industry. Hotel owners are truly the first line of defense for those that are displaced. But now that some of the chaos has settled, the true damage, the delinquency notices from lenders, the denial claims from insurance companies and the true financial costs to rebuild, repair and replace are only now coming to light. The challenges and path ahead are unclear. But the industry obviously faces an uphill battle to return to normal.”

Ricky Patel and Wesley Farrell, partners at Farrell & Patel, represented more than 3,000 hospitality clients affected by the 2010 BP oil drilling platform disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The insurance industry is going to do everything it possibly can to avoid their obligations and reduce their payments on legitimate claims to the lowest amounts they can get away with,” said Ricky Patel. “Our job is to watch out for the livelihoods of the thousands of hotel owners–and their employees–who are trying to get back on their feet. We're going to fight very hard for their interests.”

Farrell & Patel's offices are in Miami, Tampa, Houston and Puerto Rico. Patel Gaines' offices are in San Antonio and Fort Worth.

Ricky Patel and Wesley Farrell, partners at Farrell & Patel, represented more than 3,000 hospitality clients affected by the 2010 BP oil drilling platform disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Farrell & Patel's offices are in Miami, Tampa, Houston and Puerto Rico. Patel Gaines' offices are in San Antonio and Fort Worth.

Instant Insights /

Hotel Industry Faces Uphill Battle to Normalcy

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