MIAMI—National law firm Akerman LLP reports ithas formed a practice area specifically designed to service therestaurant industry here and across the country.

The law firm's Restaurant Industry Groupincludes almost 30 lawyers and regulatory professionals with broadexperience representing restaurant industry clients in major U.S.and international markets. Located at its offices in New York City,Florida, Washington, D.C., and California, the team advises clientsin operational, transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters,with particular strengths in mergers and acquisitions; capitalmarkets and other financing transactions; franchising and licensingmatters; real estate leasing and development; alcohol beverageregulations; labor and employment matters; intellectual propertycounseling; and commercial and transactional business disputes.

"An intimate understanding of the restaurant industry isabsolutely critical to representing our growing number ofrestaurant clients," says Wayne Wald, chair of theAkerman Restaurant Industry Group and a partner in the firm's NewYork office. "The Akerman Restaurant Industry Group integrates ourextensive industry knowledge and experience across multiplepractice areas, and positions us to further provide effective andefficient legal services to restaurant companies and other industrystakeholders."