Chair of the Hotels and Resorts Practice Group

ALBERT J. PUCCIARELLI is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey. His practice is concentrated in the areas of hotel and resort development and operations, aviation law, general corporate law and real estate law.

From 1988 through 1998, he was Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Inter-Continental Hotels with over 200 hotels in 70 countries. He served on the Board of Directors of Inter-Continental and was chair of the company's Life Safety and Security Committee and a member of the Development Committee and the Pension and Benefits Committee. Prior to joining Inter-Continental, Mr. Pucciarelli served as Vice President and Counsel to Grand Metropolitan (U.S.) and its publicly owned (NYSE) predecessor, Liggett Group, Inc.

He has served as Chair of the Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (2001-2004) and as Chair of the Aeronautics Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York (1998-2001). He is a director and President of the Hospitality Industry Bar Association. He has taught International Business Law as an adjunct professor at the Fordham University Graduate School of Business, and was member of that school's Advisory Board (1996-2004). He is a Director of Skytop Lodge in Skytop, Pennsylvania and a consulting member of Cayuga Hospitality Associates.

Mr. Pucciarelli is fluent in Russian. He is an instrument-rated commercial pilot, an FAA certified advanced ground instructor and an aircraft owner. He serves his local community as Vice Chairman of the Ridgewood, New Jersey, Planning Board and has served as a Director of the Ridgewood Public Library Foundation. Until 1998, he was Vice Chairman of the Ridgewood, New Jersey, Zoning Board of Adjustment on which he served for ten years.

Mr. Pucciarelli's clients include the owners and developers of Marriott, Courtyard, Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Mandarin-Oriental, Park Hyatt, Andaz, St. Regis, Westin, Crown Plaza and Indigo hotel and resort projects, various hotel management companies and several closely held companies in a variety of businesses, including hotels and restaurants, pre-schools and the second largest dealer of Cessna aircraft in the U.S. He also has been selected as an arbitrator in major commercial disputes.

Mr. Pucciarelli is nationally recognized for his expertise in hotel and resort development and operations. He is the 2010 winner of the Anthony G. Marshall Award.