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

The law firm's Restaurant Industry Group includes almost 30 lawyers and regulatory professionals with broad experience 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 clients in operational, transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters, with particular strengths in mergers and acquisitions; capital markets and other financing transactions; franchising and licensing matters; real estate leasing and development; alcohol beverage regulations; labor and employment matters; intellectual property counseling; and commercial and transactional business disputes.

"An intimate understanding of the restaurant industry is absolutely critical to representing our growing number of restaurant clients," says Wayne Wald, chair of the Akerman Restaurant Industry Group and a partner in the firm's New York office. "The Akerman Restaurant Industry Group integrates our extensive industry knowledge and experience across multiple practice areas, and positions us to further provide effective and efficient legal services to restaurant companies and other industry stakeholders."