Dubai—Dentons returned as a lead supporter and participant at the annual Global Restaurant Investment Forum (GRIF) held in Dubai recently. Now in its third year, GRIF brings together key stakeholders in the restaurant investment community to share best practice and innovation as well as address current issues facing the sector.

Members from Dentons' global retail, franchising and distribution team led a variety of discussions and workshops for the 300 plus delegates. Opening the conference, Dentons' partner and Head of the EMEA Franchise team, Babette Märzheuser-Wood commented, "We are delighted to continue to support one of the world's key gatherings of restaurant and hospitality specialists. In an increasingly competitive arena, global gatherings such as GRIF are crucial opportunities to both showcase the industries' hottest concepts and to facilitate vital investment."

Dentons speakers explored a broad range of issues from navigating the franchise business model to succeeding and growing in Dubai's competitive market place, designing restaurants for scalability, understanding what restaurant investors are looking for as well as considering strategies for entering the Saudi Arabian market.

Mirroring the global reach of the annual conference, Dentons representatives included a team of international professionals comprising Babette Märzheuser-Wood (London), Isabelle Leroux and Nadine Naji (Dubai), Dogan Eymirlioglu (Istanbul).

The Firm's team of specialist restaurant and hospitality lawyers have extensive industry experience across the globe, having represented such well-known brands as Jamie's Italian and Wagamama on a wide range of legal issues from establishing a long-term leases to brand and intellectually property concerns, franchise and distribution agreements, acquisitions and dispositions, financing and operational matters.

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