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UK

Alyona Antonenko

Partner

England & Wales

020 3319 3700

alyona.antonenko@keystonelaw.co.uk

““Alyona has acted as a trusted legal adviser to Wyndham EMEA since 2019, delivering consistently high-quality, commercially astute support across a broad range of matters. Her in-depth knowledge of the hospitality sector, sound legal judgment, and pragmatic approach have been invaluable. Alyona integrates seamlessly with our internal teams and is regarded as a highly valued extension of our in-house legal function.’’ ”

- Dimitris Manikis, President EMEA, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Alyona is a commercial lawyer with particular experience in the hotel industry. She has 20 years’ experience working for top international law firms and in-house for the largest hotel companies in the world.

Her clients include the world biggest hotel operators (such as Marriott and Wyndham), owners, developers and sector-focused lenders with the projects in the UK, Russia/CIS, Europe, Middle East and India.

Alyona advises on a wide range of development and operational legal issues. She structures, negotiates and drafts franchise and hotel management agreements, key money, development and joint venture agreements and related contract documentation and wholesale distribution agreements. She also advises on any operational issues arising during the full hotel project’s lifecycle. She provides training to in-house legal teams and develops boilerplate and templates of the management and franchise agreements.

Alyona is a dual qualified solicitor in England & Wales and Russia.

Expertise

Alyona advises hotel, hospitality and leisure operators on franchise agreements, development agreements, management agreements, and day-to-day operational matters.

Experience

  • Advised Wyndham on the franchise agreement with a large real estate developer in Russia for a 469-room Ramada Encore by Wyndham hotel in St Petersburg, Russia, as part of a mixed use development.
  • Advised Wyndham on the franchise agreement for Ramada by Wyndham hotel in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as a first Wyndham hotel in the territory of Kyrgyzstan (including coordination of all IP issues), signed under time constraints for the operating hotel to be re-branded to the Ramada by Wyndham brand on time (opened in July 2019).
  • Advised Wyndham on a number of operational matters for hotels under various Wyndham brands in the UK, Europe, Middle East and India.
  • Advised Marriott in negotiating and successful signing circa 20+ franchise agreements under various Marriott brands in the UK, Europe and Russia.
  • Advised Marriott on a 133-room Moxy and a 150-room Renaissance franchise agreements in Bordeaux, France.
  • Advised Cycas Hospitality on a hotel management agreement with Niveda Realty and Marriott International to operate the new 153-room Moxy Liverpool City Centre hotel.
  • Advised Marriott on a deal to develop a single-envelope 144-room Moxy hotel and a 92-room extended-stay Residence Inn hotel in Slough, UK, to be operated by Cycas Hospitality and leased by Slough Borough Council.
  • Advised IHG in negotiations on a multiple development agreement with a major developer in Russia, for development of 15 hotels, and the launch of the Holiday Inn Express brand throughout Russia.
  • Negotiated a management agreement for the serviced apartments in the heart of London (St. Paul) for Jurny, Inc. to operate and implement its pioneering proprietary technology (SaaS-based management solutions) in the apartments, acting for Clockwork Group (a family-owned alliance of businesses based in London with interests in healthcare and insurance as well as a specialisation in property investment and development);
  • Drafted and negotiated the management services agreement and the comfort letter for the flexible serviced offices in Manchester acting for one of the biggest real estate management companies in the UK.

Alyona advises retail clients on licensing, branding, supply and distribution, franchising, and brand protection.

Experience

  • Advised on the licensing, services and branding agreement for Spa (Guerlain) at Raffles hotel.
  • Drafted a license agreement for the gym (Pillar) at Raffles hotel.
  • Advised on the services agreement for the creation of original perfume compositions for the Raffles hotel.
  • Developed the supply agreement template of luxury hotel amenity products for Vanity Group.

Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.

Recognition

Recognised by Who’s Who Legal as Global Leader in Hospitality for 2022, 2023 and 2024

Alyona qualified as a solicitor in 1999 in Russia and in 2015 in England and Wales (having practised under the laws of England and Wales since 2005). Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2019, she worked for the following firms:

  • Temple Bright
  • Marriott Hotels International
  • Wyndham
  • InterContinental Hotels Group
  • CMS Cameron McKenna