Kirkland Advises CitizenM on Sale of its Lifestyle Brand “citizenM” to Marriott

Kirkland & Ellis advised CitizenM on a definitive agreement for the sale of its lifestyle brand “citizenM” to Marriott International (Nasdaq: MAR). The citizenM global portfolio currently consists of 36 open hotels, comprising 8,544 rooms, across more than 20 cities spanning the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific, including gateway cities like New York, London, Paris and Rome. At closing of the transaction, Marriott will acquire the brand and related intellectual property. Following closing, the citizenM portfolio will become part of Marriott's system, with the hotels owned and leased by the seller subject to new long-term franchise agreements with Marriott. The seller may also receive earn-out payments that are based on the future growth of the brand over a specified, multi-year timeframe.

Read the transaction press release

The Kirkland team included corporate lawyers Abhishek Kolay, Matt Elliott, Celyn Evans, Kartik Khanna, Josh Morris, Aida Kimiagar, Claudia Carr, Ben Zelouf and Benedict Wilson; and technology and IP transactions lawyers Amber Harezlak, Seth Traxler, Emma Flett, Joanna Thomson and James Delacenserie.