The Hospitality Law Conference: Houston 2026 (Presented by HospitalityLawyer.com)

Marco D. Flores grew up in South Texas, shaped by family values that instilled in him a deep commitment to helping others whenever the opportunity arises. He began his legal career in 2000, joining a firm in Dallas, Texas, where he represented major corporations — including Exxon Mobil, in high-stakes complex litigation across the country, eventually chairing the litigation sections for two large corporate clients. In 2014, he and his family returned to South Texas, and he redirected his practice toward leveling the playing field between property owners and large insurance companies. Today, Marco focuses on representing homeowners, small businesses, and commercial property owners who are not receiving fair treatment from their insurers, helping them navigate the claims process to recover the benefits they are owed. He and his team have consulted on over 10,000 insurance claim disputes involving homes, school districts, condominium complexes, apartments, hotels, shopping centers, and industrial complexes. With more than 20 years of experience representing individuals, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies, Marco brings a uniquely balanced perspective, having advocated for both plaintiffs and defendants, to every case he handles, from initial evaluation through jury trial.

David Parker is the President and Founder of DPC Hospitality, bringing more than 30 years of experience in the hotel industry, including over 25 years in hotel consulting and development. Prior to forming DP Consulting in 2001, Parker spent nearly a decade at PKF Consulting (now CBRE Hotels), where he developed methodologies for collecting market information on hotels and meeting facilities, and built multiple modeling techniques for projecting utilization, income, and expense. In addition to his consulting practice, Parker is an experienced real estate developer who has completed numerous ground-up projects spanning residential, retail, and hospitality uses, bringing a developer’s perspective to complex consulting engagements alongside the polish of a national firm.

Jerrod Allen is a Vice President with CBRE Hotels in Dallas and a member of the firm’s Texas Institutional Hotel Sales team, bringing a career that spans hotel investment sales, ownership-side acquisitions, and valuation and advisory work.

Hector Medina is a Managing Director at Ankura, based in Houston, who specializes in hospitality and leisure related projects. With 19 years of combined hospitality and real estate experience across the U.S., Latin America, and Caribbean, he brings significant advisory experience in the areas of hotel market and feasibility studies, hotel operation diagnostics, market and operations due diligence, and interim asset management. He has served numerous clients, including government entities, multinational financial institutions, law firms, domestic and international developers, lodging operators, and private investors.

Manuel Bremont is a Managing Director and leads the Hospitality & Leisure Group at Ankura, based in Dallas, Texas. He brings over 20 years of experience in real estate, hospitality, tourism, and other leisure products across the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. His advisory expertise spans market and feasibility analysis, strategic planning, performance improvement, operational diagnostics, interim and asset management, due diligence, restructuring, litigation support, and mergers and acquisitions. Throughout his career, he has advised public entities, multinational development companies, financial institutions, private equity firms, law firms, and international lodging companies. Prior to joining Ankura, he served as a senior director at a global professional services firm and previously spent four years working in hotel operations in Houston. Manuel joined Ankura alongside Senior Director Hector Medina to bolster the firm’s hospitality and leisure capabilities.

Jennifer Nellany is a Member of Cozen O’Connor’s Real Estate Group in New York, representing clients in all aspects of real estate transactions with a focus on hospitality – including hotel acquisitions and dispositions, financing, joint ventures, and complex commercial agreements. With nearly 25 years as a practicing attorney – both as in-house counsel for public and private companies and in private practice at a full-service international law firm – she combines deep experience in real estate matters with practical corporate knowledge, advising on complex commercial agreements, debt and equity structuring, M&A and joint ventures, corporate governance, and domestic and cross-border regulatory issues.

Jason A. Kron is the Executive Vice President of Business Development, working extensively with Legal 1031 Exchange Services, a subsidiary of Kensington Vanguard. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Jason brings over two decades of experience in the title industry and has focused on expanding Legal 1031’s presence through strategic partnerships and tailored client services. His background includes leading business development efforts at BridgeTrust Title, which was acquired by Kensington Vanguard in March 2022, and owning a regional title insurance agency. In his current role, Jason is dedicated to driving Legal 1031’s growth and enhancing its reputation as a trusted advisor in the 1031 exchange industry.

Daniel H. Lesser co-founded New York City-based LW Hospitality Advisors (LWHA), which he leads as President & CEO, after more than four decades in hospitality valuation, investment counseling, advisory, and transactional work. He serves as a third-party advisor, independent expert witness, neutral arbitrator, asset manager, and property/business receiver, and has been retained by counsel to hotel owners, lenders, investors, and management companies alike.

John Keeling is primarily responsible for sourcing and vetting both hotel acquisitions and hotel development projects for Valencia Hotel Group, and also participates on the firm’s Executive Committee. He brings more than 30 years of experience in hotel management, asset management, brokerage, appraisal, development consulting, and strategic planning to Valencia. A noted lecturer, teacher, author, and authority on hotel matters, he is frequently sourced by respected industry trades, business journals, and newspapers. Previous positions included Senior Vice President of PKF Consulting, Partner with Laventhol & Horwath, and Manager with Marriott International. He served as an infantry squad leader with the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam, where he earned the Purple Heart and Navy Commendation with Combat “V.”

Jonathan Falik is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of JF Capital Advisors, where he leads the firm’s hospitality business across equity and debt placement, asset acquisitions and dispositions, portfolio transactions, joint venture structuring, asset management, management company and brand evaluation, and strategic and capital markets advisory services. He has worked on M&A and financing transactions involving well over 2,000 hotels and over $30 billion of transaction value.

Valerie Norris concentrates her practice on complex insurance litigation in both state and federal courts, representing clients in fatality litigation, including wrongful death, survivorship, premises liability, gross negligence, vicarious liability, and negligent entrustment. She also represents corporate clients in both first- and third-party matters involving premises liability, intentional tort, and auto injury. With more than a decade in practice, including seven years as in-house counsel with major national insurers and three years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office, Valerie brings broad experience that also encompasses general civil litigation, family law, and criminal law.

Jordan B. Schwartz is a Labor & Employment Partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Conn Maciel Carey LLP, advising employers on a wide range of complex employment-related issues across employer defense litigation, regulatory compliance, and day-to-day employment counseling.

Justin R. Bragiel is the General Counsel and Legislative Director for the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association (THLA), the largest state lodging association in the United States, serving over 5,000 member businesses by providing operational, technical, educational, marketing, and communications services, in addition to governmental affairs representation. Based in Austin, Texas, Justin joined THLA in February 2008 and has since become the association’s primary legal voice and legislative strategist. He directs THLA’s legal team and governmental affairs team, manages THLA’s lobbyist contractors, and assists the CEO in the operations of THLA as a nonprofit trade association, including budgeting, governance, and employee management. He handles a broad range of legal and legislative issues on behalf of Texas hoteliers, and is a regular public speaker before local governments, conferences, and legislative bodies.

Andria Ryan is a partner in Fisher Phillips’ Atlanta office, where she serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Hospitality Industry Group, and represents hospitality employers in virtually every area of employment and labor law.

Elizabeth DeConti is a shareholder in GrayRobinson’s Tampa office and one of the original members of the firm’s Alcohol Beverage and Food Team, with more than 20 years of practice focused on the regulation of alcohol beverages and food. She leads the firm’s Regulated Products Section, which includes its nationally ranked Alcohol Law Team.

Colby Birkes is a Managing Associate in Dentons’ Corporate group in Louisville, assisting companies and other business entities from their conception, with particular focus on drafting and reviewing documents, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and mergers and acquisitions. He has significant experience in the franchise context, frequently helping franchisees negotiate franchise agreements, comply with regulatory schemes, and structure project finance.

Lars Daniel is a recognized thought leader and digital forensics pioneer with more than 16 years of expertise transforming how the legal and insurance industries understand and utilize digital evidence. Consistently at the forefront of emerging technologies, from early mobile device forensics to artificial intelligence and Internet of Things challenges, he has trained thousands of legal and insurance professionals, testified dozens of times in state and federal courts across the United States and internationally, and contributed extensively to industry education as a Forbes Contributor and keynote speaker.

Amanda K. Monroe is a Partner and Labor and Employment Practice Group Leader at Michelman & Robinson, LLP, based in Los Angeles. Her practice centers on representing employers in resolving workplace disputes and minimizing litigation risk, with a focus on defending management against wage and hour claims, class actions, PAGA cases, and allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She also handles administrative matters before the California Labor Commissioner, the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In addition to her litigation work, Monroe advises employers on compliance, investigations, hiring and terminations, including mass layoffs under the WARN Act, wage audits, and workforce reductions. Before entering private practice, she clerked for a federal judge and subsequently built her litigation skills at both global and boutique law firms.

Karen L. Morris is a lawyer, judge, and Distinguished Professor of Law at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York, a position she has held since 1980. She is the first community college professor to receive the designation of Distinguished Professor from the State University of New York. As Brighton Town Justice, a role she has held since 1994, Morris presides over criminal and civil cases, including lawsuits brought by and against hotels and restaurants. Before beginning her teaching career, she served as in-house counsel for a corporation that operates department stores throughout the United States and thereafter worked as a criminal prosecutor. She is widely recognized across the hospitality industry as a leading authority on hotel, restaurant, and travel law, and pens the column “Legally Speaking” for Hotel Management Magazine.

Diana S. Barber is a lawyer, speaker, consultant, educator, author, and litigation support provider to hospitality companies nationwide. A native of Miami, Florida, she began her legal career as an associate attorney at King & Spalding in Atlanta after graduating cum laude from Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. She then spent more than fourteen years with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, serving as Vice President and Associate General Counsel. Since 2003, Barber has taught at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, and since 2004 has taught hospitality law to hospitality college students. She currently serves as Of Counsel with Berman Fink Van Horn P.C. in Atlanta, which also serves as general counsel to the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association.