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Restaurant Resources

Restaurant Related Services
For Legal Proceedings

Expert Witness - Lease Negotiations
Business Appraisal - Restaurant Business Broker


Expert Witness

Attorney's have discovered an exceptionally qualified expert witness with over 50 years experience in the hospitality industry, including restaurants, bars, hotels and many food and entertainment related businesses. Lloyd Gordon is that expert witness. An examination of his Civitas Vitae will show why these attorney's have confidence that he will render precise and valuable legal opinions that are beneficial to their legal clients.

When Mr. Gordon is selected by many attorneys as an expert witness, they get a professional in the hospitality industry as well as an analyst who can size up a situation and assist toward a favorable outcome. Mr. Gordon will first analyze the facts presented to him and then aid an attorney, if necessary, in structuring the "best foodservice industry legal plan of action" to achieve the legal results sought.

Second, Mr. Gordon will render what in his expert opinion is the truth of the matter involved and substantiate this opinion with more than 50 years of real time experience in the hospitality field. Of course, he does depositions and in-court testimony. He has served in cases in which the plaintiff won large awards. On the other hand, he provided opinions that mitigated the claims against many defendant clients.

Click for additional information regarding Expert Witness services.

Lease Negotiations

A restaurant lease can either strangle or help your client’s restaurant thrive. If your client plans on renting the premises, the business lease is as important as the physical facilities of the enterprise. A restaurant lease is often more complicated than other business leases. This is because someone is making a large investment in the build-out and an equitable arrangement must be derived to get it repaid. Most of the fixtures and mechanicals such as plumbing, ventilation and lighting are not recoverable. Once installed, they usually remain in the property.

Also, the time it takes to open for business is usually four to nine months from the signing of the lease. This results primarily from the fact that a restaurant project must be approved by the zoning commissions, local building and health departments, and local, county, state and federal licensing agencies. Each one of these takes their own span of time to give their okays. Also, often equipment that is required in the restaurant’s operation must be fabricated to order. This can postpone the completion of the project by six to eight weeks.

GEC knows first hand that a restaurant lease is one of the most significant documents entrepreneurs will ever sign and they must be assured that everything in the document is favorable to them. Because of the technical nature of the restaurant business, the responsibilities of each party must be spelled out in unambiguous language. Restaurateurs are in the business of providing food and may have little experience in creating lease documents that are favorable to their business survival. Their attorneys may need some additional aid in creating a superior case for them. GEC can provide this experience.

Business Appraisal

GEC is very successful in evaluating a foodservice operation to determine its value. This value may be "Fair," "Replacement" or "Intrinsic" or some other value format depending on the circumstances and the purpose of the appraisal. The purpose of the appraisal determines the method GEC will use. GEC's appraisals have been used in real estate transactions, estate considerations and eminent domain determinations.

Appraisals require that Lloyd Gordon visit the site. The time required to investigate the values depends on the size of the facility and the amount of furnishings, fixtures and equipment it contains. It is GEC policy to provide photo documentation of all visible items affecting the valuation. A formal appraisal document is prepared and bound suitably for use in legal proceedings. As many copies may be furnished as are required by the circumstances.

Restaurant Business Broker

Lloyd M. Gordon is a licensed Business Broker in the state of Illinois and can act on behalf of a seller or buyer should an attorney need specific services of that nature. He is a specialist in all types of restaurants, convenience stores, USDA inspected food manufacturing plants and other food related businesses.

For more information, please see our contact page.

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Client Success:

"Mr. Gordon’s appraisal brought my client a generous award in an eminent domain condemnation."

G. R. Esq., Chicago, Illinois


"Gordon’s appraisal gave my client the credibility he needed to expand. He now has a successful fast food chain I helped him develop using the equity verified by that document."

A. D, Esq, Des Moines, Iowa