Who We Are
We don’t have to get up to speed; the statutes, rules, and policies that apply to alcoholic beverage business operations are part of our everyday practice. With our proactive approach, we strive to keep our clients up to date with significant legal developments affecting the alcoholic beverage industry to help them avoid costly mistakes. Our Alcoholic Beverage Practice team is comprised of attorneys with a wide range of experience bringing dedicated, thorough, and results-oriented representation to our alcohol and beverage clients.
How We Help
We represent wineries, distilleries, breweries, and retailers – including restaurants, clubs, hotels, and off-premise retailers. Having our experience in drafting and negotiating industry agreements for retailers and suppliers, and our experience in trademark registration and labeling is unique among Virginia law firms.
We support our clients with their compliance and planning needs during the entire lifecycle of their business, which means that we create long-lasting, loyal relationships and enjoy repeat business with our respected clients throughout the years.
We provide our industry and retail clients the greatest protection in the area of compliance and protection from violations of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority laws so they can continue to provide the relaxation our community relies upon. We know which stumbling blocks to avoid, which t’s to cross and i’s to dot, and our clients benefit year after year from our deep industry and legal knowledge.
Our clients come to us when starting a new business – whether that is to establish a compliant new business, procure financing or private equity investment, initiate land acquisition/leasing and construction, acquire state and federal licensing, or obtain a trademark registration. As their business matures, we help with supply and distribution agreements, ongoing compliance, and general business matters.
As hiring becomes part of the planning, we help with employment law, and at the other end of a lifetime of successful business, we assist with business succession and wealth transfer planning.
Among our neighboring law firms, we are unaware of any others that have alcohol and beverage practices with our depth of experience. We have decades of combined experience enriching our community by supporting our friends and associates in the alcoholic beverage industry.
Who We Represent
We represent clients in a wide array of alcohol beverage areas. This includes:
- Breweries
- Distilleries
- Wineries
- Restaurants
- Retailers
- Hotels
- Clubs
- Off-Premises Retailers
We have assisted in licensing and compliance, labeling, trademark registration, and drafted and negotiated industry agreements. Our clients trust our guidance and support with our knowledge of the industry – and we support them from vat to beer stein, vineyard to bottle, and distillery to glass.
Areas of Concentration
Business formation
State and federal licensing, permitting and compliance
Financing
Land acquisition and leasing
Construction
Purchase and lease agreements
Supply and distribution agreements
Private equity
Employment law, covenants not to compete, handbooks
Trademark
E-commerce
Business succession
Wealth transfer planning
