Beer, Wine & Spirits
Beer, Wine & Spirits
We’ve helped clients navigate all aspects from start-up to public sales.
Gravis Law has a long history of working with leading producers, distributors, and retailers of beer, wine, or spirits, including in the restaurant industry.
The attorneys at Gravis Law have a long history of working with leading producers, distributors, and retailers of beer, wine, or spirits, including in the restaurant industry. From TTB and state licensing to licensing holding rules and shipping issues, we’ve helped clients navigate all aspects from start-up to public sales. Our team has worked with alcohol business in Washington, Oregon, and Texas and has helped wineries through labeling issues and shipping strategies, among other things. Producers and retailers need keen legal counsel to support their operations by enforcing strong trademarks to build national brands, building and getting TTB approval for proprietary formulas, supporting label design and protection, providing disclosures and online terms for online retainers, and helping clients manage other unique aspects of the alcohol industry.
Our team has worked with clients in the following areas:
- Tax elections and jurisdiction of formation.
- Defining ownership and management roles among founders.
- Serving restaurants and other ancillary business through entity creation and county and local licensing.
- Filing thorough and complete licensing applications and providing in-depth support for TTB and state filings.
- Creating tailored employee handbooks for producers, distillers, and/or retail shops.
- Creating custom standard operating procedures for producers, processors, and/or retail shops.
- Supporting compliance with federal and state agencies.
- Preparing and submitting required licensing documentation for changes of control, mergers, and acquisitions.
- Preparing for investors under state and federal rules to protect against personal liability.
Representative Matters
- Advised business owner on acquisition of restaurant and liquor license application, compliance and operations, tax elections, addition of a partner, and registration of trademarks.
- Advised winery on start-up, licensing, investment, labeling, formula submission, and shipping to other states.
- Aided brewpub in lease and real estate matters, fundraising, founder matters, subsidiary establishment in anticipation of franchise, and club membership terms.
- Employee handbook and SOPS for brewpub and restaurant employees.
- Advised online retailers on online wine sales and federal and state alcohol regulations.
- Aided business owner in selling winery and enforcing purchase and sale and promissory note to ensure prompt and timely payment post-sale.