Center for Alcohol Policy Legal Symposium Set for September 11-13 in Chicago

The 4th annual legal symposium is set for September 11-13 in Chicago.  The meeting starts with a reception Sunday night the 11th.  The meeting will last all day Monday the 12th and end around noon on the 13th. The keynote address will be by Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna.  Attorney General McKenna is currently chairman…Read More

Starving Lawyers and Oeniphiles Can’t Survive on $675,000.

Hat tip to Karin Moore at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America for the developments up in Massachusetts. Wow.  “Rare” wine collectors and their law firms are crying foul that they were awarded “only” $675,000 in fees and expenses for the 1st Circuit volume cap matter.  They have filed this notice of appeal of…Read More

New Federal Legislation Introduced to Address Litigation Against States

As readers of this blog note, there are many forms of alcohol litigation across the country.    To address one vein of the litigation, Congress has introduced H.R. 1161 the Community Alcohol Regulatory Effectiveness  (CARE) Act.    This legislation is similar to a manager’s amendment  to last year’s bill offered toward the end of the 111th Congress….Read More

Supreme Court denies certiorari in Wine Country case

Today the United States Supreme Court issued a long list of orders.  On this list was the denial of certiorari in the Wine Country Gift Baskets v. Steen case out of the 5th Circuit.   The orders can be found here. The Supreme Court decision leaves in place the ruling of the 5th circuit upholding the…Read More

NY: US District Court Strikes Down Brewer’s Attempt to Circumvent Franchise Laws

United States District Court Judge Garaufis in Brooklyn has ruled that New York’s beer franchise statute protects distributors from arbitrary termination. The Court ruled that an importer is a “successor brewer” under the current law and as such is not allowed to terminate its wholesaler without showing good cause.  The importer had attempted to terminate its…Read More