In the height of the 2008 Presidential campaign, Michelle Obama made a comment regarding Hillary Clinton that “if you can’t run your own house, you certainly can’t run the White House.”
What brought me back to 2008 was the news of another great debacle with Michigan’s liquor system.
A recent article in Crains Business Grand Rapids reports […]
I am happy to announce that I filed an Amicus Brief in the Sixth Circuit case, Block v. Canepa, which challenges Ohio’s discriminatory wine retailer shipping law.
The brief written on behalf of the National Association of Wine Retailers (NAWR), challenges Sixth Circuit precedent in Lebamoff v. Whitmer, which erroneously performs a Commerce Clause analysis by […]
Provi and RNDC reached a resolution in their multi-year fight over a lawsuit filed by Provi against RNDC. Provi claimed that RNDC’s actions excluding Provi from the marketplace constituted violations of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.
Under the agreement Provi and RNDC agreed to an integration allowing retailers to place orders through Provi’s platform. Retailers will now […]
I am happy to announce that I hit a new milestone today and made my 100th media appearance. I never thought that when I started that I would become the most cited liquor attorney during this time. It has been a great ride with being in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Wine Spectator.
The 100th […]
Francis Creighton, the CEO of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), wrote a piece celebrating the three-tier system called A Stronger Industry Through the Three-Tier System. Ironically, the fruits of the liquor industry he celebrates come in spite of the three-tier system and not because of it. As his blog post goes […]
Spirits wholesalers are being taken to the woodshed by the beer wholesalers. The recent news that RNDC lost key accounts in California was shocking and influenced RNDC’s decision to leave the largest consumer market in the country. Significantly, Reyes Beverage Group (Reyes), the largest beer wholesaler benefited by landing many of these key accounts formerly […]
Will the Real Oregon please stand up
News broke Friday that the Oregon Ethics Commission voted 7-1 to increase former director of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission Steve Marks fine from $500 to $1,500. All this stems from the allocation of Pappy Van Winkle bottles for himself and other privileged individuals.
By […]
In early May the news came out that the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (Ethics Commission) rejected a negotiated deal for $500 with former executive director of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), Steve Marks. Under Marks watch an investigation determined that rare bottles of Pappy Van Winkle that were supposed to be available only […]
Happy Birthday Granholm
May 16th is the 20th anniversary of Granholm, twenty years later I look at how Granholm has impacted the marketplace.
Granholm’s legacy
The Supreme Court victory in Granholm was one of the greatest things to happen to the wine industry. The growth in wineries has been massive […]
Don’t piss off the wine critic
Who would think the wine critic in the Indy Star would change history! When the wine critic at the Indy Star could not get the wine he wanted to do his job, he reached out an attorney friend named Bob Epstein. Bob later coupled with Alex […]