Opener
Small brewers (i.e., those with excise tax liability reasonably expected to be not more than $50,000 in a given calendar year and who were liable for not more than $50,000 in such taxes during the preceding calendar year) will soon be getting a break from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”). TTB […]
Today, the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) announced that it has further expanded the list of changes that may be made to approved labels (or COLAs) without requiring those labels to be resubmitted to TTB for review. Currently, industry members are permitted to make certain changes to approved alcohol beverage labels without applying […]
This is the way most franchise law litigation ends: not with a bang, but with a whimper. After over a year of legal jostling, Diageo and Major Brands have apparently reached settlement, according to Missouri news outlets. Suppliers trying to terminate their relationship with a Missouri distributor should closely review a state court opinion issued in the same […]
Nine years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a New York law that discriminated against out of state wineries violated the Commerce Clause, and rejected arguments that the 21st Amendment protected such laws from constitutional scrutiny. New York now finds itself at the center of yet another Commerce Clause/ 21st Amendment controversy pitting Empire Wine & Spirits LLC, […]
We are proud to announce Chris Passarelli’s feature article in the September 2014 issue of Wines &Vines/Practical Winery & Vineyard Magazine, regarding the ongoing controversy centered around the emerging .Wine TLD and its impact on the wine industry and consumers. A link to the article (on page 58-59) is available here. Chris Passarelli and Scott […]
By Tom Adams and Mark Phillips The Napa County Public Works Department is in the process of preparing amendments to the Subdivision and Zoning Ordinance as it relates to lot line adjustments and certificates of compliance. The changes originally proposed by staff were minor and did not warrant comments. However, during the “stakeholder” review of […]
On April 28, 2014, DP&F’s Richard Mendelson conducted an interview of Margrit Mondavi at the North Bay Business Journal’s annual Impact Napa conference. NBBJ has made the video of that interview available online. This interview provides a rich personal history of Napa Valley from one of its most celebrated citizens. Mrs. Mondavi is the Vice President […]
After 18 months of discovery and motion practice, Diageo and Missouri distributor Major Brands will have their day in court to determine if state franchise law prevents Diageo from terminating its Missouri distribution agreement. In March 2013, Major Brands brought suit in Missouri state court against Diageo and its new Missouri distributor, Glazer’s, claiming that the […]
While the dust was settling last week many questions arose about employees. The two biggest issues were employee safety and employee pay. A. Employee Safety Employers are responsible for their employees’ safety in the workplace. If employers remain open during clean up they must make sure their employees are safe. Employers should be mindful of […]