Brewery Law for Beginners

There are many areas of law that impact businesses in the alcohol industry. Alcohol is heavily regulated from both the federal and state governments. This session teaches attendees about the legal issues they should consider and be prepared for when making the leap to opening a professional brewery. Having the right attorney with the experience and knowledge to guide a brewery through this process is a valuable and advantageous resource. By having knowledge, context, and comfort about these legal requirements and potential issues up front, a brewery can be in the best position to succeed.

Learning Objectives

• Knowledge: Education about the key areas of law that affect breweries
• Context: How to best prevent legal issues, or handle them if they arise
• Comfort: Putting concerns at ease so a brewery can be prepared to handle any issues without frustration or stress

About the Speakers

Aaron Weiss is an attorney at the law firm of Zimmer Kunz, PLLC. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Zimmer Kunz is an independent, nationally recognized law firm with approximately 30 attorneys practicing law throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. Aaron oversees Zimmer Kunz’s brewery and liquor law practice, which handles a wide variety of legal matters, including litigation for social host liability, nuisance, premises liability, inadequate security, breaches of contract, employment related matters, etc. They also provide useful advice and education to assist with obtaining liquor licenses, complying with existing legislation, preparing and reviewing contracts, and ensuring breweries are properly prepared for any legal issues that may arise. Zimmer Kunz is a proud member of the Brewers of Pennsylvania and represents a number of breweries in Western Pennsylvania. Outside of work, Aaron is an avid homebrewer, member of the AHA, and has been brewing beer since his first year of law school.