Practice Expertise
Areas of Practice
- Hospitality, Alcohol & Leisure Industry Group
Profile
Brad Berkman is a member of the Hospitality, Alcohol and Leisure Industry Group at Greenspoon Marder. He concentrates on providing guidance to all tiers of the alcohol beverage industry, including suppliers, wholesalers and retailers.
Brad's principal expertise is providing counsel to upper-tier industry members on legal, regulatory, and operational concerns within the framework of federal and state(s) beverage alcohol laws and regulations. Areas of focus include complex Tied-House issues, contract negotiations, drafting and disputes, trade practice concerns, distribution matters, international trade of beverage alcohol and TTB and state alcohol beverage control issues. Brad has also advised third-party marketing companies, celebrity brand owners and influencers on many trade practice matters. He is also versed in municipal zoning, permitting and licensing of vendors of alcohol (bars, restaurants and hotels).
Brad has real-world experience having started his career in the industry principally on the supplier side having worked in various sales and marketing capacities of malt, wine and spirits manufacturers and brand owners. Combined, Brad has nearly thirty years of experience in all aspects of the industry.
As an additional note, Brad grew up in the business and has deep ancestral roots in the trade. His great-grandmother was a pioneer in the field who was one of the first women to hold a liquor “salesman’s” license in the State of New York. She parlayed that start into a large, female, and eventually family-owned beer distributorship that served the five boroughs of New York City for many decades.
Brad regularly contributes to the firm's Hospitality, Alcohol, & Leisure Industry Group blog and hosts the Ardent Spirit podcast.
Brad's principal expertise is providing counsel to upper-tier industry members on legal, regulatory, and operational concerns within the framework of federal and state(s) beverage alcohol laws and regulations. Areas of focus include complex Tied-House issues, contract negotiations, drafting and disputes, trade practice concerns, distribution matters, international trade of beverage alcohol and TTB and state alcohol beverage control issues. Brad has also advised third-party marketing companies, celebrity brand owners and influencers on many trade practice matters. He is also versed in municipal zoning, permitting and licensing of vendors of alcohol (bars, restaurants and hotels).
Brad has real-world experience having started his career in the industry principally on the supplier side having worked in various sales and marketing capacities of malt, wine and spirits manufacturers and brand owners. Combined, Brad has nearly thirty years of experience in all aspects of the industry.
As an additional note, Brad grew up in the business and has deep ancestral roots in the trade. His great-grandmother was a pioneer in the field who was one of the first women to hold a liquor “salesman’s” license in the State of New York. She parlayed that start into a large, female, and eventually family-owned beer distributorship that served the five boroughs of New York City for many decades.
Brad regularly contributes to the firm's Hospitality, Alcohol, & Leisure Industry Group blog and hosts the Ardent Spirit podcast.
Education
- J.D., St. Thomas University of Law, 2006
- M.S., Forensic Science, George Washington University, 1991
- B.A., International Studies, American University, School of International Service, 1987
Areas of Practice
- Hospitality, Alcohol & Leisure Industry Group
Professional Career
Articles
- Greenspoon Marder Hospitality, Alcohol & Leisure Blog: FIFA FO FUM – A Glance at the World Cup and Alcohol Policy
- The Hospitality Lawyers NYE Prayer
- The 21st Amendment Enforcement Act & Retail Sales in Interstate Commerce Published in Grapevine Magazine
- Premium Cigars Deemed Not “Deemable”
- Out-of-State Direct to Consumer Sales Update
- Tallahassee Passes Amended 561.20(4) Florida Statute Opening Licensure Opportunities To New, Bona Fide Restaurants In This State
- The “Muni” Store
- Hard “Soft-Drinks” and their “Disruptor” Presence
- Scariest Trend in the Hospitality Industry
- CBMA Update Note – Administration of CBMA Tax Benefits for Importers to Transition to TTB
- Beware the Franchise Law Lurking Behind Your Distribution Agreement
- Greenspoon Marder Launches Hospitality, Alcohol & Leisure Industry Group Blog
- Greenspoon Marder Hospitality, Alcohol & Leisure Blog: The FTC and Some Advice
- Greenspoon Marder Hospitality, Alcohol & Leisure Blog: Update to Latest Round of US-China Tariffs Hit Wine and Spirits – California Winemakers Nervous
- How Private Labels Blur the Lines of Beverage Law
- The Issue is Moot-Sort Of.
- TTB Closed for Business…And We Know It’s Bad for You.
- “Blair v Tenn” – Can A Retailer Ship Directly To Consumers?
- For Whom the Bong Tolls
- Alcohol Beverage Producers See Potential in Cannabis and Cannabis Derived Products
- Alcohol Beverage Licensing Options-Alternatives to the Quota License
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