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Handling all phases of government and internal investigations, John West advises clients on regulatory compliance matters. Providing strong strategic and practical advice, he has particular experience in matters involving government contractors, the False Claims Act, and the alcoholic beverage industry.

On August 2, 2021 and March 3, 2022 we reported on Executive Order 14036 (E.O. 14036) and the subsequent Treasury report entitled, “Competition in the Markets for Beer, Wine, and Spirits” (Report), which, among other things, directed the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to consider: (1) initiating a rulemaking to

Several Washington breweries and beer distributors filed suit in federal court against the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, the State Attorney General, and the Governor. The out-of-state breweries are challenging Oregon laws that (1) allow resident breweries to sell, ship, and deliver beer directly to Oregon consumers with a direct shipper permit, but only allow

The Uniform Law Commission, which writes model laws proposing more clarity in key areas of state law, recently adopted the Uniform Alcohol Direct-Shipping Compliance Act (Model Law), receiving quite a bit of attention within the alcoholic beverage industry.

While the Model law addresses numerous topics, it focuses mostly on the shipment, rather than the

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in favor of a craft beer producer over the Texas Alcohol Control Board (TABC) in a case that asked which brewers can sell beer to customers for off-premises consumption. The plaintiff, CANarchy Craft Brewery Collective, challenged TABC’s interpretation of a 2019 amendment to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage

This article originally appeared in Cannabis Business Executive and is republished here with permission.

The rapid evolution of the cannabis industry in the United States poses many unique questions, the most interesting of which is what cannabis regulation will look like under federal legalization. Although (legal) cannabis is a brand new industry, it is not

A North Carolina (NC) federal judge recently ruled a NC Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Commission regulation as an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. The regulation’s challenge occurred after the ABC Commission denied Flying Dog Brewery’s request for label approval on the basis the proposed label was in “bad taste” and “inappropriate.”[1]

Background. As reported

On April 6, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights (HHS) called for public comment on an existing statutory provision that provides a safe harbor for entities that have voluntarily implemented “recognized security practices” as part of their compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The scope

Most of us are keenly aware of the ongoing fallout from the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine. As the conflict continues, the U.S. government has taken action to support Ukraine, while at the same time, punishing the Russia Federation for its violation of international law and norms. Consistent with this strategy, on March 11, President

As we previously reported, Executive Order 14036 (E.O. 14036) required the Treasury secretary, who oversees the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), to issue a report to the White House Competition Council (the Council) chair, assessing the current market structure and conditions of competition in the U.S. alcohol market.

In response to

On December 3, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued a proposed rulemaking aimed at modernizing and streamlining permit application and reporting requirements for distilled spirits plants (DSPs), wineries, importers, wholesalers, alcohol beverage dealers, and other permittees. TTB’s proposed changes are good for the industry because they will reduce the regulatory burden