Practice Areas
Georgia Hospitality Attorney, Georgia Beverage Alcohol Licensing Attorney
OUR FOCUS
Sard & Leff’s practice focuses almost exclusively on beverage alcohol regulatory and compliance issues across the state of Georgia. Our clients range in size from Fortune 100 companies to sole proprietors and from complex business organizational structures to single-member entities.
We represent and counsel commercial real estate developers, owners, property managers, trade organizations, other law firms, and government officials regarding beverage alcohol issues and the real estate, leasing, corporate and business issues that often arise in this context. Our attorneys are detail-oriented and results-driven. We anticipate, recognize and proactively address potential issues before they become operational or regulatory problems. If a component of your business touches alcoholic beverages, Sard & Leff is the best law firm to represent you.
We represent a cross spectrum of the beverage alcohol industry, including:
- Manufacturers
- Importers
- Brokers
- Wholesalers
- Shippers
- Warehousers
- Suppliers
- Common Carriers
We represent on- and off-premises retail alcohol licensees such as:
- Hotels
- Restaurants
- Bars
- Nightclubs
- Stadiums
- Museums
- Live entertainment venues
- Non-profit civic and charitable organizations
- Liquor stores
- Supermarkets
- Grocery stores
- Drug stores
- Wine specialty shops
- Convenience stores
- Specialty Grocers
- Airlines
- Cruise Lines
- Caterers
- Gas Stations
- Event Facilities
- Private Equity
ALCOHOL LICENSING 101 (GEORGIA)
Georgia has gained national recognition as one of the most complex states for alcohol licensing and alcohol regulatory compliance. In the state of Georgia, beverage alcohol is regulated by both the State, (through the Georgia Department of Revenue) and by individual, local governments. With 159 counties and more than 600 separate municipalities — more than 759 local governments potentially with their own alcohol codes — our clients benefit from having the experience and “boots on the ground” representation provided by Sard & Leff.
Our attorneys enjoy strong working relationships with and the respect of state and local government regulators and legislators. We work closely with the Georgia Department of Revenue, the State Attorney General’s office, elected officials, local government authorities, revenue agents and local investigators, county and city attorneys, licensing consultants, general counsel and general legal practitioners. It is because of our relationships — combined with our knowledge and years of experience in this very specialized practice area — that Sard & Leff’s attorneys are able to advise and assist our clients as they navigate the complex and often daunting world of beverage alcohol licensing and regulation.
Sard & Leff’s attorneys appear regularly before state and local government hearing bodies throughout the state of Georgia for licensing, disciplinary actions and legislative matters, and have successfully litigated the rights of beverage alcohol licensees before various Georgia courts. Sard & Leff’s attorneys regularly participate in Georgia’s rule-making process, have appeared before the Georgia General Assembly and its House Regulated Industries Committee, and have successfully lobbied to expand the rights of retail alcohol licensees and charitable organizations throughout Georgia. At the local government level, Sard & Leff’s attorneys have penned and successfully lobbied for adoption of local alcohol-related legislation, and have worked to defeat legislation harmful to its clients and to the alcohol industry as a whole.
