Hospitality Law Food and Beverage Law

Restaurants, liquor stores, hotels, catering establishments and supermarkets throughout Maryland, including Columbia, Baltimore and Howard County, rely on the experienced hospitality law food and beverage law attorneys of The Law Offices of Kirk Halpin & Associates, P.A. We help clients through all stages in the life of their businesses, from initial formation to ongoing operation and growth and even to eventual sale or dissolution.

Hospitality Law Food and Beverage Law Services

Hospitality, Food-Beverage Business Formation

We offer legal counsel and representation to businesses in the hospitality and food and beverage industries in the formation and organization of business entities, such as partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies (LLC) or limited liability partnerships (LLP). We also advise clients on joint ventures, business successions, shareholder disputes, shielding directors and officers from liability and all aspects of business and corporate law. In addition, we arrange divestitures of partners in partnerships and corporations and have abundant experience drafting buy-out agreements.

Site Selection, Leasing and Purchase Agreements

The Law Offices of Kirk Halpin & Associates, P.A. through its affiliation with Focal Realty provides businesses in the hospitality and food and beverage industries with site selection and analysis. Once a location is identified, we assist with the review and negotiation of a lease or contract of sale. When a client is buying an existing business, we assist in the preparation and negotiation of an asset purchase agreement. Sample representations include assisting a client with due diligence review and negotiating a contract of sale to purchase a hotel portfolio in Baltimore.

Hospitality, Food-Beverage Franchise Law

We review franchise agreements, license agreements, technology agreements, and area developer agreements for clients considering the purchase of a hospitality or food-beverage franchise. We have significant experience in reviewing and negotiating franchise agreements and providing practical guidance, as Kirk Halpin and his family previously owned and operated a Dairy Queen franchise located in the Midwest. Sample representation includes advising a restauranteur in Howard County about terminating a franchise agreement due to various performance issues with franchisor and negotiating a termination agreement on their behalf.

Liquor License Application and Transfer Requests

We have represented clients before Liquor Boards throughout the State of Maryland and have assisted clients with liquor license applications and transfer requests.

Financing and Investment

We assist clients in drafting private placement memoranda to raise money from investors. In addition, we represent a number of community banks and other lending institutions throughout Maryland and provide assistance in obtaining traditional and non-traditional financing.

Employees, Contract Review and Regulatory Compliance

Day-to-day operational issues in the hospitality and food-beverage industries that we can assist with include drafting employee manuals, hiring and firing employees and updating company policies and procedures. We have significant experience in preparing, reviewing and negotiating contracts for the food, beverage, and hospitality industry including dealing with contractors performing the initial build-out, suppliers providing, installing and maintaining the furniture, fixtures and equipment, vendors and distributors delivering food and drink items and customers entering into rental or catering agreements. We provide regular updates to our clients on changes to local, state and federal regulations which may impact hospitality and food and beverage business operations. In addition, we assist clients in responding to and defending complaints by regulators. Sample representations include assisting a restaurant in Baltimore with preparing an interview script and follow up questions, as well as drafting an employee handbook and manual; preparing a template agreement for a restaurant’s off-site catering business and rental of a banquet room; and assisting with due diligence review and negotiating an asset purchase agreement to acquire a 4-chain coffee bar business in Maryland.