(Webinar) Restaurant Law in New York City

This program will focus on the corporate, real estate, liquor license, and labor/employment issues involved in opening and operating a restaurant in New York City. Learn about the choices of legal entity to form for restaurant projects, investment and management structures, purchase and sales transactions and transfer liability. Review lease issues such as build outs and provisions regarding assignment, contingencies, and guarantees. Find out the requirements for obtaining on and off premises liquor licenses and how to navigate the process and procedure before the New York State Liquor Authority and the local Community Boards. Learn about overtime, sex harassment policies, spread of hours, the 80/20 rule, tip credit, and other essential labor and employment issues.

Program Fee:
$199 Members | $299 Nonmembers
Small Law Firm: $99 for Members
In House Counsel: Free for Members | $249 for Nonmembers

Donald Bernstein
Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C.

Amanda M. Fugazy
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP

Andreas Koutsoudakis
KI Legal

Vivianna Morales
Pechman Law Group PLLC

Larry Welch
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC

9:00 am – 9:10 am                  Introduction & Overview
Louis Pechman                      

9:10 am – 10:00 am                Corporate Considerations
Andreas Koutsoudakis

• LLC v. corporation – entity choices for restaurants
• Corporate structures for startup restaurants and restaurant groups
• Investment in restaurant businesses – typical investment terms
• Acquiring a restaurant business – factors to consider for a purchase of assets or equity of an existing business

10:05 am – 10:55 am              Real Estate Issues
Larry Welch

• Key money deals v. raw spaces
• Negotiating the term sheet
• Due diligence required when checking out a space
• Lease sections to pay attention to for restaurants
• Tips to addressing pitfalls and concerns with various lease provisions
• Operations, exit strategies and liability issues
• Both landlord and tenant points of view

10:55 am – 11:10 am              Break

11:10 am – 12:00 pm              Liquor License Issues
Donald Bernstein

• Who may or may not be licensed
• What premises may or may not be licensed
• The 200-foot rule and the public interest test of the 500-foot rule
• Dealing with Community Boards
• Recent changes in liquor laws

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm                Labor and Employment Considerations
Amanda Fugazy and Vivianna Morales

• Wage Notices, minimum wage and overtime issues
• I-9 Compliance
• Hospitality Wage Order
• Sex harassment policies and recommended best practices

New York: 4.0 Professional Practice
New Jersey: 4.3 General
California: 4.0 General
Pennsylvania: 3.5 General

Sponsoring Association Committees:
Hospitality Law, Larry A. Welch, Chair
Labor & Employment Law, Tracey Salmon-Smith, Chair

Sponsorship Opportunities are Available! Please Contact:
Yelena Balashchenko, Manager, Business Development & Sponsorships | (212) 382-6608 | ybalashchenko@nycbar.org