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Madison Square Garden, the site of many famous fights, is now the venue for a new clash of heavyweights. James Dolan, the owner of Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theater, made headlines in recent months for his policy of preventing attorneys from firms handling civil suits against his properties from entering his venues. The issue is further compounded by the fact that the venues are using facial recognition software to enforce the bans; causing a number of affected law [...]

As part of the 2023 Budget, a Commission to Reform the Alcoholic Beverage Law was created, with the goal of recommending changes to modernize the State’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (the “ABC Law”). The ABC Law was enacted in 1934 and contains many provisions which were deemed necessary in the post-Prohibition era, but which are not conducive to the modern alcoholic beverage industry. Indeed, Governor Hochul’s briefing book for the 2023 budget calls for “a [...]

The New York State Liquor Authority (the “SLA”) recently proposed new regulations to increase and enforce a uniform “split case fee” charged by wholesalers to retailers for purchasing less than a full case of alcohol, or a case consisting of mixed products. Under the three-tier system, licensed retailers (liquor stores, bars, restaurants, etc.) must purchase their alcohol from wholesalers, who generally incentivize retailers to make larger purchases by offering [...]

The New York State Liquor Authority (the “SLA”) is taking significant steps to cut down on the agency’s sizable licensing backlog. The current estimated processing time of an application is 24-26 weeks, with even temporary permit processing typically taking close to two months. In an effort to cut down on processing times, the SLA in September announced an initiative to simplify the application process. Thomas Donohue, the Deputy Commissioner of Licensing for the Authority [...]