Practice Groups

The Alcohol Beverage Control Practice Group represents alcohol beverage manufacturers, rectifiers, bottlers, importers and wholesale distributors in the areas of licensing, labeling, advertising, product distribution and trade practices.

Our firm represents lenders as well as borrowers in a variety of commercial and private banking transactions. We work with both American foreign banks in commercial lending, refinancing and real estate transactions as well as loan restructuring. We work on such matters as asset based lending agreements, development of loan documentation, commitment letters, multinational syndicate lending and letters of credit. In addition, we have experience in the area of government securities and government borrowing.

The Firm’s clients include a variety of domestic and foreign entities for whom we offer general business advice and problem resolution. Some businesses are closely or family owned while others are publicly held. Our clients are representative of many segments of the economy. These include the service sector, high technology and internet companies, and traditional industries. Examples of corporate and commercial matters on which advice is given include general representation, business combinations and acquisitions, reorganizations and recapitalization, sales of stock or assets, general and limited partnerships, and limited liability companies. We have also been engaged for the purposes of providing advice and counsel with respect to shareholders’ agreements, organization of businesses, officers and directors liability, and employment agreements. We are often retained to conduct and assist in detailed negotiations on behalf of our clients in order to structure business transactions in a manner that is most beneficial to our clients.

We represent a number of engineering and construction companies in the design, engineering, procurement and construction of large industrial, metallurgical and petrochemical plants utilizing a number of technological applications and processes. Our attorneys in this practice area are involved in domestic and international projects located in diverse jurisdictions, with an emphasis on protecting the contractor through the use of appropriate contract provisions to achieve a proper allocation of risks between the contractor and the project owner. Related activities include advice on technology transfer and licensing, alliances, joint ventures and other teaming arrangements, project financing, and U.S. regulatory compliance. We have extensive experience counseling our clients on the risks inherent in design-build /EPC contracts and minimizing those risks through the use of liability limitations, insurance, defined dispute resolution procedures and other appropriate risks involving clauses. A number of large projects have involved institutional lender financing coupled with equity and/or subdebt participation by the contractor, and we have advised our clients on multiple aspects of those financing arrangements.

Our employment and labor practice capabilities include providing counseling and litigation services to a broad spectrum of clients, from start-up companies to large corporations and organizations. While we are prepared to litigate all types of employment and labor law cases, our principal goal is to use our legal knowledge and experience to assist companies and managers in anticipating and preventing employee relation problems through education, training and counseling. Examples of employment and labor matters on which advice and litigation services have been extended include wrongful discharge and discrimination, regulatory compliance issues, traditional labor law, employment agreements, non-compete and trade secrets matters. We also possess expertise in advising corporations on the labor aspects of mergers and acquisitions and the extraterritorial application of US laws as they pertain to employment and labor-related issues.

Our Firm’s Hospitality Law group provides services to local, national and international hotel, foodservice and entertainment clients. In addition to providing corporate, real estate and immigration advice and services, the group offers representation before state and local alcoholic beverage and gaming authorities. We assist in structuring merger and acquisition transactions to minimize regulatory issues; conduct regulatory due diligence audits pertaining to proposed mergers, acquisitions or restructurings; advise re: internal restructuring to minimize beverage alcohol and gaming licensing and regulatory issues and prepare, file and monitor all state and local beverage alcohol, gaming and other business license/permit applications; review acquisition, merger, reorganization, management and lease agreements, and marketing, sales promotion and advertising programs to insure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

We offer a comprehensive range of immigration services. We represent foreign and domestic corporations as well as individuals in connection with temporary work visas and permanent residency based upon employment and family relationships. Our clients include, among others, multinational companies, law firms, the entertainment community, foreign investors, athletes, the restaurant and hospitality services industry, internet service companies, and businesses in the beverage, financial, journalism, recreation, consumer products, agribusiness, publishing, chemical, energy, construction and manufacturing industries. We also handle citizenship and related nationality matters.

Our International Law services both United States and non-United States individuals and entities with significant emphasis on transactions between Europe and the United States. In addition to transnational business, immigration, tax and structural planning in connection with foreign investment, we have experience in international joint ventures, licensing agreements and sales and representation agreements. We have been involved in the establishment of subsidiaries, agencies and branches on behalf of foreign entities. We often work with foreign lawyers and advisors in coordinating this activity. We are experienced in the legal aspects of international, commercial and real estate investment activities, and represent international pools of investment capital. With respect to these functions, we also act in a fiduciary capacity in order to facilitate our clients’ needs for flexibility and discretion.

Our firm is active in a broad range of civil litigation services. We handle both trial and appellate matters in the state and federal courts as well as arbitration proceedings before the International Chamber of Commerce, the American Arbitration Association, and the National Association of Securities Dealers. Our litigation services cut across and enhance all of our areas of practice. We represent a wide variety of individuals and commercial entities, in addition to governments. We counsel clients both before and during litigation and seek to minimize litigation expenses where possible. Among the diverse types of matters we deal with are construction disputes and arbitrations, contests with and on behalf of governmental agencies, securities claims, insurance actions, matrimonial disputes, trade regulation and business contract controversies of all kinds. We also represent clients in litigation involving planning, zoning and environmental law as well as product liability, personal injury defense and contested probate proceedings.

Our firm has substantial expertise in the representation of municipal entities. Several of our attorneys have been employed in government service before joining our firm. In addition to having been involved in matters relating to the issuance and sale of government securities, we handle general as well as special representation in such areas as planning, zoning and environmental law. We also represent clients appearing before municipal government boards and agencies. We are engaged in administrative and litigated proceedings both before and on behalf of governmental units including tax certiorari proceedings.

Our real estate practice covers the multiple aspects of real estate development, leasing, financing, and purchase and sales. Our attorneys have represented many of the major real estate interests in the New York area in helping them to create more than 10 million square feet of new and redeveloped office and retail space. From large portfolio transactions to single asset properties, our representation covers a wide variety of commercial properties including office buildings, shopping centers, landmark religious facilities, industrial facilities, warehouses and hotels. Our residential practice includes handling of cooperatives and condominiums for developers, owners, and residents. In addition to providing advice with respect to planning and zoning of real estate, our attorneys advise on environmental concerns and work to meet the needs of our clients in structuring transactions to utilize available tax advantages and strategies. Since we have experience representing municipalities and financial institutions in this field, we have a perspective that can be most beneficial for our clients.

The firm’s tax practice provides transactional planning and advice to corporate and individual clients in international, federal, state and local tax issues, including tax planning for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, split-offs, joint ventures, real estate ventures, and reorganizations. In addition, we provide strategic tax reduction planning with respect to individual income tax, as well as estate and gift taxes, business tax, sales and use tax, foreign tax and other types of tax.

The firm also has substantial experience in all aspects of qualified and nonqualified plan design, implementation and operation. This experience also extends to other areas of employee benefits, including retirement planning and executive compensation matters.

This area has been a cornerstone of our firm’s practice. We work in multiple phases of this discipline including tax and estate planning and assist in asset management. We provide a full range of probate and estate administration services and also work with charitable trusts and foundations. Several of our partners serve on the boards of such organizations.