Robert C. Lehrman founded Lehrman Beverage Law, PLLC in 2001 after 12 years at the Washington, DC office of a larger firm that specializes in federal and state administrative law. From 1998 until 2001 Robert was the partner in charge of the firm’s Washington, DC office. John D. Messinger joined the firm as an Associate Attorney in 2009 after clerking with the firm for several years; he focuses on federal permits and ALFD matters. Frank Y. Knizner joined the law firm in 2014. He handles trademark law, beer law, ALFD matters and state alcohol beverage and liquor law matters. Dan J. Christopherson joined the firm in 2013 and moved to Of Counsel status in 2018. Dan mainly handles trademark and other IP issues, contracts, and a wide variety of beer law matters.
Art DeCelle and Marshall Fawley joined our group in 2020. Art has unparalleled experience in beer law — in private practice, trade associations and Congress — and has worked with many of the largest beverage companies in the world. Marshall has extensive knowledge of the legal and regulatory landscape affecting the alcohol beverage industry from his experience at several top international law firms. Marshall uses his knowledge and experience to assist entrepreneurs and some of the most well-known beverage companies in the world.
The firm benefits from the able support of several widely experienced legal assistants. Jen Wright joined the firm in 2017 as a Legal Assistant. She works with Frank, John and Dan on trademark and beverage law matters. Daniela Curran is a Legal Assistant and works with Art, Marshall, and Kristin Newby, with an emphasis on state and federal laws covering beer, wine, spirits, and other alcohol. Jen and Daniela work regularly with labels, formulas and other TTB matters.
The firm concentrates on the federal regulation of alcohol beverages (beer, wine and spirits).
The firm has advised many companies on the production, labeling, advertising, and taxation of a wide variety of consumer products: foreign and domestic, with and without alcohol, fit and unfit for beverage purposes.
Lehrman Beverage Law has helped hundreds of companies formulate beverages to ensure that they are taxed and labeled in an advantageous manner while in compliance with relevant laws and regulations. These companies produce beverages in dozens of countries around the world and range from the largest to the smallest in the beverage industry.
Over the years, the firm has efficiently reviewed thousands of food and beverage labels. The firm has also helped to design the labels and get them promptly approved.
Robert C. Lehrman has more than 30 years of experience in successfully representing wineries, breweries, distilleries and importers in frequent negotiations with ATF and now TTB. Aside from alcohol beverage matters, Robert has significant experience in advising clients on FDA and Customs matters.
The firm has worked with companies at all tiers of the beverage industry, including retailers, wholesalers, producers and importers. The firm has taken the lead in setting up scores of alcohol beverage companies, from incorporation to licensing to formulation to labeling to marketing.
The firm is a member of the National Association of Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Attorneys.
Robert C. Lehrman has been cited as an authority on alcohol beverage law by: Time Magazine, The Washington Post, Reuters, Bloomberg, National Public Radio, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Herald, The Boston Globe, The Daily Californian, The Los Angeles Times, The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, The Virtual Absinthe Museum, The Augusta Chronicle, Las Vegas Weekly, The Chicago Tribune, Reason Magazine, The New Jersey Law Journal and many others.
The firm publishes Bevlog, a blog covering legal trends in the alcohol beverage industry. The blog has well over 600,000 pageviews and 200,000 unique visitors since inception in 2008.
