CHARLOTTE, NC - Charlotte Partner and member of the Shumaker’s Hospitality and Leisure Business Sector, Christian Staples, has been staking his claim in the alcoholic beverage regulations space, a rapidly growing and ever-evolving sector in North Carolina.

Most recently, Christian presented “Front of House Retail Laws that Affect You” at the annual conference of the North Carolina Craft Brewer’s Guild in Winston-Salem, N.C. Shumaker is an Allied Member of the Guild and a frequent sponsor of Guild events. Topics of the presentation included the laws and regulations affecting the sale and service of alcoholic beverages at the retail level, including at brewery taprooms, bars, restaurants, and bottle shops, and included a number of recommendations for retailer “best practices.”

Christian also recently completed his fourth year as Lead Instructor for the “Legal Bootcamp” class of the Craft Beer Business Essentials Certificate program at UNC Charlotte. In addition, Christian serves as an Advisory Board Member for the program. As part of the class, Christian provides instruction on a variety of laws and regulations affecting the alcoholic beverage industry, and also participated in a panel of speakers that included owners and head brewers at several local craft breweries. 

Christian regularly represents craft breweries and other alcoholic beverage retailers in a wide variety of legal matters ranging from permitting and licensing, regulatory compliance, distribution agreements, and other general business matters, such as commercial leasing and corporate formation and restructuring.