Kristina D. Dickens

Overview

Kristina advises clients on the regulatory mechanics that govern alcohol-related businesses across the country.

She focuses her practice on multi-unit licensing, trade practice counseling and regulatory compliance matters for clients nationwide. She has extensive experience advising businesses on regulatory frameworks and procedural requirements, and she frequently represents them before federal, state and local regulatory commissions.

She works with companies operating in multiple jurisdictions, where day-to-day activities are shaped by licensing structures, control thresholds and enforcement trends. Her clients include restaurant groups, hotel operators, grocery retailers, bars, music and entertainment venues, wholesalers and suppliers across all tiers of the beverage alcohol industry.

Kristina also counsels publicly traded and privately held companies on ownership changes, corporate restructuring and license modifications, as well as on drafting and negotiating agreements common to the industry, including importation, distribution, food and beverage management, hotel management, leasing and purchase and sale contracts.

Professional Activities

• Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys, Member
• American Bar Association, Member
  • Cannabis & Alcoholic Beverages Litigation Subcommittee, Co-Chair
• Chicago Bar Association, Member
• Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, Member
• Illinois Restaurant Association, Member
• National Conference of State Liquor Administrators, Associate Member
• National Association of Licensing & Compliance Professionals, Associate Member

Experience

• Represented publicly traded food and beverage operator on 35-unit international airport project with agreement terms, multi-use licensing, regulatory and tax matters.
• Ongoing representation of national grocery store companies on multi-use licensing and food and alcohol regulatory compliance.
• Ongoing representation of numerous international hotel companies on management agreement terms, multi-use licensing, regulatory and tax matters.
• Ongoing representation of numerous national restaurant hospitality groups on corporate structuring, food and beverage agreements, multi-use licensing and regulatory compliance.
• Continued representation of beer, wine and spirits wholesalers with regulatory counseling during acquisitions and ownership transitions as well as federal, state and local permitting, federal COLAs and formula approvals.
• Ongoing trade practice advice to suppliers, wholesalers and retailers.

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