Hospitality & Liquor Liability

Bars, taverns, hotels, resorts, restaurants, fraternities, clubs, convention centers and virtually any type of establishment that is licensed to serve alcohol all have one thing in common—high-exposure for liquor liability. Admittedly, plenty can go wrong when your main line of work is serving alcohol to patrons and customers. The stakes are high for the owners and operators of these establishments as they commonly face legal complaints based on laws known as Dram Shop statutes.

Marshall Dennehey has extensive experience representing members of the hospitality and liquor industry in dram shop litigation. Our clients include major restaurant chains, privately owned inns and taverns, hotel properties and a wide variety of entertainment venues. The attorneys in our practice group have successfully defended bars, taverns, hotels and a host of social organizations against claims from third-parties arising from the alleged sale of alcohol to intoxicated patrons or to minors. We concentrate on the representation of liquor licensees and social hosts in cases ranging from simple injuries resulting from slip-and-falls to more significant complex personal injury and wrongful death claims.

With 40 years of experience in this practice area, we have worked with our clients to develop investigatory procedures, defense and discovery strategies, and trial preparation techniques that enable us to successfully defend such matters or settle them for reasonable sums. Our attorneys also possess the specific knowledge of the law and are intimately familiar with the unique dram shop statutes for every state in which we practice.

This hybrid area of law incorporates multiple liability exposures including:

• Dram Shop/Liquor Liability
• Amusement Sports & Recreation
• Hotel and Resort Law
• Hotel Security/Negligence
• Restaurant and Retail Liability
• Slip and Fall/General Liability
• Water Park Safety

We are cognizant that hospitality and liquor cases often have a public relations aspect, and we are fully prepared to manage all collateral issues that may arise. Additionally, our multi-office coverage and familiarity with local rules and practice provide us an edge in defending this litigation.

The Hospitality and Liquor Liability Practice Group serves clients in communities throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, Florida, New York and Connecticut. We welcome the opportunity to work with you in defending your liquor and hospitality litigation. If desired, we are also happy to present educational seminars and workshops as a mutually beneficial introduction to our working relationship.