Breweries sue N.C. over distribution laws

Source:  Brewbound

By:  Justin Kendall

As expected, two North Carolina breweries have filed a constitutional challenge to a state law that requires breweries producing more than 25,000 barrels annually to contract with a wholesaler.

Olde Mecklenburg and NoDa breweries, acting under the Craft Freedom LLC corporate banner, followed up their pledge last month to pursue legal action by filing a lawsuit today accusing the state of North Carolina of engaging in “economic protectionism.”

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The plaintiffs’ attorneys, Bob Orr and Drew Erteschik, released a joint statement today echoing those sentiments: “Today, we filed a lawsuit challenging a set of unconstitutional laws that punish our State’s craft breweries for their hard work and success. Our clients are small craft breweries that are subject to arbitrary laws forcing them to hand over their self-distribution businesses, distribution rights, brand control, and future profits to private distributors. These laws violate multiple provisions of the North Carolina Constitution, including those that prohibit the government from taking private property from one person and giving it to another. Our lawsuit asks the courts to hold that these laws cannot be enforced against our clients, and we look forward to vindicating their constitutional rights in court.”

The lawsuit argues that “franchise laws leave the breweries powerless in an oppressive and illusory ‘contractual’ relationship with no recourse. Craft brewers who question their distributors’ efforts face the real and legitimate prospect of the distributor intentionally ignoring that craft brewery’s brand and promoting competing brands — effectively extinguishing the craft brewery’s business. The craft brewery, meanwhile, has no remedy. Craft brewers have no choice but to submit to their distributors’ will, or else face financial ruin.”

The complaint seeks a permanent injunction of the laws.

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