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Mr. Blau is the chair of GrayRobinson's Alcohol Beverage & Food Department, and presides over the firm's Alcohol Industry Team. Mr. Blau and his colleagues focus on the rules, regulations, and business practices that govern the marketing, sale, and consumption of distilled spirits, wine, beer, and other licensed beverages. Awarded the highest rating assigned by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory (AV), Mr. Blau devotes a substantial portion of his practice to trade regulation, litigation and dispute resolution involving the hospitality industry. He has industry-specific experience in the areas of administrative practice and regulatory compliance, advertising and promotional law, intellectual property rights, importation matters, supplier/distribution relations, and alcohol industry business practices. Mr. Blau is a member of The Florida Bar, The District of Columbia Bar, the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the American Trial Lawyers Association. He currently serves as the Chairman of the American Bar Association's Committee on Beverage Alcohol Practice, and is a member of the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys. He also is an Industry Member of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) as well as the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA), and lectures on Twenty-First Amendment issues before regulators at annual meetings of both organizations. Mr. Blau is admitted to practice law in the following courts: United States Supreme Court; United States Court of International Trade; United States Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh and Federal Circuits; United States District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida; United States Court of Military Appeals; the Florida Supreme Court; and The District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Additionally, he is an elected member of the American Law Institute. Mr. Blau has litigated jury and bench trials in state and federal courts. In the area of Alcohol Beverage regulation, Mr. Blau successfully litigated on behalf of manufacturers, setting important precedents for the industry in Geary Distributing Company v. All Brand Importers, Inc., (imposing constitutional limits on the application of a state beer franchise law) and in Jim Taylor Corporation v. Guinness Import Company (defining "brand extension" under Florida law). Mr. Blau has experience representing all three tiers of the alcohol beverage industry. He has worked with international importers and domestic manufacturers, statewide wholesaler trade groups and regional distributors, and retailers (including multistate restaurant and hotel chains) from across the United States. Mr. Blau and the firm's Alcohol Industry Team service retail licensees in a variety of ways, including: liquor, tobacco, and lottery licensing; health and food service inspection compliance; responsible vendor and employee training; representation in administrative proceedings; and litigation/dispute resolution.
Mr. Blau also works closely with representatives of state and federal government, drafting administrative rules and proposed legislation - both on behalf of clients, as well as at the request of regulators. For example, Mr. Blau prepared an administrative regulation and statutory amendment at the request of the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, to codify the impact of a judicial decision that he successfully obtained on behalf of a client. He has testified before governmental bodies, such as the New York State Assembly, regarding alcohol laws and related issues. Mr. Blau recently testified before legislative committees of both the Florida Senate and the House of Representatives regarding issues relating to the direct shipment of wine. For the past ten years, Mr. Blau annually has edited the nationwide Survey of Reported Judicial Decisions Addressing the 21st Amendment and Related Alcohol Laws for the American Bar Association and the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators. Other publications by Mr. Blau include: an article co-authored with U.S. Senator Connie Mack (R Fla.) entitled "The Need for Fair Play: Repealing the Federal Baseball Antitrust Exemption," which was published by the Florida Law Review of the University of Florida's College of Law; a paper, "The Competency and Credibility of Children as Witnesses," which was delivered to the World Conference on Police Psychology at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia; as well as "Speedy Trial: Pre-accusation Delay, Post-accusation Delay, and the Speedy Trial Act of 1975" which was published in the Georgetown Law Journal. Articles related specifically to alcohol industry issues that Mr. Blau has authored are listed below. Mr. Blau earned his B.A. in 1979 from Brandeis University and his J.D. in 1982 from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as Associate Editor for Topics of the Georgetown Law Journal. Prior to joining GrayRobinson, Mr. Blau was a partner at Holland & Knight LLP, where he originated that firm's Alcohol Beverage law practice. Education: Brandeis University, B.A. (1979) Georgetown Law Center, J.D. (1982) Professional: American Bar Association (Chairman, ABA Committee on Beverage Alcohol Practice, 1996-2000, 2001-Present) The Florida Bar (Chairman, Grievance Committee 13-A, 1990-1992) Hillsborough County Bar Association The American Law Institute (Elected Member, 1995 - Present) The National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (Industry Member, 1989 - Present; Executive Committee Member, 2003 - Present) The Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys (2001 - Present) Selected as top attorney by Super Lawyers 2006 Selected as Florida's Legal Elite by Florida Trend Magazine 2006 Florida Trend's "Legal Elite", 2007 - Listing of Florida's top attorneys as determined by a vote of Florida lawyers Court Admissions: Florida District of Columbia United States Supreme Court United States Court of International Trade United States Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh and Federal Circuits United States Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida United States Court of Military Appeals The Florida Supreme Court The District of Columbia Court of Appeals Articles and Publications: USDA Pulls Plug On Federal Funding For Florida's Citrus Canker Eradication Program (March, 2006) GOT MILK? For Students, and School Administrators, It's Not a Simple Question. (March, 2006) U.S. Supreme Court Decides Direct Shipment of Wine Case (November, 2005) Binge Drinking On Campus: Be Aware of the Legal Restrictions on Coping with Excessive Alcohol Consumption (October 18, 2004) California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Penalty Guideline Emergency Rule; Effective April 14, 2004 (June 9, 2004) The Supreme Court's Tobacco Ruling May Foretell Future Of Beverage Alcohol Advertising Restrictions (October 22, 2001) Why State Regulators Require Fingerprints, Personal Questionnaires, and Detailed Financial Information Before They Will Issue Alcohol Beverage License (March 23, 2001) Increasing Beer Consumption Concerns Russian Government (February 26, 2001) Debates Continue Over Liability For Deaths Caused By On-Campus "Binge Drinking" (November 22, 2000) President Clinton Signs Twenty-first Amendment Enforcement Act (November 22, 2000) Wyoming Narrowly Rejects Efforts To Further Restrict Internet Sales Of Alcohol (November 22, 2000) Georgia's New Direct Shipping Law Goes Into Effect (September 1, 2000) ATF Now Requires Filled Representative Sample Bottles For Certain COLA Applications (September 1, 2000) Business Consolidation Trends Expand Into Wine Industry (September 1, 2000) Oregon Adopts Responsible Vendor Program (September 1, 2000) Update Your IP Policies To Address Distance Learning And Avoid Disputes (August 1, 2000) Oregon Adopts "Responsible Vendor" Program (June 1, 2000) Will The Internet End The 3-Tier System? (June 1, 2000) Politicians Ring in The New Year With Various Alcohol Initiatives (March 1, 2000) NYC's DWI Seizure Scheme Survives Initial Judicial Review (December 19, 1999) Massachusetts Colleges Ordered to Notify Parents When Students Violate School Alcohol Policies (December 19, 1999) Wisconsin Governor Splits on Wine-Spirits Franchise Law (September 1, 1999).
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