What Beer Law Center does

Beer Law Center is the alcohol practice area of Matheson & Associates, PLLC, a Professional Limited Liability Company headquartered at 127 W Hargett St #100, Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 2010 by John R. Szymankiewicz, the firm provides specialized legal counsel to small, startup, and independent craft beverage businesses — including breweries, wineries, distilleries, and alcohol retailers — across the full lifecycle of their operations, from initial business formation and entity selection through licensing, growth, and exit.

The firm delivers eight core service modules: business formation and fundraising; federal and state alcohol licensing (TTB and state ABC compliance); contracts, distribution agreements, and commercial leases; alcohol regulatory compliance and advertising review; trademark registration and brand protection; employment and workforce matters; intellectual property (non-competes, NDAs, trade secrets); and mergers, acquisitions, and business sales. The state law practice is restricted to North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, while federal law matters (TTB, trademark, federal court) are handled nationwide and internationally, with a referral network of alcohol attorneys extending reach to other jurisdictions.

The revenue model is professional services fee-for-service: clients engage after a free initial consultation, with engagements formalized through engagement letters and fees structured per matter rather than via disclosed hourly rates or subscription pricing. Distribution is entirely direct — personal outreach, referrals within the craft beverage community, industry event speaking, and inbound inquiries via the firm's website, phone (919-335-5291), and email ([email protected]). No technology platform, software product, or AI capability underpins the offering; the value proposition rests entirely on the founder's combined legal, engineering, and craft beverage credentials and on accumulated domain expertise in alcohol regulation.

Name

Beer Law Center

Legal name

Matheson & Associates, PLLC

Website

https://beerlawcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Beer Law Center is a Raleigh, NC-based boutique law firm (Matheson & Associates, PLLC) providing specialized legal counsel in alcohol beverage law — covering licensing, compliance, contracts, trademark, and M&A — to small and independent craft breweries, wineries, distilleries, and retailers across NC, VA, WV, and DC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services / Attorney Fees: The firm generates revenue through attorney fees for legal services rendered. Services include business formation, federal and state alcohol licensing, trademark registration, contract drafting and review, compliance, M&A, and ongoing outside counsel. Initial consultations are provided free of charge. Engagement proceeds after a consultation confirms no conflict of interest and an engagement letter is signed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Beer Law Center is a boutique legal practice that provides specialized legal counsel to craft beverage businesses—from business formation and entity selection through federal and state alcohol licensing (TTB and ABC), contracts, trademark and brand protection, employment matters, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, and mergers and acquisitions. The firm represents small and independent breweries, wineries, distilleries, and alcohol retailers, with state-level services limited to North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and federal-law matters handled nationwide and internationally.

Product overview

Beer Law Center is a legal services practice within Matheson & Associates, PLLC that provides comprehensive legal counsel for craft beverage businesses. The firm offers a unified suite of eight interconnected legal service modules spanning the full business lifecycle—from initial business formation and entity selection, through federal and state licensing (TTB and ABC compliance), to contracts and commercial agreements, trademark and brand protection, employment and workforce matters, alcohol regulatory compliance, intellectual property, and mergers and acquisitions. Services are primarily focused on breweries, wineries, distilleries, and alcohol retailers in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, with referral networks available nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contracts & Agreements Legal assistance with drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts, leases, and agreements for distributors, vendors, landlords, and collaborators in the craft beverage industry.
• Federal & State Licensing TTB and ABC licensing assistance for craft beverage producers, helping clients navigate federal and state alcohol regulations; the firm states it has helped hundreds of clients through this set of hurdles.
• Business Formation & Start Up Entity selection, business structure guidance, and fundraising support for new craft beverage businesses, including selection of the right form and structure of the business.
• Alcohol Compliance Regulatory compliance advisory services to help businesses navigate alcohol regulations at federal, state, and local levels, including advertising review.
• Buying & Selling an Alcohol Business Legal representation for buyers and sellers during mergers, acquisitions, and transitions of alcohol businesses, helping clients protect their investment as they enter or exit the industry.
• Trademark & Branding Trademark registration, brand protection, and cohesive legal strategy development for brand management in the alcohol industry.
• Employer / Employee Employment law guidance specific to the alcohol industry, including hiring, managing employees, and mitigating employer risk.
• Intellectual Property Non-compete, non-disclosure, and trade secret legal services tailored to the alcohol industry, beyond trademark registration.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Network of Alcohol Attorneys Across the United StatesminorOthersThe firm maintains an informal network of alcohol attorneys throughout the United States. This network is used to refer clients outside the firm's licensed jurisdictions (NC, VA, WV, DC) to other attorneys better able to assist them, and to receive referrals. This is a referral-level relationship rather than a formal partnership.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath: Major national law firm with a food and beverage industry practice serving alcohol and adjacent industry clients. Comparable to Beer Law Center in alcohol/beverage client focus, but operates at much larger scale with broader industry capabilities and national footprint.
• DLA Piper: Global law firm with an alcohol regulatory and beverage industry practice serving producers and distributors worldwide. Comparable to Beer Law Center in serving alcohol industry clients, but as part of a massive international firm with cross-border capabilities and far deeper bench.
• Lathrop GPM: National law firm with a beverage industry practice serving alcohol producers and retailers. Comparable to Beer Law Center in alcohol industry focus and craft beverage client orientation, but operates at much larger scale with broader geographic and practice-area coverage.
• McDermott Will & Emery: Major international law firm with a recognized alcohol industry practice serving beverage producers, distributors, and retailers. Comparable to Beer Law Center in serving the legal needs of the alcohol industry, but operates as part of a much larger AmLaw firm offering broader capabilities and resources.
• Holland & Hart: Major regional law firm with a dedicated beverage industry practice serving alcohol clients throughout the Mountain West and beyond. Comparable to Beer Law Center in alcohol-industry specialization, but as part of a much larger full-service firm with deeper institutional resources.
• Husch Blackwell: National law firm with a beverage industry practice group serving alcohol producers and retailers across multiple states. Comparable to Beer Law Center in alcohol-industry focus and client type, but operates at significantly larger scale as a full-service firm with broader geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Keane Law Group: Boutique alcohol beverage law firm serving craft beverage producers. Most directly comparable to Beer Law Center as another small, specialized firm focused exclusively on alcohol beverage law with similar SMB craft-beverage client orientation.
• Strike & Techeles: Boutique alcohol beverage law firm serving craft and traditional beverage clients. Direct peer to Beer Law Center as another small specialized firm in the alcohol beverage law niche, serving overlapping client types with similar licensing, regulatory, and compliance offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beer-law-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Beer Law Center