Buffalo’s hospitality sector is powered by immigrant labor, full stop. The city’s restaurants, markets, bakeries, and hotels do not function without the workforce that federal enforcement agencies are now targeting. The current administration’s posture isn’t just a policy shift; it is a direct hit on the operating capacity, cultural identity, and economic stability of Western New York. These actions create fear, destabilize staffing pipelines, and put employers in an impossib

Acquiring a restaurant, bar, hotel, or other hospitality business in New York seldom closes on schedule. The main sources of delay are...

Buying or selling a bar, restaurant, or hotel in New York is exciting — but it’s rarely simple. Asset purchase agreements are designed to...

Updated September 2025.   TL;DR   A.6277-A would add §61-c to New York’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Law (" ABC Law ") to create a new...

New York’s 2025 legislative session produced two additional alcohol-law proposals with outsized implications for hospitality, beverage...

Rachel L. Wright, Esq. , Buffalo, New York On June 7, 2025, the New York State Legislature passed Senate Bill S7909 / Assembly Bill...

As global consumer preferences evolve and economic headwinds continue to challenge traditional industries, even long-established titans...

For over a decade, the question of whether New York supermarkets should be permitted to sell wine has occupied a pivotal role in the...

In response to economic pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic, New York State temporarily authorized the sale of alcoholic beverages for...

In 2018, my final project in Advertising Law discussed how scaling small production tequila distillation was both destroying the quality...

FDA regulations, food safety, infant formula, federal oversight, global trade, regulatory law, public health, agency reform As a lawyer,...

Returning to work as a new mother is challenging in any profession. But in corporate law—where time is literally money and every...

By Rachel L. Wright, Esq., Corporate Attorney & Hospitality Professional Several years ago, I was part of a company that was acquired by...

By Rachel L. Wright, Esq. | Business, Hospitality & Licensing Law | Based in Buffalo, NY As a hospitality attorney working with bars,...

In the highly competitive global alcohol market, geographic origin functions not only as a marker of provenance but as a legally...

Hooters of America, the iconic brand known for its wings, beer, and, well, distinctive ambiance, has recently filed for Chapter 11...

A defense attorney in my office recently told me that because of my strong held belief in justice that I belong in the courtroom. Little...

The restaurant and bar industry in New York is confronting a new challenge with the possible implementation of high tariffs on European...

The restaurant industry in 2025 faces a dynamic and challenging economic environment. While the sector is projected to reach $1.5...

The proposal to permit wine sales in grocery stores in New York presents significant legal and economic challenges, particularly for...