Robert F. Lewis

Robert F. (Rob) Lewis focuses his practice on the laws governing the alcohol beverage industry and the manufacture, importation, and retail sale of alcohol beverages, as well as tobacco and other regulated products. Rob has accumulated over 35 years of experience in the alcohol industry, including previously serving in law enforcement and as a special agent with the State of Florida, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. His practice includes diverse and multi-discipline areas of legal needs common to hospitality and alcohol industry clients.

Rob’s experience includes working with foreign and domestic alcohol manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and retail industry clients in all aspects of complex alcohol licensing and the structuring of alcohol service operations, alcohol trade practice analysis and guidance, including the negotiation of asset/license purchase agreements, management agreements, license and permit transfers and licensing due diligence issues, the review of marketing agreements, importation agreements, new product development, formula and label approvals, regulatory compliance guidance, and defending regulatory enforcement actions, including state and federal investigations of alcohol industry members. His experience also includes administrative litigation, alcohol licensing zoning due diligence and approval processes, and state and local government lobbying efforts, including drafting new legislation and legislative amendments relating to the alcohol and hospitality industries. As a former law enforcement officer and special agent with the State of Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, Rob has experience with the processes and methods by which government regulators investigate and apprehend alcohol and tobacco law violators. He has also served as an expert witness on matters relating to alcohol beverage law and administrative code provisions in Florida.

Additional experience includes assisting clients with business permitting and license transfers as a result of new business ventures, expansion projects, and as special regulatory counsel for large industry acquisitions, such as mergers and acquisitions between national hospitality and alcohol industry clients, including contractual negotiations and related issues, regulatory compliance guidance, the large scale transfer of licenses and permits, including alcohol, food, and lodging licenses, business licenses and permits, certificates of use and occupancy licenses, and other related operational permits that are associated with these transactions.

Rob’s clients include domestic and foreign alcohol and tobacco suppliers, importers, wholesalers, real estate developers, and a broad range of alcohol retailers, including large box retailers, national restaurant chains, national pharmacies, private clubs, national retail chains, bars and nightclubs, national hotel chains and national hotel management companies, restaurateurs, sports arenas, including MLB and NBA sport franchises, national movie theater companies, entertainment complexes, residential/commercial developments, and other members of the hospitality and alcohol industry.

Rob has received an AV Preeminent ranking (the highest ranking possible) by his peers from Martindale-Hubbell. Additionally, he has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America, for Food and Beverage Law, since 2015, and Rob has been ranked by Chambers USA in the Nationwide category for Food & Beverages: Alcohol. According to Chambers, clients "praise his in-depth comprehension of the many nuances of the various state alcohol licensing permit processes. He is very good at explaining the process and having all of the work done in a professional and efficient manner." Chambers further states that market insiders praise him as “sensitive to the client’s needs and the nuances of a complicated transaction. He is an excellent strategist.”