With hands-on experience owning restaurants and building beverage brands from conception to completion, our lawyers know how to implement a sound legal approach.

The lawyers in our hospitality group represent craft breweries, premium spirit distillers and wineries; luxury resorts and multi-state-hotels; and restaurant groups and distributors, to name a few.

We understand the three-tiered marketing model and have successfully guided our clients through the brand-distribution-retail channels. Specifically, we work side-by-side with our clients to secure the necessary licensing and permitting, to obtain optimal sources of funding, to implement marketing and promotion channels, and to navigate critical trade practices and compliance regulations.

Like we do for all of our business clients, we provide legal counsel and advice in employment matters and stay abreast of the latest cyber security and privacy issues for all segments of the hospitality industry.

Our attorneys have been deeply involved as board members for leading organizations such as the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and they speak and write on topical areas in the industry.

Our office is based on South Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island in the rapidly developing waterfront / I-195 region, connecting the East Side to Downtown and the Knowledge District. Contact us at 401.455.0700.

• D&S attorneys handled the acquisition, financing and development of  a local, commercial brewery with an 100-barrel capacity. It works with established, mid to large-sized craft breweries looking to expand capacity, sales and distribution as a partner brewery; brewers may brew their beer under the care and supervision of their own brew-master, in a state-of-the-art facility offering a wide range of brewing and packaging services.
• The firm represented a hotel owner in a multi-million portfolio transaction that involved both debt and equity financing. The transactions included the acquisition of five hotel properties in New England and disposition of three hotel properties that significantly advanced and upgraded its property holdings in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
• D&S attorneys represented a leading, employee-owned hospitality company based in Newport, RI in the purchase of a successful New England-based restaurant chain.
• The firm represented a real estate project development and management company in its acquisition of a Newport-based yachting and entertainment venue in 2014. The eight-figure transaction involved a private placement of equity under Rule 506 of Regulation D of the securities laws as well as traditional bank financing.
• The firm served as counsel to the founders of an emerging “light” spirit,  handling all legal matters from inception — including securing of licensing and intellectual property — through funding and growth via geographic expansion.