Food & Beverage Legal Risks in Hotels: Licensing, Liability & Alcohol Compliance (Presented by HospitalityLawyer.com)

Stephen Barth, Founder | HospitalityLawyer.com®

Stephen Barth, author of Hospitality Law and coauthor of Restaurant Law Basics, is an attorney, the founder of HospitalityLawyer.com, the annual Hospitality Law Conference series, and the Global Travel Risk Summit Series. As a professor at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston, he teaches courses in hospitality law and leadership. He is #3 on Global Guru’s Top 30 Hospitality Thought Leaders & Influencers for 2023. In addition to legal and travel risk mitigation insight, Stephen specializes in communicating the importance of Emotional Intelligence in leadership roles; and has provided valuable insight to many companies including The Methodist Hospital System, Wyndham Worldwide, Dine Equity, Business Travel News and Aramark. His fun, fast-paced presentations provide practical information and solutions to enhance your personal and professional life.

• Education & Credentials

He earned a B.A. in Economics, an M.A. in Communications, and a J.D. from Texas Tech University. His faculty profile also describes decades of work in hospitality law and leadership education, alongside litigation-support and expert-witness work in hospitality-related matters.

• Recognition & Leadership

He has received University of Houston teaching recognition, including the Career Teaching Excellence Award, and other teaching honors noted in his professional materials. He has also been recognized by Global Gurus in its hospitality rankings, including being listed as the #1 hospitality professional for 2022 and appearing in the 2023 and 2024 lists.

• Professional Involvement

His work includes building HospitalityLawyer.com as a platform serving hospitality lawyers and industry leaders with legal, safety, and risk-management resources. He is also associated with industry-facing conferences and summits that convene professionals around hospitality legal risk and travel risk management.

• Experience

Across more than three decades at the University of Houston’s Hilton College, his profile notes teaching and speaking activity at significant scale, including thousands of students taught, extensive publishing, and hundreds of industry presentations. His work also includes being retained in litigation contexts and contributing expertise on hospitality-related standards of care and operational risk.

Elizabeth A. DeConti, Regulated Products Section Chair | GrayRobinson, P.A.

Elizabeth A. DeConti is a GrayRobinson attorney and Regulated Products Section Chair whose practice focuses on alcohol beverage, food, hospitality, litigation, and related regulatory matters. She is described by the firm as a nationally and internationally recognized alcohol beverage and food lawyer who has spent more than 25 years advising clients on regulation, licensing, compliance, promotion, and litigation. Her work includes representing major alcohol suppliers, wholesalers, national chain retailers, marketing companies, and hospitality-industry clients before courts and administrative agencies, as well as advising on advertising, promotions, digital media compliance, liquor license transactions, and international alcohol-related matters.

• Education & Credentials

Elizabeth A. DeConti earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996, where she was a Harvey T. Reid Scholar. She received her B.A., cum laude, with Distinction, from Yale University in 1993. Her admissions listed in the biography include Connecticut, Florida, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida. She is also listed as fluent in Italian and French.

• Recognition & Leadership

Her biography lists multiple recognitions, including the Anthony G. Marshall Hospitality Law Award (2022), Chambers USA for Food and Beverages: Alcohol, Best Lawyers in America for Administrative / Regulatory Law, Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent, and Florida Trend Legal Elite recognitions. In leadership roles, she serves as Regulated Products Section Chair at GrayRobinson. The biography also notes leadership positions outside the firm, including President of the USTA Florida Section Foundation, President of the Yale Club of Tampa Bay from 2017 to 2019, and Co-President of the Yale Class of 1993 from 2018 to 2023.

• Professional Involvement

Her listed professional and civic affiliations include the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys, the American Bar Association, the Connecticut Bar, the Federal Bar Association, the Hillsborough County Bar Association, and Women of the Vine and Spirits. The biography also reflects an active speaking and publishing profile in hospitality, alcohol beverage, and regulatory compliance settings, including presentations for the Hospitality Law Conference, NABCA, DISCUS, AHLA, and Women of the Vine and Spirits. These entries reflect sustained involvement in professional organizations and industry-facing legal education.

• Experience

According to the biography, Elizabeth A. DeConti has more than 25 years of experience handling alcohol beverage and food law matters involving regulation, licensing, compliance, promotion, and litigation. Her practice includes complex commercial disputes, franchise, administrative law, and intellectual property matters, along with advisory work on alcohol advertising, sweepstakes, contests, digital and social media compliance, and large-scale liquor license transactions. The biography also highlights her international work, including advising European clients, negotiating the sale and purchase of Italian wineries, working with Italian law firms on litigation in Italy and the United States, representing German breweries, and counseling foreign entities seeking to export products from Western Europe into the United States.

I. Understand Alcohol Licensing and Permitting Requirements for Hotel F&B Operations | 12:00pm – 12:20pm

This topic explains the legal and regulatory framework governing alcohol service in hotels, including licensing, permitting, and operational approvals. It highlights how requirements can differ depending on the outlet type, ownership structure, and jurisdiction. Attendees will better understand how licensing issues affect both compliance and day-to-day operations.

II. Identify Liability Risks Associated with Alcohol Service and Strategies to Mitigate Exposure | 12:20pm – 12:40pm

This section explores the liability risks that can arise from alcohol service, including over-service, service to minors, and event-related incidents. It also addresses the legal theories and practical situations that often lead to claims against hotels. The discussion emphasizes prevention through training, policies, oversight, and operational controls.

III.Recognize Insurance Considerations and Coverage Gaps in Food and Beverage Programs | 12:40pm – 1:00pm

This topic looks at how insurance supports hotel risk management in food and beverage operations, particularly where alcohol is involved. It examines the relationship between liquor liability, general liability, and contractual risk transfer. Attendees will learn where common coverage gaps appear and how those gaps can increase exposure.

Break | 1:00pm – 1:10pm

IV. Navigate Multi-Jurisdictional Compliance Challenges and Regulatory Enforcement Trends | 1:10pm – 1:25pm

This section addresses the challenge of operating food and beverage programs across jurisdictions with different legal standards and enforcement priorities. It explains how local variation can affect licensing, promotions, service rules, and compliance expectations. The presentation also highlights enforcement trends that may create increased scrutiny for hotel operators.

V. Develop Practical Risk Management Approaches That Balance Compliance with Profitability | 1:25pm – 1:40pm

This topic focuses on how hotels can manage legal risk without sacrificing revenue opportunities or guest experience. It emphasizes practical approaches that align compliance, business strategy, and operational efficiency. Attendees will come away with ideas for building F&B programs that are both defensible and commercially effective.