PA Liquor Law: Brewing, Distilling, Selling – and Staying Compliant 2026

Cris focuses his legal practice on the alcohol beverage industry, one of the most-regulated and least-understood areas of American commerce and law. He advises clients throughout the United States at every level of the three-tier system – manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, distributors, and retail licensees of every description – while also addressing liquor law issues for clients operating outside the alcohol beverage industry, including lenders, developers, secured parties, investors and investment banks, regulators, elected officials, municipalities, community groups, social hosts, employers, litigants, political parties and candidates, and charitable organizations. Also among his clients have been trade associations and other groups of brewers, wholesalers, and retailers.
He advises clients concerning regulatory compliance, licensed operations, transactions, distribution, licensing, enforcement actions, liability claims, and risk management, and has served as an expert in litigation involving liquor liability issues and license valuation. Elected officials at every level of government in Pennsylvania have solicited his consultation on alcohol beverage regulation and industry issues, including assistance with respect to crafting sections of the Liquor Code.
Cris has served three terms as chair of the American Bar Association’s national Committee On Alcohol Beverage Practice. He regularly conducts and arranges legal presentations at industry events, such as meetings of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators, the National Beer Wholesalers Association, the American Bar Association Committee on Alcohol Beverage Practice, and beer wholesaler associations from nine states. Cris also lectures for groups ranging from the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management and Beer INSIGHTS to CLE International and the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters. Trade publications and general circulation media frequently publish his commentary and articles concerning legal and business issues associated with the alcohol beverage industry.
After conducting a national alcohol beverage practice at Buchanan Ingersoll Professional Corporation and Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, Cris worked for several years as president of Symons Capital Management, an investment advisory firm founded by his contracts professor, Edward L. Symons Jr. Before attending law school, Cris was a reporter and editor at The Pittsburgh Press, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and the Austin American-Statesman. He is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Arts and Sciences and of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, at which he was an honors graduate, a member of the law review (although he resigned to play poker and pinoche with friends in the law school basement), and a member of the Order of the Coif.

Michael Plank is an assistant counsel with the Office of Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The office contains approximately 15 attorneys who handle all aspects of the PLCB’s operations, including wholesale, retail and warehousing issues, personnel matters, and procurement and contracts with various third parties.
Michael is part of a team of four lawyers who primarily handle matters relating to licensing, including the issuance, transfer and renewal of liquor licenses. Such matters are presented before hearing examiners appointed by the Governor, with the PLCB ultimately serving as fact finder and adjudicator. Michael and the others represent the PLCB’s Bureau of Licensing in such matters. Each attorney handles about 100 cases each year, most of which proceed to a hearing. Many cases are resolved, both before and after a hearing, via conditional licensing agreements which are negotiated and drafted by the assigned attorney. In addition, in cases where the PLCB refuses the issuance, transfer or renewal of a license, the assigned attorney then represents the PLCB upon appeal. Most of these are de novo to the court of common pleas in the county in which the license is located. Further appeals by either party may then be taken to the Commonwealth Court.
Michael attended Temple University for both undergraduate studies and law school. He resides in Cumberland County.

Carter Hoel is a Member at OGC Law, LLC. Carter focuses his practice on business needs including business entity formation, breach of contract disputes, civil litigation, arbitration, premises liability, election law, and insurance coverage. Prior to joining OGC Law, Carter practiced at three downtown Pittsburgh law firms. Carter has represented clients in Pennsylvania courts from the magistrate level to the Supreme Court. Additionally, he has handled matters in federal court in the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Eastern District of New York.