With high school prom season approaching, hoteliers and liquor licensees must take note of their special responsibilities concerning minors.  The sale or furnishing of alcoholic beverages to a minor in Pennsylvania can result not only in an administrative citation against a licensee, resulting in a fine, suspension or revocation of its license, but also criminal liability against the manager or officers of the licensee.  The offense is one of absolute responsibility with only one proper defense: the licensee must comply fully with the requirements of the Liquor Code, receiving an LCB card or a Pennsylvania driver's license from the patron and having the patron sign a statement card provided pursuant to LCB regulations.

Any area used for a prom or other gathering exclusively for minors must be segregated from the remainder of the licensed premises.  If the area cannot be segregated, all alcoholic beverages either must be removed from the licensed premises or placed under lock and key during the event.  Proper supervision must be provided on that portion of the licensed premises where minors are present.  This requirement entails one person twenty-five years of age or older for every fifty minors or portion thereof.  These adults are directly responsible for the care and conduct of such minors while on the licensed premises, and the minors must be within their sight or hearing at all times.  The presence of the licensee or of any employees or security officers of the licensee does not constitute proper supervision.

We are pleased to report that the Firm was recently retained to serve as General Counsel to the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association ("PRA").  The PRA's membership includes more than 2,000 restaurants, foodservice industry purveyors and suppliers, and colleges, universities and culinary schools.  Keith Clark led the PRA board through a governance process of re-writing the organization's bylaws during 2007 and, at the beginning of 2008, PRA retained Shumaker Williams, P.C., as General Counsel.

This is the most recent addition to the Firm's portfolio of over two dozen tax-exempt trade and professional association clients, and further expands on our commitment of over 40 years to representation of the hospitality industry. 

Shumaker Williams, P.C., counsels a wide variety of business entities and other organizations in the hospitality industry.  Some of the specific practice areas include:  trademarks; immigration; purchase and sale of restaurants, hotels and attractions; hotel room, amusement and federal tax matters; and human resource issues.  The Firm's extensive knowledge of the industry and its issues enables us to maintain our tradition of providing practical and effective solutions to the problems faced by our hospitality industry clients.