RURAL LAW INITIATIVE LEGAL RESOURCES
Rural Law Initiative Legal Resources
We hope that the content herein will empower you to run a stronger business.
The Rural Law Initiative Resource Page is intended to offer legal information and education to rurally-based entrepreneurs and businesses. The available documents, videos, and podcasts are not a substitute for legal advice from an attorney, nor do they give rise to an attorney-client relationship. These resources are to be used for educational and informational purposes only.
The items posted on this website are created for a general audience and without investigation into the facts of your particular case. These materials should not be construed as legal counsel for any single individual. The Rural Law Initiative makes every effort to keep the materials on this website accurate, complete, and up-to-date; however, legal advice must be tailored to your specific circumstances, and laws are constantly changing. Accordingly, we make no warranties about the accuracy of these materials and disclaim liability for damages resulting from reliance on these materials.
All content on the Rural Law Initiative website, whether written, video or audio, is exclusive proprietary content and cannot be modified or misappropriated. The materials can be used and shared for educational and informational purposes only. Any additional use of these materials requires written consent from Albany Law School.
This Rural Law Initiative Resource Site was made possible by funding from the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties, and by the USDA, which is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form found online at https://www.ascr.usda.gov/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-us-customer, at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form.
You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed form or letter by mail to U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Offie of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, fax (202) 690-7442, or email program.intake@usda.gov.
Craft Beverages
The craft-beverage industry is an integral part of New York’s local food and drink markets.
Thanks in part to the Craft New York Act of 2014 and a number of State initiatives to support such enterprises, microbreweries, wineries, distilleries and cideries are springing up across the state. In an effort to support the needs of such businesses, the Rural Law Initiative created a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) program on counseling craft-beverage businesses in New York State.
We held the program in October 2017 in Oneonta, NY, and in April 2018 in Utica, NY, and covered New York State Liquor Authority laws, labeling and packaging laws, and intellectual property laws relevant to craft beverage businesses.
Both programs also included a panel of craft-beverage business owners discussing the legal obstacles they faced starting and running their businesses. The video recordings of each session, and the CLE program materials, are available below.
All are PDFs available for download.
Video
How to Get and Keep a Liquor License
Presented by Thomas J. Donohue, Esq., Secretary of the New York State Liquor Authority, at the CLE entitled Hops, Barley, Apples & Laws: Lawyering Basics for Craft Beverage Businesses, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.
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Video
The Ups and Downs of Running a Craft Beverage Business
Presented at the CLE entitled Hops, Barley, Apples & Laws: Lawyering Basics for Craft Beverage Businesses, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of Albany Law School's Government Law Center. Panelists: Bill Felter, Founder and Owner, Serious Brewing Co.; Kristen Lyons, Founder and Owner, Binghamton Brewing Co.; Patti Wilcox, Co-Founder, Awestruck Ciders; Ken Wortz, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Kymar Farm Winery & Distillery.
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Video
The IP in IPA: Intellectual Property Basics
Presented by Devin Morgan, Esq., patent and intellectual property attorney and entrepreneur, at the CLE entitled Hops, Barley, Apples & Laws: Lawyering Basics for Craft Beverage Businesses, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of Albany Law School's Government Law Center.
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Video
Put it on the Bottle: Packaging and Labeling Laws
Presented by Arielle Albert, Esq., Danow, McMullan & Panoff, P.C., at the CLE entitled Hops, Barley, Apples & Laws: Lawyering Basics for Craft Beverage Businesses, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of Albany Law School's Government Law Center.
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Business Structures
Download or watch for more information.
All are PDFs available for download.
Video
Labor Issues Affecting Small Businesses
Presented virtually via zoom, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School. Panelist included Paul J. Bueler, Esq. ’16 from Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC.
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Video
Prescriptions for Small Business Financial Distress –Bankruptcy and Alternatives
Presented virtually via zoom, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School. Panelist Hon. Nancy Lord, United States Bankruptcy Judge in the Eastern District of New York; Frank Brennan, Partner at Nolan Heller Kauffman LLP, and past president of the Capital Region Bankruptcy Bar Association; and Richard Weisz, Senior Counsel, Hodgson Russ, LLP.
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Video
Examining the Insurance Needs of Business Operators in Herkimer & Oneida Counties to Cover Risks Created by COVID-19
Presented virtually via zoom, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School. Panelist Richard G. Liskov, Senior Counsel, Arent Fox LLP, Adjunct Professor of Law, Albany Law School, former Deputy Superintendent and General Counsel for the New York State Insurance Department, and expert on insurance-related transactional and regulatory matters
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Farm Businesses
Download free materials here. Videos recorded October 2018.
All are PDFs available for download.
Video
Too Much Farm Debt?: A Primer in Chapter 12 Bankruptcy
Presented by esteemed panelists Honorable Diane Davis, Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of New York, Peter Orville, Esq., Patrick G. Radel, Esq., and Mark W. Swimelar, Esq., at the CLE entitled “Too Much Farm Debt?: A Primer in Chapter 12 Bankruptcy,” organized by the Rural Law Initiative of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School, and hosted by the thINCubator in Utica, NY.
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Video
Agricultural Land Preservation - Conservation Easements and other Property Law Tools
Presented by Jerry Cosgrove Attorney and Co-author of Your Land is Your Legacy, A Guide to Planning the Future of Your Farm, at the CLE entitled Sustaining NY's Farms: Legal Solutions for Farm Business Futures, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.
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Video
Get In or Get Out - Farm Business Entry & Exit
Presented by Tim Veazey, CFP, CLU, ChFC, Bruce Charleton, MBA, CBEC, CLTC (Lincoln Financial Advisors) and Jeff Fetter, Esq (Scolaro, Fetter, Grizanti, & McGough) at the CLE entitled Sustaining NY's Farms: Legal Solutions for Farm Business Futures, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.
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Video
Protecting Farm Assets - Trusts and other Estate Planning Tools
Presented by Megan Harris-Pero, Esq. Harris-Pero Legal Counsel, PLLC, at the CLE entitled Sustaining NY's Farms: Legal Solutions for Farm Business Futures, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.
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Video
Farm Debt Workouts - Bankruptcy Laws to the Rescue
Presented by Maxsen D. Champion, Esq., Law Office of Maxsen D. Champion at the CLE entitled Sustaining NY's Farms: Legal Solutions for Farm Business Futures, hosted by the Rural Law Initiative of the Government Law Center at Albany Law School.
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Employment Law
Downloadable PDFs
Podcasts
Listen to each on SoundCloud