Source: http://www.alcohol.law/digest/archive/north-carolina
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 13:04:45+00:00

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Revisions to the North Carolina malt beverages franchise act became effective yesterday when the Governor signed Senate Bill 745. Last year’s similar bill was stalled after brewers took issues with some of the terms. Senate Bill 745 is a compromise bill that passed the legislature with wide margins. Among the changes, the new law explicitly states that the meaning of “good cause” for termination purposes cannot be modified from the definition set forth in North Carolina law; however, there is a provision in the law that allows brewers that obtain self-distribution approval from the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission to terminate a wholesaler franchise relationship without good cause if “fair market value for the distribution rights for the affected brand” is paid to the wholesaler. Fair market value is determined not as an average price, but must be “highest dollar amount at which a seller would be willing to sell and a buyer willing to buy.” See Senate Bill 745, § 18B-1305(a1). The bill also revises what constitutes good cause, what factors a supplier may consider when approving an assignment, transfer or merger of a wholesaler, treatment of brand extensions, and prohibited acts by suppliers.
The new law also introduces a mandatory mediation requirement. If a dispute arises among a supplier and a wholesaler that is likely to lead to litigation, then the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission can require the parties to submit to mediation in an effort to resolve the dispute. This requirement may arise solely by the initiative of the Commission, or either party to the dispute may request that the Commission mandate the mediation. See Senate Bill 745, § 18B-1309. This new provision makes North Carolina one of the few states with laws on mediation for resolution of conflicts between beer suppliers and wholesalers. California and Maryland are the only other two states that discuss mediation in their beer franchise acts. See Cal. Bus & Prof. Code § 25000.2; Md. Code Ann. § 21-103.
It remains imperative for suppliers to review a state’s laws and regulations when entering into a distribution agreement and also to give oneself enough time for review and negotiation of the agreement, especially in light of the fact that states like North Carolina are further restricting the ability of suppliers and wholesalers to contract around franchise act laws. For more information about distribution agreements and franchise acts, please see our prior post available here or feel free to contact an attorney at Strike & Techel.
The Fourth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals recently decided that North Carolina’s former Wine Distribution Act did not require that a wholesaler used by an importer of foreign wine must be used by a new importer of that wine. Country Vintner of N.C., LLC v. E & J Gallo Winery, Inc., No. 10-2289 (4th Cir., January 6, 2012). Wine from Bodegas Esmeralda, an Argentinean winery, was being imported into the United States by Billington Imports, which in turn used Country Vintner of North Carolina as its exclusive North Carolina wholesaler for the wine. Bodegas Esmeralda then switched its importer to E & J Gallo. After the switch Gallo began using its own wholesaler network, as opposed to Country Vintner. The Fourth Circuit upheld the district court’s conclusion that there had never been a commercial relationship between Gallo and Country Vintner and therefore, Country Vintner had no protections from North Carolina’s Wine Distribution Act. The protections Country Vintner had under the act with Billington Imports were no longer relevant due to the fact that Billington ceased to import the wine.
In 2010, North Carolina amended its Wine Distribution Act to provide a continuation of wholesaler rights upon a succession to importer rights; however, that amendment only applies prospectively. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 18B-1213. Thus, in importer-wholesaler relationships entered into after the 2010 amendment in North Carolina, the holding of this case will not apply. For relationships entered into prior to the change, however, the case provides instructive insight into wholesaler continuation rights in a change of importer situation.
If you’d like to discuss specific distribution issues, please feel free to contact any of the attorneys at Strike & Techel.

References: § 18
 § 18
 § 25000
 § 21
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 § 18