Learning the Basics: Starting a Craft Beverage Business

John Szymankiewicz is a licensed Professional Engineer and Attorney in North Carolina. Embarking on a second career, John went to law school at night while juggling a demanding full time job, a family, and teaching at a local martial arts school.

While launching his Raleigh law practice, John saw the need for trained, understanding attorneys focused on their clients needs in some key areas. Most importantly, this means developing an ongoing relationship, becoming a business partner, with clients instead of being merely a supplier of services. As such, in this law office, we strive to find the right solution for the client now and in the future. We look for opportunities to work collaboratively and keep costs down for our clients, principally individuals and small businesses.

In addition to being a lawyer, John is an avid homebrewer who got bit by the brewing bug shortly after he discovered that beer need not be yellow fizzy stuff. John believes in continuous, life-long learning and is passionate about the Craft Beer industry. Part of that industry passion includes adopting the spirit that that giving back to the community and supporting the local, independent business person is part of our responsibility as good Beer Citizens.

John is married and has a daughter (attending Full Sail University). John and his wife live in Raleigh NC with their three other “kids” of the four-legged variety.

Since 2009, Candace L. Moon, Esq. has actively served over 450 craft beer breweries, including breweries-in-planning, nationwide. She discovered the need for specialized craft beer counsel while working as a bartender at world-famous Hamilton’s while attending law school in San Diego, California. Through her conversations with brewers, she identified that there were no attorneys catering to the legally complicated industry. As a result, Candace formed The Craft Beer Attorney, APC.

Candace specializes in business entity formation, alcoholic beverage law, contract review, trademark law, and general counsel. She is in demand as a guest speaker for brewers’ guild and association meetings and craft beer conferences nationwide on matters such as distribution laws and trademarks to ensure clients and breweries-in-planning are complying with industry standards and regulations. She has been featured in newspapers, magazines, television segments, and online throughout her remarkable career.

Candace received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and her juris doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California. She sat on the Board of Directors for Pink Boots Society and San Diego Brewers Guild. She is a member of several esteemed professional associations, including the Brewers Association and California Craft Brewers Association, and has received multiple awards and accolades for her work in the industry.