Dram Shop Liability: Bar, Restaurant, and Individual Exposure for Over-Serving Customers and Guests
Recording of a 90-minute CLE video webinar with Q&A
This CLE course will familiarize counsel with the panoply of dram shop liability issues. These issues include the substantive bases of liability under dram shop acts, the procedural steps required under those statutes, statutory interpretation issues, and insurance coverage factors.
Outline
- Background and content of dram shop statutes
- Statutory analysis and construction
- Standard of care
- Underage drinkers
- Private hosts
- Role of common law defenses
- Insurance coverage issues
Benefits
The panel will review and other critical matters:
- Theories and bases of liability under dram shop statutes
- Procedures to comply with dram shop statutes
- Defenses to liability
- Recovery and insurance issues
Faculty

Drew Hamilton Butler
Shareholder
Richardson Plowden
Mr. Butler focuses his practice on general litigation, including but not limited to construction litigation, products... | Read More
Mr. Butler focuses his practice on general litigation, including but not limited to construction litigation, products liability defense, government defense, and personal injury litigation.
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John Cocklin
Dram Shop, Alcoholic Beverages Regulation and Police Practices Expert
Exigent
Mr. Cocklin has unique experience in police practices, Dram Shop litigation and retail alcohol issues derived from a... | Read More
Mr. Cocklin has unique experience in police practices, Dram Shop litigation and retail alcohol issues derived from a 34-year law enforcement career with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Criminal Justice (DCJ) and Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Divisions. As Chief for the ABC, he supervised over 17,000 matters involving more than 10,000 alcoholic beverage related businesses. Investigations included underage patrons, visibly intoxicated patrons, acts of violence and other criminal activity.
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David Lail
Attorney
Yarborough Applegate Law Firm
Mr. Lail devotes much of his practice representing drunk driving victims in Dram Shop Litigation and has written and... | Read More
Mr. Lail devotes much of his practice representing drunk driving victims in Dram Shop Litigation and has written and presented extensively on this niche practice area. Recently, he was a principal author of the book, “South Carolina Dram Shop Litigation: A Practice Guide” and was a contributing co-author of the Dram Shop Liability section of “South Carolina Damages, Second Edition” both published by the South Carolina Bar. Since he began practicing law in 2011, Mr. Lail has helped achieve over $168 million on behalf of injured clients - including over $50 million in jury verdicts and more than $51 million for victims of drunk driving.
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Michael J. McCabe, Jr., Ph.D., DABT
Toxicologist/Immunologist
Exigent
Dr. McCabe is an internationally trained and nationally recognized scientist with a proven track record of... | Read More
Dr. McCabe is an internationally trained and nationally recognized scientist with a proven track record of accomplishment in toxicology and related disciplines. He has broad-based knowledge and possesses a depth of understanding and experience necessary to analyze exposures to a wide variety of chemicals and drugs and to assess the relevance of such exposures to human health and diseases as well as human performance.
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