(Note: This story appears in the July 2022 issue of ED Magazine)
After a long hiatus, the EXPO is happy to reintroduce the “Legal Roundtables” (Wednesday, August 17, 11 am – noon) where attendees will be able to grab some brunch and a Bloody Mary, then sit down with their choice of 12 top First Amendment attorneys.
Sadly, unlike what’s true for nearly every other type of legal business, the ability to open and continue operating a US adult nightclub is something that an operator can not take for granted. With plaintiffs’ attorneys often seeing adult clubs as low-hanging fruit for the picking with employment, model image rights, ambitious politicians wanting to make their names on adult clubs’ backs, the run-of-the-mill negligent security and personal injury lawsuits, and religious activists who feel they have the right to dictate everybody’s morality, the gentlemen’s club industry seems to be in perpetual peril.
Needless to say, the worst time to shop for fire insurance is when your business is already smoldering. So it’s prudent for an adult club operator to have their legal ducks in a row
and be ready to plug in an expert familiar with legal issues specifically relating to adult businesses to represent their club when a challenge arises. This need doesn’t diminish any working relationships you may have with perfectly competent business attorneys, it’s just not good enough to roll the dice with a general practitioner for specific, targeted issues. The two can work in concert. Think of it this way: you might have a great general practitioner or internist, but if you have a heart issue, wouldn’t you want to consult the best cardiologist you could find? Given the opportunity, who wouldn’t want to pick the brains of this industry’s seasoned legal warriors without having to reach for their checkbook?
For the first time in many years, the 2022 EXPO is bringing back an always-popular event, the Legal Roundtables. So grab a plate and sit down with a top industry attorney! A select group of top industry First Amendment, employment law, business development, zoning law, and other industry-essential attorneys will each have their own “table” at the brunch to converse in an informal setting with club operators on the industry-related legal topics that are part of their practice and the creative challenges these clubs face. It’s an excellent opportunity to have a chat with the industry’s top defenders, and who wouldn’t want that?
The brunch will be from 11-noon, Wednesday, August 17th, at the EXPO at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. This year, we’re privileged to present a real “dream team” of industry attorneys: Daniel Aaronson, Eric Bernstein, Tammy Bokmuller, Clyde DeWitt, Matt Hoffer, Jeffrey Kimmel, Luke Lirot, Devon Lyon, J. Michael Murray, Jeff Scott Olson, Casey Wallace and Cary Wiggins.
The 2022 Gentlemen’s Club EXPO Legal Roundtable Brunch brings EXPO attendees together with industry attorneys and other professionals who briefly summarize very complex legal issues and judicial decisions for informational purposes only.
THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE NEITHER AN EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE MATTERS DISCUSSED, NOR TO BE CONSTRUED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, AS LEGAL ADVICE. Laws vary by state and municipality. Attendees are strongly encouraged to consult their attorneys, accountants, and other professionals for specific advice on specific issues that may affect their businesses, and only on the basis of individualized advice make decisions as to what measures to take on any specific issue. The positions and opinions expressed by the attorneys are their own and do not represent those of their clients or ED Publications, the producer of the 2022 Gentlemen’s Club EXPO. BY ATTENDING THE EXPO LEGAL ROUNDTABLE BRUNCH, PARTICIPANTS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE LIMITATIONS AND SCOPE OF THE INFORMATION PRESENTED AND ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ANY MATTER DISCUSSED IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.
Larry Kaplan has for 21 years been the Legal Correspondent for ED Publications. In addition, Mr. Kaplan is a business broker in the sale and purchase of adult nightclubs and adult retail stores and the Executive Director of the ACE of Michigan adult nightclub state trade association. Contact Larry Kaplan at 313-815-3311 or email larry@kaplanclubsales.com.
