Carrington Coleman Partner John B. Gessner Named to TABC Public Safety Advisory Committee

July 28, 2022 | News | 2 minute read

Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Blumenthal LLP hospitality industry attorney John B. Gessner has been selected to serve as a member of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission’s Public Safety Advisory Committee.

The committee is tasked with providing feedback to the TABC on its performance towards its goals of protecting the safety and welfare of the public through consistent and efficient enforcement of the Alcoholic Beverage Code and related rules. Mr. Gessner is the first of three new committee members announced by TABC Chairman Kevin Lilly.

“The TABC’s mission is of vital importance,” said Mr. Gessner. “It is an honor to be selected as a member of this committee to assist the TABC in consideration of public safety issues to better protect the citizens of Texas.”

An experienced and respected food and beverage hospitality lawyer, Mr. Gessner has served on the board of directors and executive committee of the Greater Dallas Restaurant Association for more than a decade.

He is a former president and chair of the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) and has served on its executive board for more than a decade. He also served as chairman of the association’s political action committee and led lobbying efforts that helped secure permanent status for new alcohol regulations, introduced on a temporary basis during COVID restrictions, allowing Texas restaurants to offer alcohol “to go.”

A frequent lecturer and author on hospitality-related topics, Mr. Gessner was a featured speaker during the TRA’s 2022 Texas Restaurant Show, attended by more than 4,000 restaurateurs and industry experts. He also has been a regular participant in the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research Roundtable since 2005.

At Carrington Coleman, he advises established and emerging brands in the areas of restaurant development; real estate and leasing; business operations and strategic planning; alcohol licensing; franchising; and formation and governance. He also has significant experience defending clients in employment and commercial litigation, as well as class actions. Mr. Gessner has represented clients before the EEOC, the Department of Labor, OSHA, and alcoholic beverage regulatory agencies.