Introduction It seems anywhere you go in Nashville these days you will happen across a food truck or two loitering at a local business or parked downtown. Indeed, almost any local Nashville event has a gaggle of mobile food options as the primary food provider. You may wonder why this option is so popular among food service entrepreneurs. First, starting a food truck is typically drastically less expensive than starting a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Second, profit margins for mobile food units tend to be higher than brick-and-mortar establishments. Third, mobile food units can be used to test ..read more

Did you know you can bring your own booze to dinner or an event in Nashville? While it may sound as easy as packing a cooler for Live on the Green, bringing a bottle of wine to a restaurant, or having a cold one in hand while tailgate-hopping, there’s more to it than you might think. Numerous regulations need to be followed by the two perspectives involved: 1) an individual who wants to bring alcohol into an establishment and/or is hosting an event 2) an establishment wants to allow alcohol into their establishment or event, and they do not have or qualify for the appropriate permits. What doe ..read more

Against all odds, Congress, on a straight party-line vote, enacted the most significant tax reform the U.S. has witnessed in more than 30 years. The tax reform legislation, known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” significantly alters the tax law landscape for businesses. This article offers a high-level overview of some of the tax law changes that may specifically impact the gaming and hospitality industry. Corporate Tax Rates Slashed to 21% A hallmark of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is adoption of a flat 21% corporate income tax rate. Under prior law, the U.S. had one of the highest corporate tax ..read more

By: David J. Houston and Angelina Irvine, with contributions by Sara H. Jodka, Kenneth K. Ching, and David G. Bray Executive Summary and Takeaway: Trade secrets and confidential information are receiving increasing protection in many states, and as more states perceive this as a “business friendly” issue, this trend will continue and expand. Non-competition provisions, while generally enforceable, are being scrutinized more closely by state legislatures and courts. The best way to ensure that your enterprise is in as strong a position as possible is to review relevant policies and contracts to ..read more

By: Kate Lowenhar-Fisher, Jennifer Gaynor, Greg Gemignani and Jeff Silver October 2, 2017 SPECIAL STATEMENT On behalf of Dickinson Wright’s Las Vegas office and our gaming team, a few thoughts on the tragic events of October 1. Today, we are all still reeling from the events of last night and are coming to terms with the devastating losses in our community. But we retain hope for our city, our nation, and the gaming industry in Nevada. It is our understanding that the gaming industry conference, G2E, is still scheduled to open today in Las Vegas, and our casino resorts have lifted the securit ..read more

We are very pleased to announce and would like to congratulate the  attorneys from the firm’s Nevada offices have been included in Nevada Business’s Legal Elite 2017.  DW had the third largest number of attorneys selected for this year’s list.  The Legal Elite list includes only the top 4 percent of attorneys in the state broken down by location, with break-out lists for the Best Up and Coming and Best Government attorneys. In order to be included, attorneys passed several levels of scrutiny. Ballots were reviewed for eligibility and each voting attorney was vetted through the S ..read more