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IN THIS DISPUTE BETWEEN PLAINTIFF BEER DISTRIBUTORS AND DEFENDANT BEER COMPANY, THE SECOND DEPARTMENT HELD THAT ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL ACT SECTION 55-C(4), WHICH PROHIBITS TERMINATION OF A DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO CURE, APPLIES TO BOTH WRITTEN AND ORAL CONTRACTS; THE COURT WENT ON TO FIND THAT THE COMPLAINT, WHICH WAS BASED ON AN ORAL DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT, DID NOT STATE A CAUSE OF ACTION FOR BREACH OF SECTION 55-C(4) (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, in a full-fledged opinion by Justice Hom, in a matter of first impression, determined the “Alcoholic Beverage Control Act § 55-c(4) [hereinafter “the Act”], which prohibits the termination of agreements between brewers and beer wholesalers without good cause and an opportunity to cure, applies to non-written agreements.” Plaintiffs are beer distributors. Plaintiffs’ distribution contracts with defendant beer company (Yuengling) were oral. Defendant purported to terminate plaintiffs’ distribution contracts. In response to plaintiffs’ lawsuit alleging violation of the Act, defendants argued the Act does not apply to oral contracts. The Second Department held that the Act does apply to oral contracts, but determined the complaint did not state a cause of action for breach of the Act

:…[W]e conclude that the amended complaint in this action failed to state a cause of action alleging violations of Alcoholic Beverage Control Law § 55-c because the plaintiffs failed to plead the essential and material terms of their alleged distribution agreements. Oak Beverages, Inc. v D.G. Yuengling & Son, Inc., 2025 NY Slip Op 04730, Second Dept 8-20-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for a statutory-interpretation analysis where the statute is ambiguous. The issue here was whether a statute, which required that any termination of a beer distribution agreement be for good cause with an opportunity to cure, applied to both written and oral contracts. The court resolved the ambiguity in favor of protecting oral as well as written agreements.

 

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