New York has seen an explosion in private members clubs catering to diverse interests recently. From Tiro a Segno, a club in Manhattan since 1888, to San Vicente Bungalows which opened in the former Jane Hotel in March 2025, the pay-for-play social scene is thriving. Licensing a private members club in New York has challenges. By law, it must be operated by a not-for-profit company and may only serve its dues paying members and their guests. There are restrictions on private events, along with many other rules. We have been helping members clubs obtain liquor licenses ever since Nick Jones and Soho House landed in the Meatpacking District over twenty-two years ago, in 2003. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. has developed a particular expertise in licensing members clubs in New York. In addition to Soho House, we are proud to have obtained private members club licenses for Zero Bond, Casa Cipriani, San Vicente Bungalows, ZZ’s, Chez Margaux, The Twenty Two, Casa Tua, Fly Fish, Ned Nomad, Maxwell Social, Neuehouse, Norwood, Seven 24 Collective, Tiro e Segno, and The Wing, to name a few. Other club licenses we are working on are in process, including Stylus, and clubs to be opened at the Gramercy Park Hotel, at 520 Fifth Avenue and at 40 Broad Street. There is a bill presently pending in Albany that would create a new class of private members club licenses that would eliminate the not-for-profit company requirement. Bernstein Redo & Savitsky, P.C. has been at the forefront of working with lobbyists, the New York State Liquor Authority, and club operators to shepherd this bill through the legislative process. We will report next month on its success.
The New York chapter of the prestigious International Network of Boutique & Independent Law Firms invited Bernstein Redo, P.C. to become a member, as the representative firm in the hospitality law field. Membership is offered only to carefully selected law firms. The network of highly credentialed attorneys offers specialized boutique law firms across the United States and Canada. INBLF, which was created in New York in 2004, now has chapters in over twenty states and throughout the world. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to become a member of INBLF.
On Friday, October 18th at 9 am, Bernstein Redo, P.C.’s Donald Bernstein will be teaching a continuing legal education course on Retail Liquor Licensing in New York. It is a three hour, three credit class sponsored by the National Law Institute, and held at Morgan Stanley, 1585 Broadway in Manhattan. We will cover all aspects of the law and process for licensing a hotel, restaurant or bar, including who is qualified to hold a license, tied-house restrictions, the 200 foot rule, the 500 foot rule, special permits including temporary and one day catering permits, what premises can or cannot be licensed, licensing private members clubs, the community board and State Liquor Authority process, and other many matters. There is no fee for these classes. Please contact Roy Fenichel at the National Law Institute (rfenichel@mitnational.com) if you would like to register, or Donald@brpclaw.com.
On February 27, 2018, Conde Nast Traveler published its list of the 31 Best Hotels in New York City. Bernstein Redo, P.C. is proud to represent 16 — more than half — of those hotels on this exclusive list, including Soho House, 11 Howard, Public, The Beekman, 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, The Nomad Hotel, Ace Hotel New York, Standard High Line, Hotel Americano, The Williamsburg Hotel Gramercy Park Hotel, Peninsula New York, among others. Congratulations to our clients who made the list.
On Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. Donald Bernstein will be teaching a Continuing Legal Education class at the National Law Institute on restaurant leases. The three hour course, appropriate for attorneys as well as others interested in common issues faced in negotiating and drafting a restaurant lease, will cover the most significant issues a practitioner or business owner may face. These issues included use clauses, assignment and subletting provisions, contingency clauses and how liquor license and other permitting issues impact lease negotiations, default and termination provisions including fire and demolition clauses, landlord representations, good guy guaranties, and many other issues. Registration for the course can be found here: http://nationallawinstitute.com/class/restaurant-leases-a-new-york-city-review/. For any other questions about this class please contact Sheri@brpclaw.com.
Last night Donald M. Bernstein participated as a panelist and speaker at Restaurant Law University held in White Plains, New York. Sponsored by The Westchester County Bar Association’s Hospitality Law Subcommittee of the Business & Commercial Law Committee and the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Food & Beverage Alliance, the program started with a round table discussion of various issues and questions relating to franchising, the purchase and sale of a restaurant. The presentations included a section on retail liquor licensing, intellectual property rights relating to restaurants, leasing, and employment issues. The program was attended by lawyers, restaurant owners, and other professionals.
Mr. Bernstein is also a frequent lecturer at the National Law Institute in New York on the purchase and sale of a restaurant, and retail liquor licensing issues. Watch the NLI website (www.nationallawinstitute.com) for upcoming continuing legal education classes on these and other topics.