Navigating wage-and-hour laws can sometimes feel like running a brewery during Oktoberfest—busy, complex, and full of moving parts. With local, state, and federal rules often foaming over into each other, it’s easy for even the most diligent employers to find themselves with a compliance hangover.

As your business grows, whether you’re just tapping your first keg or you’ve been pouring for years, wage-and-hour issues can sneak up like an unexpected aftertaste. Compensation structures, pay practices, and employee policies that once seemed straightforward can become muddled, especially when expansion brings new faces and new challenges. What starts as a small spill can quickly turn into a bigger mess, affecting more employees and opening the door to costly claims.

This session will highlight five common wage-and-hour mistakes that can leave employers feeling flat and offer practical ways to keep your operations crisp and compliant. We’ll cover timekeeping best practices, how to handle bonuses and commissions for hourly staff, the tricky business of classifying employees, managing work hours and breaks, and the use of independent contractors and temporary help.

Along the way, we’ll share real-life examples and tips for keeping your workforce happy and your business out of hot water—so you can focus on brewing success, not legal headaches.

After being exposed to Fair Labor Standards Act cases while clerking for a federal appellate court, A.J. began his legal career with a focus on developing an expertise in wage-and-hour compliance and litigation. That has led A.J. to a practice that spans the laws and courts of the country but centers on California’s uniquely challenging compliance and litigation landscape.

A.J. takes a creative, pragmatic, and business-first approach to managing the defense of complex wage-and-hour class and collective actions, working with clients not only to identify the best path to an efficient and effective resolution but also to adjust problematic practices and policies in a way that accomplishes the client’s business goals while mitigating the risk of future claims. As a member of Husch Blackwell’s Food Systems industry unit, A.J. regularly advises food and beverage producers on employment law compliance.

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Payment processing shouldn’t be a mystery. This session offers a straightforward look at merchant services for taprooms of all sizes. Whether you’re launching your first location or reevaluating your current setup, you’ll learn what to consider when choosing a payment partner that fits your business goals.

We’ll cover the basics of how merchant services work, compliant pricing programs, and the importance of clear, transparent fees. You’ll also explore omni-channel solutions that connect your taproom, web store, and events, and understand what quality service and support should look like when you need it most.

You’ll leave with practical tools to make informed decisions that save money, reduce stress, and keep your taproom running smoothly.

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Tim Hohl founded Coin Toss Brewing in Oregon City, Oregon in March 2015 and ran it for almost nine years before selling in February 2024. The decision to sell started informally in May 2022 — a mix of burnout, financial pressure, and changing market conditions. After hiring a broker later that year, interest was slow. Tim also reached out directly to other brewery owners in the Northwest and had conversations with wholesale partners and a few loyal customers who wanted to keep the brand going. None of those discussions went anywhere. In late 2023, a serious buyer showed up. After weeks of negotiating, they shook hands before Thanksgiving and closed the deal three months later.

What We'll Talk About:

• Why I decided to sell: When the idea first came up and what pushed me to actually do it. The real reasons: running low on cash, staffing problems after COVID, customers drinking less and spending differently, and just feeling stretched too thin.

• Getting ready to sell: What I wish I'd known going in. When to tell people (and when not to). Why selling to friends or regular customers gets complicated fast. Keeping expectations realistic without burning bridges.

• -The negotiation process: The emotional roller coaster of actually making a deal. What I learned about trust, timing, and when to walk away. How things change once it gets serious.

• Letting go: What it felt like the day it became real. The mix of relief, pride, and loss. How I made peace with it.

• What comes next: Figuring out who you are when you're not "the brewery owner" anymore. Staying connected to the community without being in it the same way. What success looks like now.

• Lessons for other owners: The practical stuff and the emotional stuff. What I'd do differently. What I'm glad I did.

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