Robin J. Bowen
Alcohol Beverage Counsel
Washington, D.C.
T: +1 202 756 8139
F: +1 202 756 8087
rbowen@mwe.com
Robin J. Bowen is an alcohol beverage counsel in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office. She is a member of the Firm’s Alcohol Beverages and Products Practice Group, where she focuses her practice on labeling, formulation and taxation of alcohol beverages, trade practices, advertising, licensing by federal and state alcohol beverage authorities as well as federal regulation of non-beverage alcohol. In addition, Robin assists importers and exporters of a wide range of products in U.S. Customs matters, including tariff classification, country of origin marking, valuation, rulings, protests, and compliance procedures. Robin also provides lobbying and strategic counseling services to individual clients and the Brewers Association.
Prior to joining the Firm, Robin clerked for the Honorable Eugene Siler of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She also served as legislative director in the federal affairs division of a national health insurance trade association where her work focused on the development and execution of legislative strategies on various health care issues before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Robin previously served as senior legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, where she handled issues under the jurisdiction of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
Robin is admitted to practice in Kentucky and the District of Columbia.
Representative Experience
- Prepare compliance manual covering federal and state alcohol beverage regulatory matters for major U.S. importer of distilled spirits.
- Prepare 50-state surveys on state rules governing product classification, taxation, trade practices, promotional restrictions, and pricing.
- Secure formula and label approvals for uniquely formulated distilled spirit and wine specialty products.
- Advise clients on the re-formulation of beverage and non-beverage alcohol products.
- Assist clients in securing federal and state approval as alternating brewery proprietorships and distilled spirits manufacturers.
- Supervise alcohol beverage licensing and regulatory compliance for multi-state retailer as part of a corporate acquisition.
- Counsel clients on country of origin marking requirements and tariff classification options for alcohol beverages, specially packaged alcohol beverages and other manufactured goods.
- Advise clients on TTB and customs rules governing the importation and taxation of beverage and non-beverage alcohol products.
- Represent the interests of the Brewers Association with regard to the introduction and passage of federal legislation to allow quarterly tax reporting by small brewers, wineries and distillers.
Education
- American University-Washington College of Law, J.D., 1999
- Transylvania University, B.A., 1990
