Transfer of business assets or stock

1. A brewer shall not unreasonably withhold or delay its approval of any assignment, sale, or transfer of the stock or other indicia of ownership of a wholesaler or all or any portion of a wholesaler’s assets, wholesaler’s voting stock, the voting stock of any parent corporation, or the beneficial ownership or control of any other entity owning or controlling the wholesaler, including the wholesaler’s rights and obligations under the terms of an agreement when the person to be substituted meets reasonable standards. Upon the death of one of the partners of a partnership operating the business of a wholesaler, a brewer shall not deny the surviving partner of the partnership the right to become a successor-in-interest to the agreement between the brewer and the partnership, if the survivor has been active in the management of the partnership and is otherwise capable of carrying on the business of the partnership. 2. Notwithstanding subsection 1, upon the death of a wholesaler, a brewer shall not deny approval for any transfer of ownership or management to a designated member, including the rights under the agreement with the brewer. The transfer or assignment shall not be effective until written notice is given to the brewer, but the brewer’s consent to the transfer or assignment shall not be required.