Wine

With its long history in the winery and viticulture business, Farella Braun + Martel LLP is considered the premier law firm in California for comprehensive wine industry legal representation.  The wine team at FBM represent over 100 wineries including nearly all of the nation's publicly traded wineries (at various times), as well as grape growers, winemakers, distributors, domestic and international investors in the industry, consultants, and suppliers of winery and vineyard equipment.

With its offices in both San Francisco and the Napa Valley, FBM is in a unique position to offer its clients the best of both worlds: the resources of a large, urban law firm, with the specialized knowledge and contacts of a local practice.  In an increasingly sophisticated global wine market, FBM's wine lawyers represent a competitive advantage for their wine-industry clients.  As winery owners and grape growers, our attorneys not only practice law, but we implement our own advice.

FBM assists winery and vineyard owners with acquisitions and sales, vineyard leases, grape contracts, custom-crush agreements, broker and distribution agreements, alcohol-beverage regulatory compliance, litigation, employment and trademark and licensing issues.  Additionally, the firm has extensive experience in wine industry corporate transactions, such as the Vincor - R.H. Phillips merger and the Terlato - Chimney Rock joint venture.  The firm has represented the Robert Mondavi Winery for over 20 years, including its public offerings.  The firm handled the sale of Golden State Vintner's Edgewood facility, as well as the acquisition of Chalone Wine Group's Provenance Winery.

The firm's land use and environmental attorneys handle vineyard erosion control plan processing, winery use permits and variances, CEQA and environmental compliance work, lot-line adjustments and certificates of compliance, and environmental, title, and regulatory due diligence associated with wine-industry real estate transactions.  Recent work includes a use permit for Opus One Winery, and a use permit, variance, and certificate of compliance for the S. Anderson Winery.

FBM's estate-planning and tax attorneys assist winery and vineyard owners with wealth-transfer strategies and business-succession plans.  The firm's litigation department has handled major insurance claims, real-property disputes, construction claims, distribution contract disputes, employment disputes, environmental claims, and intellectual property conflicts.  

Food, Beverage, Sprits and Beer Experience

Supporting our wine practice is our extensive food and alcohol beverage regulatory practice.  Lead by an industry veteran, FBM's regulatory practice focuses on assisting a wide range of food, spirits, beer and wine producers, retailers, suppliers and distributors comply with the myriad industry regulations and laws in California and throughout the US.  Specifically, we provide counsel and advice on legal matters facing our clients, including environmental regulations compliance such as water rights and quality issues; federal and state regulations on the production, marketing and distribution of wine, beer and spirits; and Proposition 65 compliance.  In addition, many of our clients request advice on advertising; consumer protection and privacy, e-commerce, weights and measures, unfair trade practices and transportation. 

We are recognized as a leader in representing supermarket chains and franchised restaurants and have served as litigation counsel to Safeway, Inc., Lucky Stores, Albertson's, Costco, Inc. and Super Store Industries.  For many years, we have also represented the Oakville Grocery and the Round Table Pizza Franchise in numerous corporate and litigation matters.