SAN FRANCISCO/ST. HELENA, CALIF., May 14, 2019: Northern California legal powerhouse Farella Braun + Martel is pleased to welcome Rick Tooker to the firm’s St. Helena office as a land use planner with a focus on the wine industry.

“Rick’s deep professional planning experience has played an integral role in the development of the Napa Valley, and he is highly regarded for his ability to balance the different community interests arising from the interface of a burgeoning wine economy with our vibrant cities and towns,” said Katherine Philippakis, chair of Farella’s Wine Industry Group. “His addition to our team provides a powerful resource for our firm and our clients and adds another valuable layer to our comprehensive offerings in the wine space.”

Rick is a seasoned land use planning professional with 30 years of experience navigating the many facets associated with land use rights for complex, and sometimes controversial, projects in the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Peninsula. He has worked in Napa, Healdsburg, Calistoga, Livermore, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, and consulted in several other cities on residential and mixed use developments, including Oakland’s City Center development.

Prior to joining Farella, Rick was the Planner Manager and Community Development Director for the City of Napa, where he actively participated in the resurgence of Downtown Napa. He managed projects securing entitlements for several hundred-thousand square feet of new retail, office, industrial, and residential development. He was the project manager of Napa Riverfront, Andaz, Napa Square, Main Street West, 1313 Main Street, and the Culinary Institute of America at Copia. He also led the development department in permitting revitalization and construction of First Street Napa and 1300 First Street, Vista Collina Resort, and the Cinedome Plaza.

At Farella, Rick's primary focus will be on the firm’s wine and hospitality practices. “We are very fortunate to have Rick join the firm,” said Philippakis, “and we look forward to introducing him to our clients, colleagues, and friends.”

Farella Braun + Martel is a leading Northern California law firm representing corporate and private clients in sophisticated business transactions and complex commercial, civil and criminal litigation. Clients seek our imaginative legal solutions and the dynamism and intellectual creativity of our lawyers. We are headquartered in San Francisco and maintain offices in the Napa Valley that are focused on the wine industry.

Contact:  Cheryl Loof
Farella Braun + Martel LLP
[email protected]