Matt Eisenberg

Areas of Expertise

• Business

  Business

  Matt works for business clients and entrepreneurs throughout the business cycle, which includes entity selection and formation, through acquisitions, and disposition events like sale, merger or dissolution. He has guided individuals and families on a range of business issues, and has assisted both public and privately-held companies on securities offerings and as outside general counsel on business transactions and corporate/board governance. In this regard, he has successfully negotiated acquisitions and sales (stock and asset purchases) of vineyard, winery, brewery, resort, luxury food and restaurant property and related assets, a range of debt and equity financing transactions, complex vineyard leases and grape contracts, in addition to preparing and structuring investment offering materials and advising clients on a variety of finance and business planning issues.

  Representative Business Clients

  • Abide Napa
  • American Winesecrets
  • Arietta Winery
  • Barbour Vineyards
  • Blue Oak School
  • Bonny Doon Vineyard
  • Build Pictures
  • Brasswood Estate
  • C Casa
  • Child Start
  • Congregation Beth Shalom
  • Cruse Wine Company
  • Cunat Premium Vineyards
  • David Bruce Winery
  • Don Perico
  • ETTAN Restaurant
  • Food & Vine (Salute Santé)
  • Gasser Foundation
  • G Wine Cellars
  • Honey Whiskey
  • Hudson Ranch
  • Maverick Enterprises (Capsules)
  • Middle Path Wines
  • Morlet Selections
  • Napa General Store
  • Napa Valley Distillery
  • Popelouchum
  • Ramondin U.S.A.
  • Ram’s Gate Winery
  • Southside Century
  • Skywalker Vineyards
  • The Wine Thief
  • UCC Vineyards Group
  • Ultramarine Wines
  • Vintedge
  • Visit Napa Valley
  • Wine Opinions
  • Wine Spectrum
• Real Property

  Real Property

  Matt has significant experience on real property issues and works on structuring purchase and sale transactions as well as complex due diligence and title work during the acquisition phase and a range of leasing issues (commercial, industrial, office, ground/retail). Matt has guided clients on deals involving vineyard, winery, brewery, resort, restaurant property and related assets. Matt has also achieved success for multiple clients on real property sales tax issues and appeals.
  

  Representative Real Property Clients

  • Blue Oak School
  • Brasswood Estate
  • Child Start
  • Congregation Beth Shalom
  • David Bruce Winery
  • Don Perico
  • ETTAN Restaurant
  • Gasser Foundation
  • Honey Whiskey
  • Ilsley Estate Wines & Farming
  • Middle Path Wines
  • Napa General Store
  • Napa Valley Ford
  • Ramondin U.S.A.
  • Southside Century
  • Skywalker Vineyards
  • UCC Vineyards Group
• Alcohol Beverage/Food

  Alcohol Beverage/Food

  Matt regularly works with wineries, vineyard owners, importers, restaurants, hotels and other business on compliance with local, state and federal alcohol beverage laws, as well as various applications to the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC). Matt handles matters such as ABC license transfers and new license applications, TTB basic permit applications, custom crush contracts and alternating proprietorships, establishment of wine appellations, labeling matters, alcohol beverage franchise laws pertaining to distributor appointments and terminations and a full range of other alcohol beverage compliance matters. Matt also assists and advises gourmet and luxury food producers, restaurants and other food retailers.

  Representative Alcohol Beverage/Food Clients

  • BRAND Napa Valley
  • Brasswood Estate
  • California Wine Festivals
  • Cruse Wine Company
  • Cunat Premium Vineyards
  • ETTAN Restaurant
  • Food & Vine (Salute Santé)
  • G Wine Cellars
  • Morlet Selection
  • Red Car Wine Company
  • Southside Century
  • Skywalker Vineyards
  • The Duke Truck
  • Vintedge
• Land Use

  Land Use

  Matt obtains land use entitlements for prominent North Bay clients, including winery, brewery, hotel, restaurant and mixed-use development. Matt also works with experienced planners in Napa and Sonoma Counties in order to provide maximum value to his clients.

  Representative Land Use Clients

  • Cunat Premium Vineyards
  • Gasser Foundation
  • Middle Path Wines
  • Sawyer Cellars
  • Sbragia Family Vineyards
  • The Duke Truck
• Music, Film, Literary and Digital Arts

  Music, Film, Literary and Digital Arts

  Matt works with literary and music publishers, agents, managers, film directors/producers, music festivals, animation companies, video game companies, musicians/bands, artists, writers, animators, designers and others in the entertainment and digital arts sector on structuring and documenting deals, in addition to advising on various agreements in order to best monetize intellectual property assets.  Matt works closely with estate planning, litigation and intellectual property colleagues in order to provide a one-stop shop for legal needs to his clients in the creative fields.

  Representative Music, Film, Literary and Digital Arts Clients

  • BottleRock Napa Valley
  • Build Pictures
  • Darms Lane Music dba Anadel
  • Hoffman & Co.
  • Lightstream Animation
  • Various authors on publishing deals with Simon & Schuster, Chronicle Books
  • Napa Valley Youth Symphony
  • Lucasfilm Ltd.