Areas of Expertise
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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
- Ackerman Family Vineyards
- American Winesecrets
- Bank Club Wine Collective
- Barbour Vineyards
- Blue Oak School
- Bonny Doon Vineyard
- Build Pictures
- Brasswood Estate
- Ca'Momi
- C Casa
- Congregation Beth Shalom
- Cruse Wine Company
- Cunat Premium Vineyards
- D’Artagnan Vineyards and Winery
- Eberlin Construction
- ETTAN Restaurant
- Farm West
- Fior di Sole
- Food & Vine (Salute Santé)
- Gasser Foundation
- G Wine Cellars
- Jack Neal & Sons
- Lang & Reed Wine Co.
- Left Coast Wine Company
- Lightstream Animation
- Live in the Vineyard
- Materra
- Middle Path Wines
- Napa General Store
- Napa Valley POS
- Oro Puro Vineyards
- Paul Bullard Associates
- Ramondin U.S.A.
- Red Car Wine Company
- RMC Wines
- R and R Marketing Services
- Robert Foley Vineyards
- San Savino Vineyard Wines
- Sbragia Family Vineyards
- Silverado Premium Properties
- SMOKE Open Fire Cooking
- Southside Cafe/Southside Century
- The Scholium Project
- Skywalker Vineyards
- The Wine Thief
- Two Worlds Wine Company
- Thomas Allen Vineyards & Winery
- UCC Vineyards Group
- Ultramarine Wines
- Visit Napa Valley
- Western Grace Distilling
- Wine Colleagues
- Wine Opinions
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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
- Congregation Beth Shalom
- ETTAN Restaurant
- Fior di Sole
- Gasser Foundation
- Ilsley Estate Wines & Farming
- Jack Neal & Sons
- Middle Path Wines
- Napa Valley Ford
- Oxbow Public Market
- Plata Wine Partners
- Ramondin U.S.A.
- Royal Wine & Spirits
- Sawyer Cellars
- Sbragia Family Vineyards
- Silverado Premium Properties
- Southside/Southside Century
- Skywalker Vineyards
- UCC Vineyards Group
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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
- Bank Club Wine Collective
- BRAND Napa Valley
- Brasswood Estate
- Ca'Momi Restaurant
- Ca’Momi Winery
- California Wine Festivals
- Cruse Wine Company
- Cunat Premium Vineyards
- D’Artagnan Vineyards and Winery
- Da Ve Winery
- Delta Artisan
- ETTAN Restaurant
- Fior di Sole
- Food & Vine (Salute Santé)
- G Wine Cellars
- Neal Family Vineyards
- Red Car Wine Company
- Royal Wine & Spirits
- RMC Wines
- Sbragia Family Vineyards
- SMOKE Open Fire Cooking
- Southside/Southside Century
- Skywalker Vineyards
- The Duke Truck
- The Wine Thief
- Thomas Allen Vineyards & Winery
- Waugh Cellars
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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
- Ackerman House
- Carnera Corporate Center
- Cunat Premium Vineyards
- Gasser Foundation
- Middle Path Wines
- Napa Vineyard House
- Sawyer Cellars
- Sbragia Family
- The Duke Truck
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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.
- Wineries
- Wine-related (cork/capsule/barrels/tanks)
- Winemakers, other consultants
- Breweries, Distilled Spirits
- Vineyards/funds/managers
- Wholesalers/distributors
- Restaurants and bars
- Resorts, B&B's, spas
- Luxury Food producers
- Market Research
- Entertainment (animation, music, events, artists & theaters)
- Professional Service Firms
- Public markets and other retail
- Tasting rooms
- Tourism and recreation
- Non-grape agriculture
- Financial institutions/advisors
- Real estate development
- American Viticultural Areas
- Publishing
- Technology/software
- Nonprofits
- Schools (public, private, charter)
- Ackerman Family Vineyards
- Agaverose Wine Company
- American Winesecrets
- Bank Club Wine Collective
- Barbour Vineyards
- Blue Oak School
- Bonny Doon Vineyard
- Build Pictures
- BottleRock Napa Valley
- BRAND Napa Valley
- Braswood Estate
- California Wine Festivals
- Ca’Momi Restaurant
- Ca'Momi Winery
- Carnera Corporate Center
- Charles Krug Winery
- Congregation Beth Shalom
- Cruse Wine Company
- Cunat Premium Vineyards
- D’Artagnan Vineyards & Winery
- Da Ve Winery
- Delta Artisan
- ETTAN Restaurant
- Farm West
- Fior di Sole
- Food & Vine (Salute Santé)
- Gasser Foundation
- G Wine Cellars
- Ilsley Estate Wines & Farming
- Jack Neal & Sons
- Lang & Reed Wine Co.
- Left Coast Wine Company
- Lightstream Animation
- Live in the Vineyards
- Lucasfilm/Skywalker Vineyards
- Materra
- Middle Path Wines
- Neal Family Vineyards
- Napa Valley Ford
- Napa Valley POS
- Napa Vineyard House
- Oxbow Public Market
- Oro Puro Vineyards
- Paul Bullard Associates
- Plata Wine Partners
- Ramondin, U.S.A.
- Red Car Wine Company
- RMC Wines
- Robert Foley Vineyards
- Royal Wine & Spirits
- R and R Marketing Services
- San Savino Vineyard Wines
- Sawyer Cellars
- Sbragia Family Vineyards
- Silverado Premium Properties
- SMOKE Open Fire Cooking
- Southside/Southside Lounge
- Sunrise Montessori
- The Duke Truck
- The Scholium Project
- The Wine Thief
- Two Worlds Wine Company
- UCC Vineyards Group
- Ultramarine Wines
- Visit Napa Valley
- Waugh Cellars
- Western Grace Distilling
- Wine Colleagues
- Wine Opinions