Representative Experience
Negotiating complex operating, management, distribution and manufacturing agreements for clients in hospitality, food and beverage, wine, and agribusiness industries

Negotiating the acquisition and leasing of high-value agricultural real estate, wineries, food and beverage manufacturing and distributing facilities and hospitality business venues

Counseling food and beverage manufacturers, distributors, and wineries on operations, transactions, and the use of trademarks in compliance with food and beverage safety and labeling regulations under state and federal law

Advising clients on market channel decisions, regulatory compliance and transactions regarding agricultural, dietary supplement, and food and beverage products

Advising clients on interstate direct shipments of wine and Internet wine merchandising

Negotiating license arrangements for food, beverage and agribusiness trademarks, trade secrets, plant variety rights, and other intellectual property

Negotiating and drafting agreements for the use of agricultural land for the development of wind energy projects

Publications and Presentations
National recognition as a restaurant deal broker, quoted in Entrepreneur Magazine article, "Food Fetish," Dec. 2007

Author, "Restaurants make tasty targets for private equity firms," Portland Business Journal, June 2007

Co-authored "Marketing and Contracts" chapter of Oregon Viticulture

Authored articles concerning food labeling and food safety for AgExporter magazine and the Food & Drug Law Journal

Discussed management of industry-specific legal opportunities and pitfalls in presentations to the membership of the International Culinary Tourism Association Far West Agribusiness Association, the Oregon Horticultural Society, and the Oregon wine industry

Coordinated and presented at "Legal Strategies for the Food Industry" program cosponsored by DWT and Portland State University's Food Leadership Center

Presenter at The Mart luncheons and Oregon CCIM of the Commercial-Investment Real Estate Institute on obtaining the benefits of government agricultural assistance and resource conservation programs in real estate transactions

Presenter at NASCORE Specialty Coffee and Tea Conferences regarding hospitality industry start-ups and strategic alliances for product manufacturing and distribution

Memberships and Activities
Member of the Oregon and Washington State Bars

"Forty Under 40" Award, The Business Journal - Portland, 2004

Coordinating Chair, DWT Food and Agriculture practice group

North America Vice-President, Agribusiness Practice Group, Lex Mundi Worldwide Association of Independent Law Firms

Past President, Agricultural Law section of the Oregon State Bar

Friends of Washington State University Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

Advisory Committee, Washington State University School of Hospitality Business Management

National Board of Advisors, Washington State University's College of Business

Education
J.D., with high honors, George Mason University School of Law, 1998

• Articles Editor, George Mason Law Review
  
• Kleinfeld Fellow of the Food and Drug Law Institute

B.S. in Agricultural Economics, cum laude, Washington State University, 1992

• Nationally recognized as a Harry S. Truman Scholar