Jesse D. Lyon
Partner
Nationwide Co-chair, Food + Beverage and Agriculture Practice; Chair, Portland Corporate and Business Transactions Practice
Jesse Lyon helps food, beverage, alcohol, and agriculture companies find and realize business opportunities and solve complex challenges. With firsthand experience on his family's farm, advanced degrees in agricultural economics, and a deeply focused legal career spanning over 20 years, his exceptional knowledge helps food, beverage, and agriculture clients thrive. He helps alcohol beverage businesses grow through strategic and practical counsel, particularly with regard to multi-state distribution and tied house laws.
Jesse has guided food & bev companies of all sizes, and their investors, as they navigate this industry. Jesse spends most of his days advising emerging companies, middle market and family-owned businesses, and established global brands about strategically important decisions and transformational transactions including crop production and ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, supply chain relationships, wholesale and consumer products branding and distribution models, brand and plant variety intellectual property strategies, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic agreements.
Practice Highlights
Agriculture
Food
Alcoholic beverages
Representative Agriculture Experience
Representative Food Experience
Representative Alcohol Experience
Admitted to Practice
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Oregon, 1998
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Washington, 2007
Education
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J.D., George Mason University School of Law, 1998, with high honors
- Articles Editor, George Mason Law Review
- Kleinfeld Fellow of the Food and Drug Law Institute
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M.S., Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, 1995
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B.S., Agricultural Economics, Washington State University, 1992, cum laude
- Harry S. Truman Scholar
Memberships & Affiliations
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- Founder and Host, Farm to Label, Davis Wright Tremaine event, 2013-present
- Davis Wright Tremaine Executive Committee, 2016-present
- Davis Wright Tremaine Share Committee, 2013-2016
- Adjunct Instructor, Washington State University Carson College of Business, Wine Business Certificate, "Wine Business Law and Compliance" course, 2018-2019.
- Board of Directors, Zenger Farm, 2012-2018
- Principal Outside Counsel, Oregon Winegrowers Association
- Advisory Committee, School of Hospitality Business Management, Washington State University
- National Board of Advisors, College of Business, Washington State University
- Steering Committee, Northwest Agribusiness Executive Seminar
- Past President, Agricultural Law Section, Oregon State Bar
Professional Recognition
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- Named as one of "America's Leading Lawyers for Business" by Chambers USA in Food & Beverages: Alcohol (Nationwide), 2010-2022; Corporate/M&A (Oregon), 2011-2014, 2018-2022; Named a "Recognised Practitioner" for Corporate/M&A, 2019
- Selected to "Oregon Super Lawyers," Thomson Reuters, 2012-2022
- Named one of the "Best Lawyers in America" in Mergers & Acquisitions by Best Lawyers, 2020-present
- Industry Partner Award, Oregon Wine Industry, 2006
- Named as one of the "Forty Under 40," Portland Business Journal, 2004
