Jesse D. Lyon

Jess Lyon focuses his practice on transactions and regulatory issues for clients in the wine, food, beverage and agribusiness industries. He helps structure and negotiate asset acquisitions and develops strategic agreements for manufacturing, distribution, licensing and marketing. Jess advises clients in a full range of related work, from real estate transactions to trademark licensing.

Jess leads multi-state distribution contracts for a variety of beer, wine, and spirits clients. Within the alcohol industry, his supply chain transactions experience includes vineyard leasing, grape and bulk wine sales and sourcing arrangements, and winemaking and winery hosting agreements. He also helps clients buy and sell vineyards, wineries, breweries, and distillery businesses, and guides clients with corporate work and family business succession planning. Moreover, he regularly advises his clients on changes in the legal climate which may affect their businesses, multi-state tied-house laws and alcoholic beverage trade practices.

Jess speaks with regional winery groups throughout the Pacific Northwest and has discussed management of industry-specific legal opportunities and pitfalls in presentations to the membership of the International Culinary Tourism Association.

Practice Highlights

• Pacific Rim Winemakers: principal outside counsel
• Laurelwood Brewing Company: principal outside counsel and in the development and expansion of new facilities, including concept locations in concourses at Portland International Airport
• Willamette Valley Vineyards: principal outside counsel, including disputes with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) involving privilege taxes, product integrity and labeling
• Clear Creek Distillery: state and federal regulatory matters, liquor licensing/permitting and fire safety for new urban distillery location
• Oregon Winegrowers Association: serving as principal outside counsel for all advocacy and legislative matters
• Carlton Winemakers Studio (multi-winery cooperative winemaking and shared tasting room facility): principal outside counsel in the development and implementation of strategic business and regulatory/liquor licensing plans
• New York- and Pacific Northwest-based advertising and public relations firms: analysis and development of multistate advertising and marketing programs and tasting events, in compliance with liquor laws in key markets nationwide, for their wine and beer industry clients
• Representing more than 100 other wine and alcoholic beverage industry clients, such as Wine by Joe, Winderlea Wine Company and Mateveza Ales, as principal outside counsel for business, real estate, regulatory and compliance matters