When Tom McCormick, Executive Director of the California Craft Brewers Association, comes to speak to my Craft Beer Law class here at McGeorge, one thing he always tells my students is that there is a shortage of attorneys conversant with craft beer law and the industry in California. Well, three craft beer law attorneys just teamed up to form a powerhouse craft beer law legal team. And I suspect it will have a positive impact on breweries’ legal needs.
According to a press release yesterday, Noble & Page LLP (San Luis Obispo) and Candace Moon of The Craft Beer Attorney, APC (San Diego) have formed an Of Counsel relationship. This association speaks directly to me because Lucas Noble and Maddie Page are relative newcomers to the craft beer law scene, and I have watched them grow and learn (Lucas, dare I say mentored?) in this amazing industry and practice area. Candace Moon, on the other hand, is the juggernaut of California craft beer law and is essentially the first attorney to have specialized in this area. All three are friends of mine. So it is amazing to see them come together to provide excellent legal services to California’s more than 1000 craft breweries.
In essence, this new association of attorneys forms the largest one-stop shop for any brewery’s legal needs, including ABC and TTB licensing, general counsel services, trademark and copyright, employment, and several more areas. Lucas and Maddie bring youthful exuberance and energy to the table, while Candace brings more than a decade of expertise and strategy. While there are several other craft beer attorneys out there in the state (all very capable in my experience, nod to Eugene Pak and Mike Kanach among others), these three teaming up represents a sort of consolidation like we see in the craft brewery segment. By teaming up, these three attorneys will represent a large number of breweries in the state and are positioned to further increase their client base.
Cheers to Lucas, Maddie, and Candace. When you need to hire associates (and that day is coming), you know where to look—McGeorge and its craft beer law program.