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Alcohol law expert Kristen Techel, a white woman with long brown hair with bangs and wearing a pink shirt, leans against a wooden bar at Broc Cellars winery holding a small spirits glass with amaro

Benefit from a lifetime of experience in the alcohol beverage industry

Born and raised in Napa, I grew up surrounded by the wine industry. My dad’s best friend owned a small winery, and my brother and I worked on the bottling line as kids, specializing in wrinkly foils, crooked labels, and trying to control the music in the winery so we could listen to Bel Biv DeVoe instead of Steely Dan.

After attending UCLA for undergraduate and Berkeley for law school, I found my way back to the alcohol industry as an attorney, first working at a well-known law firm specializing in alcohol beverage law, then starting and growing my own well-known law firm specializing in alcohol beverage law. In 2020, I left that firm and launched Drink Law as a solo alcohol law specialist practice.

Over the past 20 years, I've helped some of the largest wine, spirits, beer, retail and e-commerce brands manage the complexities of alcohol law.

I’ve worked with start-ups, multi-generational family businesses, conglomerates, publicly traded companies, investment funds — and even started a wine business myself. In 20 years of being devoted to a full-time alcoholic beverage law practice, I’ve seen it all, and I can help you strategize the best approach for your business. You’ll get smart, practical business solutions backed by a lifetime of experience in the alcohol beverage industry.

ACCORDION BLOCKS

  • I am very proud of my client roster, which includes well-known companies that everyone has heard of and new businesses that you’ll be hearing about soon. Even so, I don’t list my clients to preserve confidentiality. This enables me to ask anonymous questions of regulatory agencies without the agency tying the inquiry back to any specific client.

  • 100%. Getting a specialist involved early prevents problems and blockers. If you want to get the deal done and have a smooth post-close transition, don’t wait until close to deal with alcohol law details. 

  • No. I act as specialty alcohol beverage counsel, working alongside and in support of your lead counsel.

  • It depends. Outreach from a state is usually backed by solid evidence of a misstep, so should trigger immediate review of your systems to see what might need to be fixed to prevent a reoccurrence. If you have a complicated problem to solve, or if you are confused about the requirements to achieve compliance, I can help you navigate.

  • No. I advise on strategy and can help you decide what licenses are needed for your business objectives, but I don’t fill out applications or complete your monthly compliance filings. I can refer you to someone who can help with applications as needed and can help you structure your compliance systems.

  • Yes.

  • No.

  • No.

Alcohol law expert Kristen Techel, a white woman with long brown hair with bangs and wearing an orange patterned dress, is sitting at a table and looking through a book about California's alcoholic beverage laws

KRISTEN TECHEL

ALCOHOL LAW ATTORNEY
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I help you manage the complexity of alcohol law

Alcohol law is all I do. I’ve been a specialist for more than 20 years. I’ve worked with the biggest names in wine, spirits, beer, retail and e-commerce. I know the rules, I know how regulators work, and I can help you stay in compliance.

Here’s what else you can expect when working with Drink Law:

  • A focus on practical solutions, systems and education to protect and limit risk in your business.

  • A collaborative partnership with you, your leadership team, and your other lawyers.

  • Insight into regulatory agencies gained through a career of working with and serving on alcohol industry boards & policy committees with state regulators.

Drink Law Specialties

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    Launch & Expansion Strategies

    Set your business up for success with smart, practical strategies to ensure you're legal & protected from risk

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    M&A Counsel

    Benefit from an alcohol-specific expert who can spot issues and help you fix them for smooth integrations

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    Strategic Problem-Solving

    Partner with us to develop solutions for when things go sideways, regulators contact you, or you are struggling to find a path to feasibility

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    Marketing & Promotions

    Empower your marketing & sales team with on-call legal counsel to help them promote your products within legal regulations

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