Overview
McDermott Will & Emery, a leading international law firm, announced today that Alva Mather has joined the Firm’s Alcohol Regulatory & Distribution Group as partner. She will succeed Marc Sorini as the head of the industry-leading group at the end of the year.
“I have worked with Alva for years and know her as a star in our sector. In working through my transition, we knew we needed the best to continue to meet our clients’ high standards. I am thrilled she has joined McDermott to lead of our exceptional group. This industry is continuing to grow, and Alva has the industry knowledge, creativity and dedication to provide outstanding service while solving our clients’ most complex challenges,” said Marc Sorini.
Marc will retire at the end of the year and plans to remain a friend and fan of the Firm as he pursues new adventures.
“McDermott has been privileged to be a trusted advisor to many companies in this industry for decades, and we recognize their need for highly specialized counsel who understand and anticipate their unique concerns. With an established track record advising alcohol beverage companies, Alva has the necessary substantive industry experience and credibility to help our clients mitigate risk, respond to challenges and get ahead of what’s next,” said Ray Jacobsen, the leader of McDermott’s Regulatory practice and a Washington, DC-based partner.
“Marc is known as one of the premier lawyers in this field, and we are very grateful for his efforts to build our outstanding group over the past 20 years. In Alva, we have found a lawyer with exceptional capabilities and the national recognition to lead our group for the next 20 years and beyond,” added Ray.
Alva’s practice focuses on regulatory counseling, commercial contracting, transactional due diligence and investigatory and litigation support for the alcohol beverage industry with particular focus on the supplier tier. She combines extensive knowledge of the commercial and legal landscape with a deep understanding of nuanced industry needs and best practices across a host of legal issues affecting brewers, distillers, wineries, importers and retailers. Additionally, she works with clients in the growing cannabis space and has in-depth understanding of the evolving legal and regulatory issues affecting this industry.
“It is very rare to be asked to take the lead of a group with McDermott’s stature. Marc has built an amazing team focused on service and innovation. I am honored to have the chance to grow and expand the team and our range of services while maintaining the world-class service that the group is known for nationwide,” said Alva.
Alva is a Chambers-ranked lawyer who joins McDermott from DLA Piper. She serves as the chair of the American Bar Association’s Cannabis and Alcoholic Beverages Subcommittee and is a founding member and treasurer of the Craft Beverage Lawyers Guild.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. With more than 20 locations on three continents, our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and geographies to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,100 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
