Katherine A. Philippakis

Based in Farella Braun & Martel's Napa Valley office - established after the San Francisco firm's founding partner Frank E. Farella began planting grapes and making wine in the region in 1977 - Philippakis said that times have changed dramatically. Going off to Napa to make wine is "a path no longer available to San Francisco lawyers, due to skyrocketing land prices."

An example came last year when Philippakis acted as lead counsel on the acquisition of the 400-acre Mt. Veeder estate of the late Robin Williams by the Tesseron family, owners of one of France's foremost Bordeaux wineries. The deal closed for a reported $23 million. Williams called the place on the Napa-Sonoma border Villa Sorriso "house of smiles." "Williams' little joke," Philippakis said.

She spoke knowledgeably about the Tesserons' search for a suitable California terroir, investigating soil profiles and other necessary elements for making great wine. "They made the first vintage last fall," she said. "I'll have to go up and have a barrel sample. I'm sure it's fabulous. The Williams family is very pleased."

Philippakis' client list reads like a who's who of the grape. She acted as co-counsel with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP lawyers on the acquisition of a controlling interest in Far Niente Winery and Nickel & Nickel Winery by GI Partners LP, a San Francisco private equity firm. The two properties are among the most prominent and well-known wineries in the Napa Valley, Philippakis said. She led the diligence work on the transaction and continues to do real estate and land use work for the company related to the operation of the properties.

For client Huneeus Vinters, Philippakis acted as co-counsel on the acquisition of the St. Clement Vineyards in St. Helena from Treasury Wine Estates. For client The Wonderful Company she worked on land use and diligence matters related to their acquisition of Sonoma's historic Hop Kiln Winery. She acts as outside general counsel to the Chateau Montelena winery on a variety of real estate, land use and general business matters related to the operation of the winery's facility near Calistoga. She's also outside general counsel to Domaine Chandon and Newton Vineyard.

Philippakis, who is from Arizona, said she learned about wine while studying political philosophy at Oxford University before she went to law school. "I had a boyfriend there who coached the Oxford wine tasting team," she said. "Yes, they have one, and they also have a tiddlywinks team. I spent a couple of years tasting a lot of wine. He moved to Napa and so did I, and I realized all the interesting legal work related to land use and wine law. I'm having more fun than the average lawyer."

— John Roemer