Katherine A. Philippakis

Every year at harvest time, Chateau Montelena, the iconic Napa Valley winery, puts on a "blessing of the grapes" ceremony for the people in the area, and most every year, Philippakis attends. "My children grew up with this annual experience of going to Montelena and watching the grapes being crushed," she said.

Philippakis is a "grape-to-glass wine practitioner" who chairs her firm's wine industry practice group from a small office in a small town in Napa Valley. She can walk to work and chat with clients on the way.

She serves as real estate, land use and corporate counsel to help companies and families buy, sell, develop and operate their vineyards and wineries. "It makes me feel very much a part of the community because it's literally the dirt beneath my feet that's the subject of my practice," she said.

For one complicated set of transactions in November, Philippakis assisted the Far Niente Family of Wineries & Vineyards company to buy the Provenance Vineyards from its Australian owner in order to develop the property for one of its own brands. She also advised her client on the simultaneous sale of the Provenance brand and stock to another winery. And she still is leading the land use team working on redesigning and updating the existing buildings and hospitality program.

Also last fall, Philippakis advised Lewis Cellars during its acquisition by Justin Vineyards & Winery, which is owned by the Wonderful Company. Justin also was a client, although represented by other counsel in the sale. She now continues to advise it on day-to-day business affairs, she said.

Not all her deals are about wine. "I had a gin client," she said. And back in 2013, she worked on the deal when Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs was part of a joint venture that bought DeLeón Tequila.

What Philippakis most enjoys about her practice is watching the projects she works on be built. "And then I drive by or go there, and I think, 'I was involved in that,'" she said.

- Don DeBenedictis