Alva C. Mather

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Alva Mather is the global head of McDermott’s Regulatory Practice Group and a member of the Firm’s Management Committee, and heads the Alcohol Regulatory & Distribution Practice. As a nationally recognized go-to lawyer for alcohol beverage regulatory, commercial and M&A matters, clients say that Alva “comes to the situation with clear leadership and strong knowledge of the food and beverage industry.” She combines her extensive knowledge of the commercial and legal landscape as well as deep understanding of the beverage industry to help clients mitigate risk, respond to challenges, and capture and pursue new business opportunities. Read Alva Mather's full bio.

Navigating Hemp THC Beverages


By and on Mar 4, 2024
Posted In Cannabis, Food Safety and FDA

Nonalcoholic beverages infused with delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) derived from hemp (aka intoxicating hemp beverages) are becoming increasingly popular for consumers looking for an alternative to alcohol. With major alcohol retailers like Total Wine entering the cannabis space, alcohol beverage producers may be looking for opportunities to leverage their existing experience in manufacturing, marketing and distributing...

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Don’t Assume Nonalcoholic Beverage Ingredients Are OK for Alcoholic Beverages


By and on Feb 5, 2024
Posted In Food Safety and FDA, Non-Beverage Alcohol, TTB COLAs and Formulas



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The Tax Implications of Purchasing Craft Producers in the First Half of 2024


By on Dec 19, 2023
Posted In Alcohol Excise Taxes, Transactions

We have republished this August 2023 blog post ahead of the start of 2024. If a large beverage company is considering purchasing or selling a craft beverage producer, it’s essential to understand how the craft producer may lose its earlier eligibility for reduced tax rates under the Craft Beverage Modernization Act (CBMA) in the first...

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Total Wine Tests the Boundaries of FTC CIDs


By , and on Dec 7, 2023
Posted In General Interest

Total Wine & More (Total Wine) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are currently clashing in federal court over a civil investigative demand (CID) that the FTC issued to Total Wine, a third party in the FTC’s investigation of Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, LLC (Southern Glazer). Total Wine has fervently resisted producing certain corporate...

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Alcohol Industry M&A: Common Pitfalls for Founders (and Avoiding Them) Part One: Formulas and Processes


By and on Oct 30, 2023
Posted In Transactions, TTB COLAs and Formulas

Given the continued strength of the US alcoholic beverage market, the alcohol industry presents numerous opportunities for acquisitions, investments and other strategic transactions from a wide variety of players. These range from small craft start-ups to larger strategic buyers, as well as investors of all shapes and sizes. In such a highly regulated industry, however,...

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Key Takeaways | Seeing Around the Corner: Alcohol Industry Updates


By , , and on Oct 4, 2023
Posted In Advertising and Marketing, Food Safety and FDA, TTB COLAs and Formulas

In this webinar, Alva Mather, Lesli Esposito, Rachel Gartner and Nichole Shustack teamed up to unpack how recent regulatory shifts will significantly affect alcohol companies and distributors. They discussed product innovation in the spirits industry, “zero-proof” beverage options and how companies are leveraging the benefits of artificial intelligence for advertising and marketing. Top takeaways included:...

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The Tax Implications of Purchasing Craft Producers in the First Half of a Year


By on Aug 10, 2023
Posted In Alcohol Excise Taxes, Transactions

If a large beverage company is considering purchasing or selling a craft beverage producer, it’s essential to understand how the craft producer may lose its earlier eligibility for reduced tax rates under the Craft Beverage Modernization Act (CBMA) in the first half of a calendar year once it becomes a member of the purchaser’s larger...

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Key Takeaways | Trends in Customer Data Acquisition and Use for Alcohol Companies


By , , and on Jun 23, 2023
Posted In Advertising and Marketing

In a recent webinar, Alva Mather, Scott Ferber, Amy Pimentel and David Saunders reviewed how alcohol companies should be thinking about and maximizing their data. They shared innovative marketing strategies and addressed privacy and cybersecurity considerations from an alcohol commercial side. Some of the significant topics discussed included: Keeping Ahead of Supply Chain Cyber Threats...

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Key Takeaways | Going Green: Environmental and Sustainability Risks and Opportunities for Alcohol Companies


By , , and on Apr 27, 2023
Posted In General Interest, Legislation, Transactions

In a recent webinar, Alva Mather, Jacob Hollinger, Carl Fleming and Parker Lee guided attendees through the unique energy-related challenges and opportunities for alcoholic beverages companies presented by current megatrends relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG), carbon and sustainability. Some of the significant topics discussed included: Sustainability Trends Related Trapdoor Risks Sustainability Opportunities Across the Alcohol and Other Industries...

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2022 TTB Industry Circular 1: Consignment Sales


By , and on Jan 5, 2023
Posted In Advertising and Marketing, Alcohol Excise Taxes, General Interest, Import/Export, Legislation, Trade Practices, Transactions

Each year the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issues “Industry Circulars” that apply statutory or regulatory requirements to a “specific circumstance or set of facts” or restate existing requirements. TTB also uses Industry Circulars to announce new statutory requirements or to discuss certain corrective actions. The last few years have been relatively...

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