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.

Pennsylvania Expands Access to Ready-to-Drink Cocktails

By Alva C. Mather and Andrea Nappi Conforme on Jul 26, 2024
Posted In Beer, Malt Beverages and Cereal Beverages, Distilled Spirits, Distribution, Legislation, Licensing, RTD Beverages

On July 17, 2024, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed SB 688 into law, expanding the number of available outlets that can sell ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) across the state. The new law defines “Ready-to-drink cocktails” as “beverage[s], composed in part of distilled liquor … premixed and packaged in original containers by the manufacturer, containing not more...

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Growing Regulatory Focus on ‘Crossover Alcohol Products’

By Alva C. Mather on Jul 10, 2024
Posted In Advertising and Marketing, Beer, Malt Beverages and Cereal Beverages, Distilled Spirits, Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Non-Beverage Alcohol, Wine and Cider

As more companies – including businesses with and without experience producing alcoholic beverages – move to leverage their brands and brand equity across the beverage spectrum, regulators, trade associations and the companies themselves are focusing on ways to responsibly label, advertise, market and display these products to avoid consumer confusion and potential sales to minors....

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DOJ Proposes to Reschedule Marijuana (Cannabis) to Schedule III

By James R. Ravitz, Alva C. Mather, Paul S. Gadiock, Deepika Raj, Marissa Hill Daley and Karis Jackson on Jun 3, 2024
Posted In Cannabis, Food Safety and FDA, Hemp-Derived Beverages, THC Beverages

On May 21, 2024, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) published the highly anticipated notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to reschedule marijuana (cannabis) from a Schedule I controlled substance to Schedule III, taking the first step to easing federal restrictions on cannabis and potentially opening up the door for further cannabis research and development. This regulatory change...

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Labor Law Update: Union Certification Without Winning the Employee Vote

By Christopher Foster, Alexander Randolph and Alva C. Mather on May 29, 2024
Posted In Employment

As reported throughout the trade press, alcohol beverage companies are facing escalating pressure from unions and the National Labor Relations Board (or NLRB, the federal agency that enforces labor laws against both unionized and non-unionized companies). As recently as last month, an NLRB administrative law judge ordered Woodford Reserve Distillery to recognize and bargain with...

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Preparing for Evolving Cybersecurity Threats

By David Sorenson, Michael Morgan and Alva C. Mather on Apr 15, 2024
Posted In Uncategorized

The recent ransomware attack against the Duvel Moortgat Brewery demonstrated the very real risk that cybersecurity incidents pose to the alcohol industry, reportedly halting operations for several days at four of Duvel Moortgat’s facilities in Europe and the United States. This attack comes after other major alcohol producers experienced disruptive ransomware attacks in the last...

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So, You’ve Been Sued in a Labeling Class Action. Now What?

By Daniel Campbell and Alva C. Mather on Apr 1, 2024
Posted In Advertising and Marketing, Beer, Malt Beverages and Cereal Beverages, Class Action, Distilled Spirits, Litigation & Arbitration, Seltzers, THC Beverages, TTB COLAs and Formulas, Wine and Cider

Many alcohol beverage industry clients are faced with lawsuits attacking product labels. These lawsuits can be frustrating for clients, particularly when the labels at issue were previously approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). But approval by the TTB does not insulate a company from a lawsuit under various state consumer...

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TTB Ramps Up Tax Audits and Enforcement

By Alva C. Mather, Christine Dower and Michelle Draper on Mar 19, 2024
Posted In Alcohol Excise Taxes, Enforcement, Licensing

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s (TTB) Office of Field Operations is responsible for ensuring industry members comply with the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, the Internal Revenue Code and all related regulations. It is divided into three groups: the Trade Investigations Division (TID), the Tax Audit Division (TAD) and the Intelligence Division. Many...

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Navigating Hemp THC Beverages

By Alva C. Mather and Christine Dower 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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Mixed Beverage Definition Gaining Traction in Indiana

By Alva C. Mather on Feb 22, 2024
Posted In Legislation

Indiana is one step closer to passing legislation that would allow popular liquor-based, ready-to-drink products to be defined as “mixed beverages” that currently fall under the definition of liquor in the state. An Indiana House of Representatives committee advanced House Bill 1025 earlier this month. The bill would add a new section to Indiana Code...

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