In formulating a succession plan for its alcohol regulatory and distribution group, McDermott Will & Emery looked to a Philadelphia lawyer with practice leadership experience and an established clientele.

Alva Mather, the one-time head of Pepper Hamilton's alcoholic beverages practice who joined DLA Piper's Philadelphia office last year, has now made another move, to McDermott in Washington, D.C.

She said the firm began recruiting her in anticipation of practice group leader Marc Sorini's planned retirement at the end of this year. Mather will take his place as head of the practice group.

Given how recently she joined DLA Piper—she made the move from Pepper Hamilton in April 2018—Mather said she wasn't planning to leave. But she said McDermott's offer was one she couldn't pass up, even if it meant relocating to the nation's capital. She said the proximity to regulators she would have by joining that office was key to leading the practice group.

Sorini, she said, "has really established a group that essentially is head and shoulders over everyone else."

"To sit in that place of leadership and continue that legacy [is] one of the type of professional opportunities you don't turn down," Mather said.

Virtually all of Mather's alcoholic beverage clients will be transitioning with her to McDermott, she said. They include Pernod Ricard, whose international brands include Malibu Rum and Absolut Vodka, as well as Dogfish Head Brewery. Both are also existing clients of McDermott, she noted.

In a statement, Sorini said he has worked with Mather for years, and was well aware of her reputation in the alcoholic beverage industry. According to the firm, Sorini has spent more than 20 years building up that practice group at McDermott.

"In working through my transition, we knew we had to attract the best to continue to meet and exceed our clients' expectations," Sorini said. "This industry is continuing to grow, and Alva has the industry knowledge, creativity and dedication to provide outstanding client service while solving our clients' most complex challenges."

In addition to her law firm work, Mather is a 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.

While her practice is largely focused on the beverage side, she has also done work in the cannabis space. It's something she had to give up upon joining DLA Piper last year, she said. While the main focus of her move has been the new leadership role in the alcohol regulatory and distribution group, she said it will be "icing on the cake" that she can resume some of her cannabis-related work.

That may lead to some synergies down the line.

"If you look at recreational or legalized marijuana in the western part of the country, they are housed in the same regulatory agencies [as alcohol], and the same regulatory structures are in place or very similar regulatory structures are in place," Mather said. If and when federal law on cannabis catches up to some of the state laws legalizing it, the alcohol and cannabis industries will likely consolidate, she said.

The alcoholic beverage space as a whole is still experiencing growth, Mather said, and its stakeholders have been innovative in introducing new products or jumping on trends. For instance, she said, beer sales may be down, but hard seltzer is up. So having a close knowledge of the niche is crucial to keep up, she said.

A spokesman for DLA Piper said the firm wishes Mather the best.

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Head of Pepper Hamilton Alcohol Practice Jumps to DLA Piper