John is a founding partner (1991) of Hinman & Carmichael, LLP. John has been advising and representing alcoholic beverage industry clients (producer, importer, wholesaler, and retail) since 1984 in all phases of industry regulation, including trade practice, distribution and importation, product fulfillment, retail licensing and production. Prior to that (and after his graduation from Columbia Law School in 1974) John was the General Counsel of Sonoma Vineyards, a publicly traded winery with multiple production facilities and over 2,000 acres of vineyards operating in three states. John is a specialist in alcohol regulation in California, and throughout the United States, is a regular speaker and panelist at alcoholic beverage industry conferences throughout the US and the world (John is a member of the Board of Directors of AIDV, the international wine lawyer’s association) and has provided testimony in legislative and administrative proceedings in California, New York, New Jersey, and Tennessee.  John represents clients before the TTB, the California ABC and the counterpart agencies of other states. 

John is also a seasoned administrative hearing practitioner who has defended over 200 administrative accusations and hearings (both TTB and ABC) during the last 25 plus years and has taken industry cases as far as the California Supreme Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.  The subject matter of the cases includes sales to minors (including aggravated cases, and second and third strike cases), disorderly houses and law enforcement problem premises, entertainment violations and First Amendment cases, tied house violations, protests of new on-sale and off-sale licenses and violation of condition cases. John, through a network of co-counsel, also manages distributor and other industry litigation (including direct to consumer challenges) throughout the US for clients of the firm.

EDUCATION

• University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A., cum laude, 1971

• Columbia University School of Law, J.D. 1974

• College of Advocacy, Hastings College of the Law, University of California, 1980

ADMITTED TO BAR:

• 1975, California, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, and U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.

• 2005, Supreme Court of the United States of America

• Pro Hac Vice Admissions: Tennessee, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Massachusetts

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERSHIPS

• Wine Institute of California: Associate Member

• Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America: Associate Member

• Family Winemakers of California: Associate Member

• Wine America [formerly American Vintners Association]: Associate Member

• Mendocino Winegrowers Association: Associate Member

• Monterey Winegrowers Association: Associate Member

• Sonoma County Wineries Association: Associate Member

• Amador County Wineries Association: Associate Member

• Zinfandel Advocates and Producers: Associate Member and Counsel

• Rhone Rangers: Associate Member and Counsel

• National Conference of State Liquor Administrators: Associate Member

• National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association: Associate Member

• California Restaurant Association: Associate Member

• Golden Gate Restaurant Association: Associate Member

• Wine Market Council: Associate Member

• National Association of Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Attorneys: Sustaining Member

• National Wine Distributors Association: General Counsel and Member, Board of Directors (1987 – 1997)

• American Wine Alliance for Research and Education:  General Counsel, and Member, Board of Directors (1988 to current).

• Coalition for Free Trade: Founding General Counsel (1995 to 1998)

• Coalition for Truth and Balance: General Counsel (1992 to current)

• Member: International Wine Law Association (AIDV)

• General Counsel/Board Member: Specialty Wine Retailers Association (2005 to 2012)

• General Counsel/Board Member: National Association of Wine Retailers (2012 to current)

• General Counsel/Board Member: California Music and Culture Association (2010 to current)

• Vice-President, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel: Sonoma Vineyards (multiple division public company operating three wineries’ in two states – California and New York) (1978 to 1984). Sonoma Vineyards, through its Windsor Vineyards division, was the nation’s pioneer in establishing direct marketing and direct sales of wine as a viable channel of trade.