What's the Deal with CBD?

Ryan Malkin is an attorney focusing on alcohol beverage and cannabis law. He has extensive experience providing guidance to suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, agencies, and third parties within these regulated industries. As an attorney for a major global wine and spirits supplier, Ryan concentrated on supporting the sales and marketing teams to ensure compliance with rules and regulations in all 50 states. Ryan utilized his experience and knowledge of the industry to help craft compliant programs to help global brands outperform others in their categories.

Prior to his work at Pernod, Ryan was an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan. Ryan investigated and prosecuted all manner of crimes, with an emphasis on long-term white-collar crime investigations. Ryan gained unprecedented skills and an understanding of state governmental agencies.

Ryan’s passion for the alcohol industry began as a staff writer for SmartMoney. Ryan specialized in travel and hospitality writing, with an emphasis on the beverage alcohol industry, covering both brands and category trends. Ryan regularly interviewed executives, brand owners, producers, and industry experts to provide guidance to readers. Ryan also regularly interviewed nightclub and bar owners, designers, managers, and doormen to bring new ventures and cocktail trends to life, and giving Ryan insight into the bar and nightclub business. His articles have appeared in such publications as Beverage Media, Liquor.com, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, DJTimes, and Esquire to name a few.

Ryan is a regular contributor to Artisan Spirit magazine and SevenFiftyDaily and was on the editorial board of the Florida Bar Journal. Ryan is also counsel to the American Craft Spirits Association.

Ryan was named a SuperLawyer and Rising Star in the legal community in 2018. Ryan was named one of the top 250 cannabis law experts in 2018.

Christopher Van Gundy is a partner in the Business Trial Practice Group in the firm's San Francisco office.

Chris counsels and represents food companies in litigation matters involving Lanham Act and consumer false advertising claims, class actions and brand protection, as well as in regulatory matters involving supply chain liability, product labeling reviews, California’s Proposition 65, food borne pathogens, and “organic,” “natural,” “healthy,” and nutrient content claims, to name a few. Chris also counsel companies regarding federal, state, and local regulatory compliance, labeling issues, and supply chain liability in the CBD/cannabis space. Prior to joining Sheppard Mullin, Chris’ in-house experience included representation of an affiliated group of food companies involving marquee brands of juice, bottled water, tree nuts and citrus.

Chris has extensive jury trial experience and success in prosecuting and defending false advertising litigation, distribution and trademark disputes, bodily injury, class actions, insurance coverage work, and general commercial arbitration and litigation matters. In his 25+ years of experience as both in-house and outside counsel, he has enjoyed extensive first chair case and trial responsibility in a wide variety of food and general commercial matters, in U.S. and foreign court and arbitral tribunals.

He is one of the founders of the California State Bar's Food Law Committee, promoting education, awareness and practice development of an emerging body of food law and regulation. Chris co-hosts an annual food law conference, and is a frequent speaker on a wide variety of food law issues.

Alva Mather is head of the Firm’s Alcohol Regulatory & Distribution Group and focuses her practice on alcohol beverage and cannabis regulatory and commercial matters. She represents companies in the alcohol beverage industry, including brewers, distillers, wineries, importers and retailers. Additionally, she works with clients in the growing cannabis space and has in-depth knowledge of the evolving legal and regulatory issues facing this industry.

A nationally recognized lawyer, Alva 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. Her work spans a number of traditional areas of legal practice that affect alcohol beverage and cannabis companies, including litigation, governmental investigation, commercial agreements, alcohol beverage compliance, intellectual property, trade and tax.

Alva frequently writes and speaks on alcohol and cannabis regulatory matters. During law school, Alva served as the articles editor for the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.