MATTHEW WELTY (PARTNER)
Matthew Welty was born and raised in Healdsburg, California. He began his legal career with a boutique firm specializing in real property litigation in Washington, D.C., where he represented some of the largest apartment building commercial landlords in the Mid-Atlantic. Since moving back to Sonoma County to start a family, Matt has expanded his legal expertise in the areas of large and complex trust and estates as well as property transactions, (which include wineries, vineyards, and real estate) corporate and business law.
Additionally, Matt has vast experience in natural food industry business ventures and routinely advises nationally-sized natural food companies in structured finance, fundraising and contractual issues.
Matt is active in his community. He is a North-bay Business Journal Forty under 40 award winner; a winner of the North Bay Non-Profit Leadership Award; he formerly served as Vice President of the board of directors for Becoming Independent; and formerly served as the Dad's Club Co-President for Healdsburg’s St. John's Catholic School. He received his Political Science degree at the University of California, Davis, and earned his Law Degree at the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, where he studied under Justice Anthony M. Kennedy of the US Supreme Court at the University of Salzburg, Austria. He is licensed to practice in California, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Matt is also a licensed real estate broker in California.
Matt lives with his wife and three sons, and tries to get outside as much as he can for all the clichè lawyer sports: golf, tennis, skiing and road biking.
Practice Areas
Wine Law (Purchase and Sale of Vineyards, Ranches, Brands, Facilities, Assets, etc..)
Estate Planning and Administration (Trusts, Wills, Durable Power of Attorney, Advanced Healthcare Directives)
Business Succession Planning (Succession planning for family-owned businesses)
Business and Corporate Law
Real Property Law (Land Use Planning; Easements; Conservation Easements; Transactions).
Past Transactions/Deals
Represented Sellers in multiple sales of family ranches to Ferrari-Carano Winery.
Represented Seller in sale of Sebastopol Hills Pinot Noir Vineyard.
Represented Seller in sale Rancho Canada Golf Course, in Carmel, CA property to Trust For Public Land.
Represented Fetzer Winery as Seller in sale of Five Rivers Winery (Paso Robles) to Trinchero Family Estates.
Represented Purchaser in $10MM acquisition of family-owned ranch for purposes of a Corporate Campus.
Represented investment group in acquisition of Taylor Maid Farms Coffee Company.
Represented Banshee Wines in strategic transaction with Foley Family Winery.