Overview
Susan Johnson has more than two decades of experience as an alcohol beverage regulatory attorney. She assists beer, wine and spirits producers, grocers, specialty retailers, restaurant and hotel chain owners and operators, sports and entertainment facility concessionaires, common carriers, contract food service management companies and other beverage and hospitality industry companies by:
- Providing guidance through complex federal state and local alcohol licensing requirements.
- Developing three-tier compliant sales, distribution, and advertising strategies.
- Coordinating administrative violation defense.
- Advising on regulatory reporting requirements related to changes in corporate ownership and governance.
- Evaluating innovative alcohol products and distribution models.
- Drafting proposed legislation and rule amendments to accommodate emergent alcohol industry business models.
- Collaborating with state and federal alcohol regulators to overcome regulatory challenges for breweries, wineries, and distilleries.
Education
University of Oregon School of Law, J.D., 1995
Evergreen State College, B.A., 1985
Admissions
Washington
Experience
Two decades’ experience:
- Providing guidance on tied-house laws and formulating compliant business investment and expansion strategies.
- Vetting advertising and promotional opportunities for large malt beverage, wine and spirits importers and producers.
- Providing malt beverage, spirits, and wine producers guidance on federal and state regulatory requirements for concert venue and professional and collegiate sport sponsorship agreements and activations.
- Acting as special counsel for hotel owners and operators in liquor license transitions.
Additional experience:
- Representation of state hoteliers’ association in drafting legislation and implementing rules that created a hotel liquor license in Washington State.
- Representation of luxury theater in passage of legislation to allow in-theater liquor service.
- Participated in Washington State Liquor Control Board process that resulted in relaxation of tied-house laws in Washington State.
- Assisted international brewer in acquisition of craft brewing operations in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
- Assisted largest U.S. winery with winery facility acquisitions in Washington State.
Insights
Insights & Presentations
- Co-author, “Attention Wine Shippers! California’s Bottle Bill Now Applies to Wine,” Stoel Rives LLP legal alert, January 29, 2024
- Co-author, Washington chapter, Wine in America: Law and Policy, Richard Mendelson ed., Second Edition, 2023
- Panelist, “Sponsorship Agreements,” NCSLA Central/Western Regional Conference, Portland, OR, September 2019
- Contributor, “Legal Cocktail: What Attorneys Need to Know to Advise Clients in the Rapidly Evolving Alcohol Beverage Industry,” NW Lawyer, June 2019, Vol. 73, No. 5
- Moderator, “Global Business Wednesday—Lawyering: Wine Law,” University of Washington School of Law, April 12, 2017
- Presenter, “Developing a Responsible Alcohol Management Policy: What Works—What Doesn’t,” NALCP Annual Conference, Austin, TX, October 15, 2015
- Program Co-Chair, “Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries: Practical Issues in the Alcohol Industry,” The Seminar Group, Seattle, WA, 2014
Recognition
- Selected as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” (Nationwide) by Chambers USA (Food & Beverages: Alcohol), 2014–present
- Washington State Hotel & Lodging Association, Member of the Year Award, 2007
Affiliations
Professional
- Washington Wine Industry Foundation, former Director
- Associate Member National Association of Licensing and Compliance Professionals
- Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys & Consultants, Member
- National Conference of State Liquor Administrators, Associate Member
- National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association, Associate Member
- Brewers Association, Allied Member
- Washington State Bar Association, Member