Wine Law

Pushor Mitchell has been involved in the Okanagan’s wine industry from the ground up.

As a local and long-time Okanagan law firm, Pushor Mitchell LLP has seen first-hand the flourishing of the region’s wine industry and has been involved from the ground up. Our wine law team has assisted a variety of clients with all legal aspects of their businesses, including new wineries just starting up and established wineries that have already made a name for themselves. While wineries have many of the same legal needs as any business, there are many working parts to creating fine wine and our lawyers have the insight to recognize and advise on legal issues specifically affecting wineries and the wine industry.

We have assisted clients with the start-up and financing of wineries as well as providing ongoing assistance as their businesses develop. The wine industry touches upon legal issues ranging from business law to leasing of land to employment law. Our wine law team has the broad expertise to address all legal matters a wine industry client might encounter whether that involves negotiating and drafting a contract or appearing in court.

With a broad client base in the wine industry representing both winery owners, investors and growers, we have experience and knowledge dealing with various wine law topics, including:

  • Business Structure
  • Consolidations / Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Contracts
  • Employment Law
  • Financing Arrangements
  • Intellectual Property / Trademark
  • Land Development matters including dealings with the Agricultural Land Commission
  • Land Leases
  • Litigation and Dispute Resolution
  • Partnership and Shareholder Agreements
  • Restaurant Operating Agreements
  • Succession Planning
  • Tax Law
  • Vineyard Management Agreements

We draw on the broad experience of all of our firm lawyers in order to provide comprehensive legal services addressing any issues our wine industry clients might come across.

We can assist you. Please do not hesitate to contact one of our wine lawyers for more information or a confidential consultation.

Our Wine Law Team:

Ronald Solmer*

Ronald Solmer*

Associate Counsel

[email protected]
250.869.1185

Theresa Arsenault, K.C.*

Theresa Arsenault, K.C.*

Associate Counsel

[email protected]
250.869.1110

Wine Law Posts

There are a wide variety of tax and non-tax elements to be considered as part of the estate planning process for business owners, such as capital gains planning, minimizing taxes on death and the use of trusts, to name a few. Winery owners are often in a unique position because, in addition to all of the usual considerations, they may be able to take advantage of some of the “farming” provisions available in the Income Tax Act.
 
The Income Tax Act has a long history of providing favourable tax treatment for farmers.
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