US drinks company Constellation Brands has lined up Jeff LaBarge as its next chief legal officer, replacing Jim Bourdeau who is retiring next year.
LaBarge is currently senior legal counsel at Constellation. He will take up his new position on 1 March 2026.
Rochester, New York-based Constellation owns beer brands including Modelo and Corona, as well as a range of spirits and wines.
Bill Newlands, president and CEO of Constellation Brands, said: “Jeff brings a strong balance of industry knowledge and experience in business law to this role. He has played key leadership roles in a number of our company’s strategic initiatives, transactions and investments over the past several years.
“We are excited to welcome Jeff to our executive management team and look forward to his contributions in this new capacity and to the continued success of our legal function under his leadership.”
LaBarge has been at Constellation since 2016 when he joined as deputy general counsel, before being promoted to his current role in February this year. He previously spent a decade in private practice at Nixon Peabody, where he was a corporate and M&A partner.
Bourdeau, meanwhile, is set to retire at the end of February next year after more than 10 years with the company, having initially joined in 2014 as GC, also from Nixon Peabody. During his time at Constellation he has been instrumental in guiding M&A transactions and managing legal matters related to corporate structure and strategy, as well as expanding the production capacity of its beer business.
He will move to a new senior advisor role in March, where he will advise the executive team on corporate strategy while also ensuring a seamless transition with LaBarge.
Newlands said: “Jim has been a trusted advisor and integral member of Constellation’s senior leadership and executive management teams over the last decade. His extensive business knowledge, impressive legal expertise and commitment to strong governance have guided our company through periods of growth and transformation.
“Jim’s broad strategic leadership, in addition to the leadership of our legal and public affairs teams, while navigating complex legal matters, has left a lasting impact. We thank him for his extensive contributions to our business, reaching well beyond his immediate responsibilities and wish him all the best in his retirement.”
Last year, Glenfiddich Scotch whisky-maker William Grant & Sons hired Isabelle Meyer as group GC from B&Q-owner Kingfisher, where she was group functions legal director and deputy GC. That came a few months after Jack Daniels-maker Brown-Forman Corporation lined up associate GC Mike Carr as its next legal head, replacing Matthew Hamel who retired in May last year.
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