Luxury wine brand The Duckhorn Portfolio has hired Adam Copley as chief legal officer, replacing interim general counsel Catherine Sullivan.
Copley joins from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, where he was GC and head of human resources. He brings more than a decade of legal and operational leadership experience in the wine and beverage industry. In his new role, he will oversee all legal matters at the company including M&A, trade practice and regulatory compliance, IP and risk management. He will officially take up the position on 2 February.
St. Helena, California-based The Duckhorn Portfolio has 11 wineries, nine winemaking facilities and 2,200 acres of vineyards across the Napa Valley, Sonoma County and Anderson Valley, among others.
Robert Hanson, CEO of Duckhorn, said: “Adam’s experience as a long-tenured general counsel with a proven track record across M&A, brand development and corporate strategy makes him an invaluable addition to our executive team as we accelerate the execution of our strategy” to become the US’s “undisputed” leader in luxury wine.
Copley arrives after a decade at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, including four years as GC. He originally joined as a senior corporate counsel from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where spent more than five years as an associate.
He said: “The company’s five-decade legacy of winemaking excellence, paired with its portfolio of world-class brands, creates a distinctive foundation for future growth. I look forward to using my experience to advance the company’s initiatives and contribute to its culture of high performance.”
Sullivan, meanwhile, steps back into her role as deputy GC, having served as interim GC since last May. She took on that role to replace previous legal head Sean Sullivan, who left to join private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners as its first CLO. TSG’s investments include UK beer-maker BrewDog.
In other recent drinks maker-related moves, back in October Corona brand owner Constellation Brands said senior legal counsel Jeff LaBarge will replace CLO Jim Bourdeau when he retires at the end of next month.
And in May 2024, Glenfiddich Scotch-maker William Grant & Sons hired Isabelle Meyer as group GC from Kingfisher to replace Catriona Macritchie, who was retiring.
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