Maher, Michael
Michael Maher has a broad practice focusing on business and real estate matters, with significant experience in the agriculture, wine, hospitality, and commercial real estate industries.
Michael advises clients on their ongoing general business matters, on acquisition, disposition, and merger transactions, in assessing, structuring, and negotiating real estate transactions, and in navigating complex regulatory operating environments. He acts as outside general counsel to a diverse group of businesses, advising on the wide range of issues that arise as businesses develop and grow.
Prior to joining Coblentz, Michael worked for more than a decade as in-house general counsel in the wine industry. He served for four years as General Counsel for the Harlan family’s Pacific Union Co., representing Harlan Estate, Bond, and Promontory wineries, Meadowood Napa Valley, The Napa Valley Reserve, and various other commercial real estate, hospitality, and wine interests. Michael also served for over six years as General Counsel for Jackson Family Wines, where he advised on and closed a significant number of winery and vineyard transactions, including the acquisitions of Siduri, Copain, Penner-Ash, WillaKenzie, Brewer-Clifton, and Captûre wineries as well as the acquisitions of dozens of vineyards and development properties in premium winegrowing regions around the world.
Michael began his legal career in the corporate group of the San Francisco office of Latham & Watkins LLP.
Michael is a former member of the Board of Directors of Wine Institute and of the Board of Directors of Family Winemakers of California.
Michael earned his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Order of the Coif, in 2002. He earned his B.A. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University in 1997. He also holds a graduate degree in wine business management from Université Paris Nanterre.
