Practices

Sedgwick's attorneys specialize in areas that address the legal needs of wineries, vineyards and businesses that support those operations, including real estate transactions and finance, corporate law, intellectual property, environmental law, labor and employment, construction and creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, including litigation in each of these fields. The firm employs a multidisciplinary team approach to assist clients by blending litigation and transactional specialists into a cohesive group. Our cross-specialty teams provide legal representation that takes the big picture of a client's business into account. We tailor our approach to respond to each client's unique needs so that we provide creative, complete solutions and efficient service.

Sedgwick's attorneys specialize in areas that address the legal needs of wineries, vineyards and businesses that support those operations, including real estate transactions and finance, corporate law, intellectual property, environmental law, labor and employment, construction and creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, including litigation in each of these fields. The firm employs a multidisciplinary team approach to assist clients by blending litigation and transactional specialists into a cohesive group. Our cross-specialty teams provide legal representation that takes the big picture of a client's business into account. We tailor our approach to respond to each client's unique needs so that we provide creative, complete solutions and efficient service.

Real Estate Transactions and Finance

Sedgwick’s real estate and finance attorneys guide clients through the life cycle of complex real estate transactions, from the creation of the ownership and development entity through land acquisition, sales and disposition. We advise clients in connection with the placement, negotiation and closing of debt and equity financing for real estate projects. Our experience includes traditional sources of financing such as land acquisition, construction and permanent loans from banks and insurance companies, as well as direct equity investments, syndication of equity interests, partnership and joint venture investments, sale and leaseback transactions, and securitized borrowings.

Corporate

Sedgwick attorneys have expertise assisting clients in establishing and maintaining business entities, including public companies, privately held corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. Our corporate attorneys also represent clients in a variety of business transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, supplier agreements, distributorship agreements, strategic alliances and franchising agreements.

Intellectual Property

We file and prosecute trademark and copyright registrations, perform intellectual property audits and handle licensing work. Our attorneys advise our clients in all aspects of licensing and distribution agreements, including trademark and copyright licensing transactions. We also have extensive experience in enforcing and defending trademark, trade dress, copyright and unfair competition claims in civil litigation and administrative proceedings.

Environmental

Sedgwick has an extensive practice in traditional environmental litigation, including groundwater contamination, California's Proposition 65, public and private nuisance claims, citizen suits, and agency enforcement actions pursuant to federal, state and local environmental statutes and regulations. Our environmental attorneys provide regulatory advice and counseling on the full spectrum of environmental and health and safety (EHS) issues: air, water, hazardous waste, pesticides, toxic substances, occupational hazards, and contaminated groundwater and soil.

Our regulatory attorneys design and implement corporate sustainability policies and audit programs, record retention policies, train auditors, conduct internal Sarbanes-Oxley financial investigations and facility inspections, prepare audit reports and action plans, and advise clients on the applicability of audit privilege, and business confidentiality to self-evaluative documents.

Labor & Employment

Sedgwick’s Labor and Employment attorneys have expertise in actions based on the Americans with Disabilities Act, federal and state discrimination and harassment laws, Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), Equal Pay Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, National Labor Relations Act, state wage and hour laws, and OSHA and its corresponding state laws. Sedgwick also represents companies in the development of workplace policies and procedures, and counsels clients on labor relation matters.

Construction

Sedgwick's Construction attorneys guide clients through all aspects of the construction process, which includes advice on the preparation and drafting of documentation specifically designed to preserve the rights of our clients while construction proceeds and when construction is complete and close-out commences. We work with our clientele to negotiate and draft customized documents based on each client's specifications and unique requirements. Our construction contract experience includes design-build agreements; traditional lump-sum and guaranteed maximum contracts; construction management contracts, including at-risk contracts; and agreements between owners, contractors, architects and engineers. We also counsel clients in the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy

Sedgwick’s bankruptcy attorneys have extensive experience protecting creditors’ rights in litigation, workouts and bankruptcy. Whether the circumstances call for trial skills or deal-making expertise, we strive to maximize our clients’ debt recovery by identifying available assets and strategies for successful realization of claims.

Our bankruptcy attorneys represent clients in connection with complex preference matters, lifting the automatic stay, fraudulent transfer litigation, contested use of cash collateral, assumption and rejection of executory contracts and leases, discharge and dischargeability matters, claims litigation, and plan confirmation issues, among other matters. We also represent creditors committees, purchasers of Chapter 11 assets, clients looking to protect intellectual property rights in bankruptcy proceedings.

Commercial and Real Estate Litigation

Sedgwick’s attorneys are experienced in the full range of general commercial litigation matters involving breach of contract actions, distributor litigation, antitrust cases, business tort claims and Uniform Commercial Code issues in state and federal courts.

Sedgwick’s real estate litigators handle acquisition/disposition disputes, secured transaction matters, leasing issues, title and boundary disputes, land use, and eminent domain matters in state and federal court, at arbitration and in administrative proceedings. In addition to our work as trial counsel, Sedgwick regularly provides mediation and other alternative dispute resolution services.

Sedgwick's attorneys specialize in areas that address the legal needs of wineries, vineyards and businesses that support those operations, including real estate transactions and finance, corporate law, intellectual property, environmental law, labor and employment, construction and creditors’ rights and bankruptcy, including litigation in each of these fields. The firm employs a multidisciplinary team approach to assist clients by blending litigation and transactional specialists into a cohesive group. Our cross-specialty teams provide legal representation that takes the big picture of a client's business into account. We tailor our approach to respond to each client's unique needs so that we provide creative, complete solutions and efficient service.

Real Estate Transactions and Finance

Sedgwick’s real estate and finance attorneys guide clients through the life cycle of complex real estate transactions, from the creation of the ownership and development entity through land acquisition, sales and disposition. We advise clients in connection with the placement, negotiation and closing of debt and equity financing for real estate projects. Our experience includes traditional sources of financing such as land acquisition, construction and permanent loans from banks and insurance companies, as well as direct equity investments, syndication of equity interests, partnership and joint venture investments, sale and leaseback transactions, and securitized borrowings.

Corporate

Sedgwick attorneys have expertise assisting clients in establishing and maintaining business entities, including public companies, privately held corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. Our corporate attorneys also represent clients in a variety of business transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, supplier agreements, distributorship agreements, strategic alliances and franchising agreements.

Intellectual Property

We file and prosecute trademark and copyright registrations, perform intellectual property audits and handle licensing work. Our attorneys advise our clients in all aspects of licensing and distribution agreements, including trademark and copyright licensing transactions. We also have extensive experience in enforcing and defending trademark, trade dress, copyright and unfair competition claims in civil litigation and administrative proceedings.

Environmental

Sedgwick has an extensive practice in traditional environmental litigation, including groundwater contamination, California's Proposition 65, public and private nuisance claims, citizen suits, and agency enforcement actions pursuant to federal, state and local environmental statutes and regulations. Our environmental attorneys provide regulatory advice and counseling on the full spectrum of environmental and health and safety (EHS) issues: air, water, hazardous waste, pesticides, toxic substances, occupational hazards, and contaminated groundwater and soil.

Our regulatory attorneys design and implement corporate sustainability policies and audit programs, record retention policies, train auditors, conduct internal Sarbanes-Oxley financial investigations and facility inspections, prepare audit reports and action plans, and advise clients on the applicability of audit privilege, and business confidentiality to self-evaluative documents.

Labor & Employment

Sedgwick’s Labor and Employment attorneys have expertise in actions based on the Americans with Disabilities Act, federal and state discrimination and harassment laws, Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), Equal Pay Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, National Labor Relations Act, state wage and hour laws, and OSHA and its corresponding state laws. Sedgwick also represents companies in the development of workplace policies and procedures, and counsels clients on labor relation matters.

Construction

Sedgwick's Construction attorneys guide clients through all aspects of the construction process, which includes advice on the preparation and drafting of documentation specifically designed to preserve the rights of our clients while construction proceeds and when construction is complete and close-out commences. We work with our clientele to negotiate and draft customized documents based on each client's specifications and unique requirements. Our construction contract experience includes design-build agreements; traditional lump-sum and guaranteed maximum contracts; construction management contracts, including at-risk contracts; and agreements between owners, contractors, architects and engineers. We also counsel clients in the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy

Sedgwick’s bankruptcy attorneys have extensive experience protecting creditors’ rights in litigation, workouts and bankruptcy. Whether the circumstances call for trial skills or deal-making expertise, we strive to maximize our clients’ debt recovery by identifying available assets and strategies for successful realization of claims.

Our bankruptcy attorneys represent clients in connection with complex preference matters, lifting the automatic stay, fraudulent transfer litigation, contested use of cash collateral, assumption and rejection of executory contracts and leases, discharge and dischargeability matters, claims litigation, and plan confirmation issues, among other matters. We also represent creditors committees, purchasers of Chapter 11 assets, clients looking to protect intellectual property rights in bankruptcy proceedings.

Commercial and Real Estate Litigation

Sedgwick’s attorneys are experienced in the full range of general commercial litigation matters involving breach of contract actions, distributor litigation, antitrust cases, business tort claims and Uniform Commercial Code issues in state and federal courts.

Sedgwick’s real estate litigators handle acquisition/disposition disputes, secured transaction matters, leasing issues, title and boundary disputes, land use, and eminent domain matters in state and federal court, at arbitration and in administrative proceedings. In addition to our work as trial counsel, Sedgwick regularly provides mediation and other alternative dispute resolution services.