Alert 01.13.16
Ashley Cowgill is a member of the firm’s Wine, Beer & Spirits Law practice and represents manufacturers, distributors, retailers and third parties operating in the alcohol beverage industry. She devotes a significant portion of her practice to alcohol regulatory counseling, including complex trade practice and tied house analyses, distribution and supply-chain structuring, promotional compliance, and marketing and advertising guidance. Ashley also advises clients on the rapidly evolving landscape surrounding non-alcoholic and crossover beverages, e-commerce promotional models, and emerging technology platforms servicing the alcohol beverage industry.
Her regulatory experience includes supporting suppliers and retailers in navigating multistate licensing obligations, structuring compliant business partnerships, assessing retailer engagement programs, negotiating promotional agreements, and developing internal policies and training materials tailored to state and federal alcohol laws. She also advises on product innovation initiatives, including category classification, labeling considerations and commercialization strategy from a regulatory-risk perspective.
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In addition to her alcohol regulatory practice, Ashley brings extensive litigation experience, encompassing case evaluation, negotiation, discovery and trial. She also has broad alternative dispute resolution experience and has negotiated settlements in limited and complex matters.
Representative Experience
- Providing nationwide alcohol beverage regulatory advice to licensed and unlicensed entities on tied house, trade practice, marketing and promotional compliance questions.
- Evaluating promotional offerings—including coupons, rebates, scan-backs, loyalty programs, e-commerce activations and digital media campaigns—for trade practice and tied house compliance across all 50 states.
- Completing multistate research and surveys addressing alcohol beverage regulatory considerations, including licensing obligations, cross-tier ownership restrictions, product classifications and category-specific rules for emerging beverage products (e.g., NA, intoxicating hemp and crossover beverages).
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- Counseling suppliers on structuring alternating proprietorship, contract brewing and other production-sharing arrangements to address tied house, ownership and licensing risks.
- Assisting clients in navigating complex distribution and supply-chain considerations, including product transfers, private label arrangements and state-specific production restrictions.
- Developing customized alcohol compliance training programs and internal policy documents addressing national and state-specific marketing, advertising and activation requirements.
- Advising on retailer and marketplace platform partnerships, including risk assessments related to trade practice considerations.
- Supporting due diligence efforts in mergers and acquisitions involving alcohol beverage entities, including licensing evaluations, regulatory exposure assessments and integration planning.
Professional Highlights
- Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) Academy Leadership Certificate, September 30, 2025.
- Dare to Lead Certificate of Completion (based on the research of Brene Brown), September 19, 2025.
- Cornell University Certificate of Completion for DISCUS Developing Leadership, August 27, 2025.
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- Member of the Wine, Beer & Spirits practice ranked by Chambers USA for Food & Beverages: Alcohol – National Band 1
- Honors & Awards
- Sactown Magazine 2024’s Top Lawyers in Sacramento
- Super Lawyers, Mid-South Rising Star (2015)
- Super Lawyers, Northern California Rising Star (2014)
Education
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J.D., Golden Gate University School of Law, 2008
B.A., Boston College, 2004
Admissions
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California
Tennessee