SACRAMENTO—Pillsbury today announced that alcohol beverage industry executive Christian Albrecht joined the firm’s Sacramento office as a non-lawyer consultant. He comes to Pillsbury’s nationally ranked Wine, Beer & Spirits Law practice as the former Northern Division Chief of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

A longtime investigator, administrator and executive for the California ABC, Albrecht provided oversight and leadership for the ABC’s Northern California field offices and specialized units. He is an authority on alcohol beverage-related investigations, regulatory compliance enforcement and licensing matters and served as a liaison to both the state legislature and industry stakeholders. At Pillsbury, Albrecht joins fellow former California ABC executives Jerry Jolly (Sacramento) and Joseph Cruz (Los Angeles) as a non-lawyer consultant supporting Pillsbury’s national alcohol beverage industry clients.

“Drawing from his experience as a long-time leader within the ABC, Chris brings a wealth of regulatory compliance experience to our very busy alcohol beverage law practice,” said Carrie Bonnington, leader of Pillsbury’s Wine, Beer & Spirits Law practice. “Our WBS Law team has a unique depth of alcohol beverage law capabilities, and Chris brings even more experience and knowledge to our talented team.”

Pillsbury’s Beer, Wine & Spirits Law team represents wineries, distilleries, breweries, wholesalers, importers, retailers and unlicensed third parties in all areas of the alcohol beverage industry. The team regulatory advises clients in connection with regulatory compliance matters including tied house and trade practice matters. It represents clients before federal and state alcohol beverage agencies, in general civil litigation matters and in transactional matters. Pillsbury regularly advises alcohol beverage industry clients in developing business plans and business structures entering the industry. The firm also represents select clients in the legal medicinal and adult use cannabis industry.