Carol Kingery Ritter

Managing Partner

  • Biography

    Carol Kingery Ritter is a Managing Partner of DP&F and practices in the firm’s business and real property practice groups. Carol’s practice includes general corporate formation, compliance and restructuring and business contracts with an emphasis on serving wine industry business. Carol has specific expertise in the preparation and negotiation of essential wine business contracts, such as grape purchase agreements, distribution agreements, wine production agreements, vineyard leases and vineyard redevelopment agreements, and counseling clients through complex vineyard, winery and wine business sales and acquisitions. Carol’s expertise in the area of real property and business transactions offers clients comprehensive counsel from the formation and restructuring of business entities to acquire assets or launch new businesses to the investigation of complicated real property and title issues. Carol also counsels clients on the formation of American Viticultural Areas through TTB.

    While at DP&F, Carol has represented American and International wine companies and grapegrowers, wine importing companies, wine brokers, developers, REITs, financial institutions and public and private companies in matters ranging from business entity formation and restructuring, commercial transactions, real estate sales, acquisitions and leasing, business and asset sales and acquisitions, and debt and equity financing transactions.

    Prior to joining DP&F in 2008, Carol practiced in San Luis Obispo at the law firm Adamski, Moroski, Madden & Green, LLP.  While at AMM&G, Carol worked on transactions and litigation at the State Superior Court and Appellate Court levels involving real property, business and construction matters.

    While in law school, Carol was a legal intern with the Oakland Raiders and a summer associate with Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP in New York, New York.  She also provided consulting services to the non-profit organization Justice Network on Women.  Carol has a long history of volunteer and non-profit work with the Women’s Positive Legal Action Network where she worked with HIV-positive women in prison to improve health education within the prison system and provided legal advocacy support.  She has lectured extensively and published on the subject.

    Carol lives in Napa with her husband, Scott Ritter, who also works in the wine industry, and their twin girls, Mia and Shay.

  • Education
    • J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law (2003)
    • B.A., Anthropology, University of California at Berkeley (Highest Honors, 1999)
  • Writings
    • “Managing the Consequences of Competition in a Competitive Industry” 2014 – Download Publication
    • “Grape Purchase Agreements – Why a Handshake Deal May Not Simplify Your Business”  2008 – Download Article
    • “Speaking Out Against State Violence: Activist HIV-Positive Women Prisoners Redefine Social Justice,” 2001
    • “Yell Real Loud: HIV – Positive Women Prisoners Challenge Constructions of Justice,” 2000 – Download Article
  • Presentations
    • Guest Lecturer, UC Berkeley School of Law Wine Law Course,
      Winter 2016
    • Presenter, Sonoma County Wine Grower Educational Meeting, April 2016
    • Presenter, Napa Valley Vintners – Earthquake Recovery Workshop,  August 2014 
    • Guest Speaker, The Lake County Winegrape Commission – Wine Industry Contracts-Why the Relationship is as Important as the Contract Itself, 
      March 2014 
    • Guest Lecturer, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo- Wine Law and Compliance,
      Fall 2013
    • Guest Lecturer, UC Berkeley School of Law Wine Law Course,
      Fall 2013
    • Presenter, Grape Purchase Agreements: Why a Handshake Still Matters,
      Wine Industry Forum,
      August 2013
    • Presenter, Boundaries In Question 2000, University of California, Berkeley, April 2000
    • Guest Lecturer, University of California, Santa Cruz, Women and Prison class Summer 1999 and 2000
    • Presenter, Women, Psychology, and HIV Disease, Psychology Continuing Education certification course. Summer 1999
    • Presenter, Alternative Sentencing for HIV Positive Individuals: What to do If Someone You Know Is Arrested, Alameda County Office of AIDS. September 1999
  • Associations and Recognitions
    • Recognized as one of the “Top Forty under 40 Professionals” by the North Bay Business Journal (2014)
    • State Bar of California
    • Napa County Bar Association
    • Auction Napa Valley, Community Board Member (2014-2019)
    • Auction Napa Valley, Grants Review Committee Member (2017-2019 Committee Chair)
    • Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Board of Trustees (2021- )
    • Queen of the Valley Medical Center, Community Benefit Committee (2021- )
    • National Association of Professional Women