About Our Attorneys
John A. Holdredge
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Phone: 707.545.1660
Fax: 707.545.1876
Santa Rosa Office
90 South E Street, Suite 300
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
John A. Holdredge
Shareholder; Mediator and Attorney at Law
Background
John was admitted to the bar in 1990, joined the firm in 1992, and became a shareholder just four years later. His early career path was heavily weighted towards litigation. From his early start in personal injury and public entity litigation, he gradually evolved into one of the wine country’s premier agricultural lawyers- and his practice became weighted more towards handling real estate and business/commercial matters. Ultimately, his emphasis on litigation gave way to a thriving transactional practice. He has been involved in the sale, purchase and leasing of many vineyards, wineries and ancillary businesses, as well as other real estate matters. John is general counsel to a “who’s-who” of Northern California wineries and winemakers, and is a steady resource for many local real estate brokerages, developers, and their clients.
In addition to his law practice, John has been a professional winemaker since 1999, owning and operating his family’s winery (Holdredge Wines, a critically-acclaimed boutique producer of Pinot Noir from some of Sonoma County’s most iconic vineyards). This has provided him a unique perspective into the practical realities of the wine industry and business owners in general.
Mediation
Although he still serves as an advocate for clients, John’s greatest privilege and pleasure is to serve as a mediator. John has participated in hundreds of mediations as an attorney and as a mediator, and also has almost a quarter century experience as a settlement conference panelist for the Sonoma County Superior Court. He studied dispute resolution at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University, which he views as a turning point in his life and career.
John’s background has given him an unusual set of skills that he harnesses as a mediator. His experience as a litigator taught him how to be effective with problems requiring distributive bargaining; his experience in business transactions have provided him strong insights into integrative bargaining skills, and his “real time” familiarity with owning and operating businesses all provide a special and uncommon combination of skills. Unsurprisingly, John believes every dispute can be resolved; and to accomplish resolution, he lends the same tenacious committed approach as a mediator that he employs as an advocate.
John has lived and worked in Sonoma County since 1982, and among his passions are his family, his ridiculously oversized wine collection, domestic and international travel, and fly fishing (along with a ridiculously oversized collection of gear).
Professional Affiliations and Admissions
Member, State Bar of California
Member, Sonoma County Bar Association
Director/Past President Russian River Valley Winegrowers
Past Director/Chairman Russian River Pinot Forum
Education
Empire College School of Law - JD 1990 (Valedictorian)
Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution (Pepperdine University) 2023
Practice Areas
Real Estate
Wine and Agricultural Law
