A recognized and influential expert in Wine Law, Theodore Georgopoulos joined CASALONGA in 2021 as Director of the Wine, Spirits & Terroirs Department.

Theodore is a EU as well as a Wine, Spirits & Food Law expert. He advises winegrowers, cooperatives, traders, unions of the Wine and Spirits Sector, as well as government of bodies, in France and abroad. He represents actors of the Wine, Spirits as well as Food Sector before the European Commission, various national and European authorities and courts, including the European Court of Justice.

Holder of the Jean Monnet Chair in European Regulation of the Wine Sector, he is Professor of Law and the Director of the Master’s Program in Wine & Spirits Law at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne and the President of the Institute Georges Chappaz of Vine and Wine in Champagne, which coordinates research and education in the field of Vine and Wine and ensures dialogue between the academic world and the champagne industry.

He is also Expert-Professor at the Burgundy School of Wine & Spirits Business, whereas he teaches every year wine and food law at the University of California (UC Berkeley), at the University of Roma III and the OIV MSc in Wine Management. He has also lectured in various distinguished Universities, in the US (Harvard, Stanford University, UC Davis, NYU, the University of Minnesota, the University of Virginia), in Canada (McGill University), in Cyprus (University of Cyprus), in Greece (Agricultural University of Athens), in Romania (University of Bucharest), and in France (Aix-Marseille University and Sciences-Po).

Professional organizations

Very active in professional associations, Theodore is Vice-President of the International Wine Law Association (AIDV-IWLA), where he was President from 2020 to 2022. He directs the Journal of Wine & Spirits Law (Jus Vini) and is Vice-President of the Group of Experts “Law and Consumer Information” of the international Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV). He is also a member of the International Academy of Wine (AIV) and of the Directors’ Club of the CEEV (Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins).

Latest publications

He is the author of 4 monographs and 2 textbooks in EU Law, of more than 120 articles on Wine and Food Law, as well as on European Law, as well as the editor of 11 collective books (including recently the “Mélanges in honor of Robert Tinlot - La vigne, le vin et le droit : du local au global” and “Les Grands Arrêts du droit vitivinicole”, which was awarded the OIV 2023 prize) and co-editor of the AIDV Guide “Global Wine Law”.

Latest interventions

He regularly participates as a speaker in many presentations, especially in the fields of European law and Wine & Spirits law.

Education

• - Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (University of Aix-Marseille III) – 2009
• - Ph.D. in European and Comparative Law, magna cum laude, of the University of Aix-Marseille III – 2003
• - Master (DEA) in European Law (University of Aix-Marseille III) – 1999
• - LL.M. in International Law (University of Athens) – 1998
• - B.A. in law (University of Athens) – 1997

Languages

Greek (native), French, English, German

Latest awards

• - Leaders League :
• Excellent in Marketing, communication & digital – Wines and spirits 2023

• - Legal 500 : Recommended lawyer 2023.