On March 9th John Guadnola argued Costco Wholesale Corporation v. Washington State Liquor Control Board at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the latest round in the fight against Costco’s effort to dismantle Washington’s 70-year-old regulatory system for beer and wine.  Guadnola represents the Washington Beer & Wine Wholesalers’ Association, which intervened to assist the State in defending the laws and resisting Costco’s efforts to deregulate the beer and wine business.  The Association believes that the state’s current alcohol regulation system is valid and that any changes in the system should be implemented by the elected legislature, not the courts.  Deregulation could also mean large retailers such as Costco and Walmart would dominate the market, depriving consumers of the wide variety of choices they now enjoy.