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Law Firms and Attorneys

The following is a list of law firms specializing in the food and beverage industry:

Barclay Damon LLP

  • Company: Barclay Damon LLP
  • Website: www.barclaydamon.com
  • Address: 80 State Street, Albany, New York 12207
  • Firm Size: 500 to 1,000 employees
  • About the Firm: Barclay Damon attorneys work closely with hotels, hospitality, and food service industry companies, bringing years of industry experience in many practice areas delivered by an integrated team. The service team ensures compliance with ever-changing governmental regulations; supports revenue growth through mergers, acquisitions, consolidations, and private equity and other investments; helps strengthen and protect brands, including trademarks; assists in evaluating and designing strategies to mitigate business risks; and ensures compliance with fast-changing employment rules and regulations, including counseling on employee benefit and health care plans.
  • Services:
    • Acquisitions
    • Construction
    • Financing
    • Labor and Employment
    • Licensing and Franchising
    • Liquor-License Laws and Regulations
    • Personal Injury and Products-Liability Defense
    • Real Estate
    • Technology
  • Contact: Scott Rogoff – Partner
  • Resources:

Benesch Law

  • Company: Benesch Law
  • Website: www.beneschlaw.com
  • Address: 200 Public Square, Suite 2300, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-2378
  • Firm Size: 500 to 1,000 employees
  • About the Firm: Benesch has been a part of the food and beverage industry for decades, working alongside clients to address the spectrum of legal issues that arise from farm to table. Their food and beverage team represents all types of clients in the food supply chain, including food and beverage manufacturers, processors, packagers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers in all stages of the product life cycle, from product development and regulatory approval/clearance to advertising, marketing, and distribution.
  • Services:
    • Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Intellectual Property
    • Labor and Employment
    • Litigation
    • Packaging and Labeling
    • Regulatory
    • Transportation and Logistics
  • Contact: Robert A. Ross – Chair, Global Transaction Group; Vice-Chair, Private Equity Group
  • Resources:

Calfee, Halter and Griswold LLP

  • Company: Calfee, Halter and Griswold LLP
  • Website: www.calfee.com
  • Address: 2800 First Financial Center, 255 East Fifth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-4728
  • Firm Size: 100 to 500 employees
  • About the Firm: Calfee attorneys have significant experience serving clients in traditional and non-traditional/emerging areas of the food and beverage industry in many practice areas. Whether a client needs assistance navigating product labeling, entering into a complex commercial contract in the food and beverage space, or buying, selling, or franchising a food and beverage-related business, Calfee’s Food and Beverage group has the expertise to navigate all the diverse cross-practice issues.
  • Services:
    • Legal Support
    • Entity Formation
    • Alcohol Licensing
    • Retail and Commercial Leasing
    • Labor and Employment Agreements
    • Franchising
    • Trademarks
    • Labeling
  • Contact: Jennifer L. Vergilii – Firm Vice Chair; Co-Chair, Corporate and Finance

Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC

  • Company: Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC
  • Website: www.drm.com
  • Address: Courthouse Plaza, 199 Main Street, Suite 600, Burlington, Vermont 05401-8339
  • Firm Size: 100 to 500 employees
  • About the Firm: The food and beverage lawyers at Downs Rachlin Martin can help industry businesses, including agribusinesses, wholesalers, retailers, craft artisans, micro-producers, breweries, distilleries, restaurants, and supplement producers. The firm offers innovative solutions to the challenges faced by today’s businesses. From business operations, including formation, financing, contracts, and regulatory compliance, to issues such as organic, fair trade, GMO labeling, and Proposition 65, their attorneys can handle all your business concerns.
  • Services:
    • Business Law
    • Intellectual Property
    • Litigation
    • Labor and Employment
  • Contact: Walter E. Judge – Director
  • Resources:

Food Industry Counsel LLC

  • Company: Food Industry Counsel LLC
  • Website: www.foodindustrycounsel.com
  • Address: 5053 36th Avenue Northeast, Seattle, Washington 98105
  • Company Size: 1 to 10 employees
  • About the Firm: The Food Industry Counsel is the only law firm in the United States working solely with the food industry, helping food companies comply with FDA and USDA food safety regulations, coordinating recall and crisis management efforts, and reducing food safety exposure.
  • Services:
    • Food Safety Consulting
    • Food Regulatory and Legal Compliance
    • FDA and USDA Food Facility Inspections
    • Cannabis Food Compliance
    • Food Labeling and Compliance
    • Food Trial and Litigation Counsel
    • Food Company M&A
    • Mock Food Safety Trials
    • Food Recall Management
    • Emergency Services
  • Contact:
    • Name: Shawn K. Stevens – Founder, Food Industry Lawyer
    • Phone: (920) 698-2561
    • Email: [email protected]
  • Resources:

Fox Rothschild LLP

  • Company: Fox Rothschild LLP
  • Website: www.foxrothschild.com
  • Address: 2000 Market Street, 20th Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
  • Firm Size: 2,000+ employees
  • About the Firm: The attorneys in Fox Rothschild’s food and beverage practice provide a full suite of services to businesses of all sizes. They frequently serve as outside general counsel, providing the knowledge and experience necessary to handle a wide array of business and legal matters without the expense of maintaining a full-time attorney on staff.
  • Services:
    • Corporate
    • Employment
    • Environmental
    • Intellectual Property
    • Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Compliance and Labeling
    • Labor Relations
    • Litigation
    • Real Estate
    • Trusts and Estates
  • Contact: Pamela A. Grinter – Partner
  • Resources:

Goldberg Segalla

  • Company: Goldberg Segalla
  • Website: www.goldbergsegalla.com
  • Address: 8 Southwoods Boulevard, Suite 300, Albany, New York 12211-2364
  • Firm Size: 500 to 1,000 employees
  • About the Firm: Goldberg Segalla’s experience resolving commercial, regulatory, and product liability disputes for clients, including market-leading food and beverage manufacturers, means they can provide solutions to the complex problems facing today’s food businesses and offer sound, practical advice to avoid potential pitfalls in the future. Whether your business involves growing, producing, distributing, or selling food and beverages, they can provide the legal prowess and industry perspective to help you protect your assets, reach your goals, and gain a competitive advantage. They are well-versed in all the 21st-century challenges of doing business in this industry, including implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act, complying with ever-changing environmental regulations, and handling the unique issues involved with organic production.
  • Services:
    • Alcoholic Beverage Law and Licensing
    • Brewery and Distillery Legal Needs
    • Employment and Labor
    • Enforcement Actions and Crisis Management
    • Experience Highlights
    • Import, Export, and Entering the U.S. Market
    • Labeling, Advertising, and Marketing
    • Litigation
    • Manufacturing and Distribution
    • Regulatory Compliance
    • Risk Avoidance
    • Trucking and Transportation
    • Workers’ Compensation
  • Contact: Robert M. Hanlon Jr.- Partner
  • Resources:

Handel Food Law

  • Company: Handel Food Law
  • Website: www.handelfoodlaw.com
  • Address: 470 Schooleys Mountain Rd 161, Hackettstown, New Jersey, 07840
  • Firm Size: 1 to 10 employees
  • About the Firm: Food is about health, happiness, and caring for people and the earth, but food is also serious business because it is heavily regulated, potentially deadly, and extremely competitive. For today’s food businesses to survive and prosper, they need lawyers to help them manage risks, comply with the law, and protect their interests. Handel Food Law’s experience and in-depth knowledge of the law and their client’s businesses make them uniquely qualified to advise food, beverage, and farming enterprises. Food and beverage businesses choose this firm because they trust their judgment and they know they care about their client’s success.
  • Services:
    • Contracts
    • General Counsel
    • Intellectual Property
    • Labeling and Advertising Law
    • Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
  • Contact: Lauren Handel – Principal Attorney
  • Resources:

Harris Beach PLLC

  • Company: Harris Beach PLLC
  • Website: www.harrisbeach.com
  • Address: 333 West Washington Street, Suite 200, Syracuse, New York 13202
  • Firm Size: 500 to 1,000 employees
  • About the Firm: As counsel for multinational brands whose products span the globe, Harris Beach has decades of experience helping clients grow their businesses in the highly-regulated food and beverage industry. They began with dairy producers and growers and continue to design solutions for clients to thrive in a global market with increasing regulations and heightened demand. They work with regional, national, and international agribusiness clients, including manufacturers, distributors, and brokers. They offer strategies for expanding and protecting their brands while managing labor concerns, regulatory compliance, and supply chain issues. Harris Beach also helps clients take advantage of data and analytics, also known as digital agriculture, with an integrated multi-disciplinary approach supporting a range of transactional, litigation, and regulatory services.
  • Services:
    • Commercial Real Estate and Facilities
    • Cybersecurity
    • Corporate
    • Economic and Other Incentives
    • Energy
    • Immigration
    • Intellectual Property Protection
    • International Trade
    • Labor and Employment Issues
    • Misleading Advertising and Class Action Defense
    • Temporary and Seasonal Visas
    • Trademarks
  • Contact: Brendan M. Palfreyman – Industry Team Leader
  • Resources:

Harter Secrest and Emery LLP

  • Company: Harter Secrest and Emery LLP
  • Website: hselaw.com
  • Address: 1600 Bausch and Lomb Place, Rochester, New York 14604
  • Firm Size: 100 to 500 employees
  • About the Firm: HSE has experience providing legal services to agricultural, food, and alcohol beverage businesses, including dairy farmers and cooperatives. Their multidisciplinary team of attorneys provides legal counseling in the agribusiness, food, and beverage industries, including daily operating issues and specialized legal needs like enhancing, protecting, and defending intellectual property. Their legal services can assist with various agricultural production, marketing, and distribution issues, from regional farmlands to the European and Latin American international markets where local products are sold.
  • Services:
    • Federal and State Licensing
    • State Franchise Protection
    • Food Regulations and Recalls
    • Trade Practice and Employment
    • Product Development, Labeling, and Packaging
    • Trademark and Intellectual Property Protection
    • Advertising and Marketing
    • Federal and State Excise Tax
    • Import and Supply Chain
    • State Regulatory and Disciplinary Proceedings
  • Contact: Phillip A. Delmont – Partner
  • Resources:

HFG Law and IP Practice

  • Company: HFG Law and IP Practice
  • Website: www.hfgip.com
  • Address: 14/F, Hua Qi Building, No. 969 Wuding Road, Shanghai 200040, China
  • Firm Size: 50 to 100 employees
  • About the Firm: HFG has integrated its highly-regarded, renowned intellectual property practice with consolidated expertise in corporate and commercial legal services, including food and technology law. Co-managed by multinational professionals, HFG provides one-stop-shop solutions to businesses with intangible and tangible assets. Their team includes attorneys at law, trademark and patent attorneys, and international counsels with comprehensive expertise in luxury and fashion, food and beverage, information technology, gaming, retail, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automotive, machinery accessories, and logistics. Thanks to their experience in judicial departments, law firms, enforcement authorities, and companies, they have long-standing good relationships with governmental organizations and judicial authorities nationwide.
  • Services:
    • Crisis Management/Government Relationship (MSA, NHC, General Customs)
    • Food Advertising/Marketing Validation
    • Food Regulatory Compliance Validation
    • Label Preparation
    • Label Verification
  • Contact: Shirley Chang – Founder, Partner
  • Resources:

Hodgson Russ LLP

  • Company: Hodgson Russ LLP
  • Website: hodgsonruss.com
  • Address: 605 Third Avenue, Suite 2300, New York City, New York 10158
  • Firm Size: 100 to 500 employees
  • About the Firm: Hodgson Russ attorneys have wide-ranging, deep expertise in the many legal issues facing their clients in the food and beverage business, such as intellectual property, product recalls, safety regulations, advertising and labeling issues, class action litigation, and government agency enforcement. They can provide counsel on a full spectrum of issues facing food and beverage producers, distributors, and sellers, including the businesses that support them with attorneys who understand the industry and can help address the challenges facing today’s businesses.
  • Services:
    • Brand Name Identification and Intellectual Property Protection
    • Food and Beverage Labeling and Packaging
    • Food Safety and Product Recalls
    • Importing/Exporting Compliance and Regulations
    • Product Development
    • Promotion, Advertising, E-Commerce and Sweepstakes
  • Contact: Reetuparna Dutta – Partner
  • Phone: (716) 848-1626
  • Email: [email protected]
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/reetuparna-reena-dutta
  • Resources:

Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton LLP

  • Company: Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton LLP
  • Website: kilpatricktownsend.com
  • Addresses:
    • Beijing: No. 38 East 3rd Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Suite 2358, 23/F Taikang Financial Tower, Beijing, China 100026
    • Stockholm: Hovslagargatan 5B, Box 5421, 114 84 Stockholm, Sweden
    • Tokyo: The Imperial Tower, 15th Floor, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 100
    • United States: 1100 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2800, Atlanta, Georgia USA 30309
  • Firm Size: 1,000+ employees
  • About the Firm: Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton represent many clients in traditional farming, plant technology, animal health, food sciences, food producers and brands, supply chain logistics, energy, and finance. To service clients most efficiently and cost-effectively, their integrated teams provide strategic legal advice for intellectual property, corporate finance, litigation, government relations, energy, real estate, emerging technologies, opportunity zones, supply chains and logistics, food labeling, advertising, and related matters.
  • Services:
    • Government Relations
    • Intellectual Property
    • Litigation
  • Contact: Louis Barbieri III – Partner
  • Resources:

Landerholm

  • Company: Landerholm
  • Website: www.landerholm.com
  • Address: 805 Broadway Street, Suite 1000, Vancouver, Washington 98660
  • Firm Size: 50 to 100 employees
  • About the Firm: Hotels, restaurants, brewers, vintners, and art, recreation, entertainment, and travel businesses turn to the food, beverage, and hospitality attorneys and professionals at Landerholm, P.S. for guidance on developing, growing, and sustaining their companies. They aim to provide a continuously updated roadmap for their client’s ever-changing legal landscape. Whether this means brainstorming the upside and risks of your latest idea, structuring your hospitality business to maximize its legal benefits, or helping you meet your permit, licensing, and operational requirements, Landerholm’s hospitality law group can contribute valuable insights and advice.
  • Services:
    • Business Entity Formation
    • Business Succession Planning
    • Commercial Transactions and Contracts
    • Construction
    • Employment
    • Land Use and Zoning
    • Litigation
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Personal Injury
    • Property Rights
    • Tax
    • Worker’s Compensation
  • Contact: William C. Dudley

Mills and Reeve

  • Company: Mills and Reeve
  • Website: www.mills-reeve.com
  • Address: 1 St James Court, Whitefriars, Norwich NR3 1RU (DX 5210 Norwich)
  • Firm Size: 1,000+ employees
  • About the Firm: Mills and Reeve is one of the country’s largest food and agricultural law firms, with experts specializing in every legal element of the food supply chain. Businesses in the food and agri-sector have to contend with complex commercial regulations, food safety, labeling, employment, leases, insurance, partnerships, corporate mergers, acquisitions and disposals, finance, commercial agreements, and much more. Mills and Reeve can deal with legal technicalities, help you keep track of regulatory requirements, and provide practical advice to guide you when needed.
  • Services:
    • Agricultural Tenancies
    • AgriTech
    • Farm and Estate Management
    • Food Regulatory
    • Food Safety and Product Liability
    • Labeling, Claims Advertising, and Marketing
    • Sales and Purchases
    • Supply Chains and Procurement
  • Contact: Craig Hodgson
  • Resources:

Rutan and Tucker, LLP

  • Company: Rutan and Tucker, LLP
  • Website: www.rutan.com
  • Address: 18575 Jamboree Road, 9th Floor, Irvine, California 92612
  • Firm Size: 100 to 500 employees
  • About the Firm: Rutan’s food and beverage industry practice comprises attorneys with the specialized knowledge and expertise to address clients’ increasing legal and regulatory challenges, including restaurants, bars, lounges, supermarkets, fast food restaurants, and food and beverage manufacturers and distributors. The firm serves as lead counsel for issues of industry-wide interest, such as forced labor in food supply chains, and their involvement in key trade organizations gives them firsthand insights into key industry developments.
  • Services:
    • Corporate and Tax
    • Employment
    • Government and Regulatory
    • Intellectual Property
    • Litigation and Trial
    • Real Estate
  • Contact: Gregg Amber – Partner, Corporate
  • Resources:

Stokes Lawrence, P.S.

  • Company: Stokes Lawrence, P.S.
  • Website: www.stokeslaw.com
  • Address: 1420 Fifth Avenue, Suite 3000, Seattle, Washington 98101-2393
  • Firm Size: 100 to 500 employees
  • About the Firm: Since 1981, Stokes Lawrence has provided tailored, personal legal services to businesses of all sizes as well as the individuals and families who run them. Their respect for clients and employees alike, and the lasting relationships between them, distinguish Stokes Lawrence from other law firms. They offer smart, practical assistance to their clients without the bureaucracy and unnecessary formality of “big corporate” firms.
  • Services:
    • Business Operations
    • Employment Relations
    • Environmental Protection and Land Use
    • Estate Planning
    • Intellectual Property
    • Litigation
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Wine and Spirits Industries
    • Real Estate
  • Contact: Brendan V. Monahan – Shareholder
  • Resources:

Taft Stettinius and Hollister LLP

  • Company: Taft Stettinius and Hollister LLP
  • Website: www.taftlaw.com
  • Address: 425 Walnut Street, Suite 1800, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-3957
  • Firm Size: 1,000+ employees
  • About the Firm: Taft’s Food and Beverage group covers all aspects of the hospitality industry, from raising the capital needed to launch a new concept to negotiating a fair lease that protects landlords and tenants to obtaining all the permits and licenses necessary to open. Taft thrives on challenges, building a premier practice to serve the food and beverage industry, which faces ever-changing economic and competitive market conditions. Taft meets these challenges by understanding and implementing their client’s strategies to address their investments, consumer trends, economic conditions, public safety concerns, and competitive landscape.
  • Services:
    • Employment and Labor Relations
    • Litigation
    • Transactional
  • Contact: Patrick Wartan – Industry Chair, Partner (Chicago)
  • Resources:

The Food Law Firm

  • Company: The Food Law Firm
  • Website: www.foodlawfirm.com
  • Address: 35 Firehouse Lane, Red Hook, NY 12571
  • Firm Size: 1 to 10 employees
  • About the Firm: Food laws are comprehensive and intrusive, but with The Food Law Firm, it is surprisingly easy to avoid dramatic and expensive legal interventions that can disrupt your business. They can help you plan for and allocate the appropriate resources to address your commercial needs by being your dedicated partner for ensuring your food business’s success.
  • Services:
    • CBD Business Lawyers
    • Confidentiality, Non-Compete, and Non-Disclosure Agreements
    • Packaging and Co-Packer Contracts
    • Farm Lease Agreements
    • FDA Food Labeling Compliance
    • Food Business and Supplier Litigation
    • Recalls and Food Product Liability Management
    • Hospitality and New York Liquor Licensing
    • Private Label Agreements
    • Product Recall Mitigation Strategies
    • Imports and Trademarks
    • Web Use Agreements, Workshops, and Training
  • Contact: Jason Foscolo – Founder and Managing Partner
  • Resources:

Whiteman Osterman and Hanna LLP

  • Company: Whiteman Osterman and Hanna LLP
  • Website: www.woh.com
  • Address: One Commerce Plaza, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12260
  • Firm Size: 100 to 500 employees
  • About the Firm: Whiteman Osterman and Hanna’s attorneys work closely with businesses in all areas of the alcoholic beverage and hospitality industries to navigate the complex regulatory framework at both the state and federal levels.
  • Services:
    • State and Federal Licensing, Permits, and Compliance
    • Community Board and Municipality Reviews
    • Agribusiness Regulations
    • Ownership and Investor Changes
    • Licensed Business Transfers and Sales
    • Brand Label Registrations
    • Enforcement and Disciplinary Proceedings
    • Management and Consulting Agreements
  • Contact: Alexandra Becker – Partner
  • Resources:

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