Kegler Brown has a passion for the food industry and for helping food industry clients grow their businesses and manage business risks. With more than fifty years of experience representing businesses from every level of the food industry’s supply chain, our firm is uniquely qualified to serve as counsel to these businesses. Our specific experience includes assisting clients in understanding regulations set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other federal, state and local regulatory and rule-making bodies governing the industry. This experience also extends to related litigation, contract advice and preparation, and issues involving intellectual property.

The value we bring to these clients lies in the firm’s cross-disciplinary approach to work, bringing together seasoned attorneys from various backgrounds to create a synergy of work experience and practice expertise. This allows us to present a broad, yet focused, range of perspectives that we leverage to help our food industry clients.

Our Services

  • Business and growth strategy: negotiation of food manufacturing and supply agreements; negotiation of distribution agreements; management of multi-unit lease portfolios; capital raising
  • Regulatory counsel: analysis and advice regarding federal, state and local regulations governing the food industry; registration of foreign producers with the FDA; product recalls counseling; internal investigations
  • Risk management: compliance with Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (FPLA); false advertising claims under the FTC’s Lanham Act; best practices for compliance with FTC “Green Guides;” public reputation strategies, crisis management and emergency response
  • Litigation: contracts and business tort litigation with suppliers and customers; defense of class actions and consumer products liability claims; supply chain litigation related to adulterated products; antitrust and anti-dumping litigation related to food additives
  • Intellectual property: product labeling; packaging; expiration dates; IP litigation; global brand protection; commercialization partnerships
  • Employment counseling and litigation: defense of FLSA collective actions; defense of claims involving discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination
  • Franchise issues: federal and state regulatory compliance; franchise litigation

Our Clients

Kegler Brown's work with food industry and food service clients has become a hallmark of our firm. From food manufacturers and suppliers to franchisors and restaurateurs, our attorneys have represented some of the country's best-known brands. Our history is highlighted by partnerships with some of the most notable clients in the food industry:

  • A leading provider of private label snack foods based in the Midwest
  • A manufacturer and franchisor of pizza restaurants with locations across seven states
  • A producer of high-quality dough and other items for the food industry
  • A rapidly expanding "fast casual" Italian street food restaurant chain
  • A mass producer of refrigerated mashed potatoes and other side dishes
  • The manufacturer of one of America's leading snack cake brands
  • A supplier and online retailer of "center-of-the-plate" meats and seafoods
  • An Ohio-based cooperative group of grain, bean and corn producers

Contact Us

For more information on the services we offer to clients in the food industry, please contact Steve Barsotti.