Food, Beverage & Agribusiness

Shaping the future of food and beverage law

Entirely new opportunities are emerging for food and beverage businesses. But there are new risks too —from labeling and advertising litigation, to compliance with export controls and immigration reform. We take the bigger picture perspective with a unique and holistic industry focus—from farm to factory to table.

Nixon Peabody helps clients monetize their brands, navigate food safety laws, make profitable investments, protect human capital, anticipate legislative changes, embrace sustainability and globalize the supply chain.

Together with our clients, we are working to grow the successful food, beverage and agribusiness brands of the future.

We work with

Manufacturers of consumable goods—from the world’s leading premium wine company, to the largest bakery company in the U.S., to startup brands selling products at your local grocer. Many multi-generation, family-owned businesses.
Packaging and logistics—multinational packaging, processing and transportation businesses serving the food and beverage sectors
Agribusinesses—from an innovative dairy co-operative, to one of the world’s largest cooking oil producers
Retail—from the top large U.S. grocery chain, to online purveyors of food and beverage products
Franchises—from fast-casual restaurants to coffeehouse chains
Sources of capital—banks and funds across the capital structure—from mezzanine debt to venture capital to private equity—that invest in food, beverage and agribusiness companies

Media Clips

Constellation Brands/Canopy Growth Corp.

The American Lawyer | December 01, 2018

Nixon Peabody is mentioned as U.S. counsel for longtime client Constellation Brands in its acquisition of a 38 percent stake in Canopy Growth Corp., a Canadian distributor of cannabis products. The following attorneys were members of the deal team: Rochester Corporate partner Lori Green, Boston Global Finance partner Craig Mills, Washington, D.C. Corporate partner Lloyd Spencer, San Francisco Global Finance counsel Sarah Abel, Buffalo Global Finance associate Dan Fabian, Rochester Corporate associate Isaac Figueras, and Washington, D.C. Corporate associate Pierce Han.

Alum Ellie Altshuler is Ahead of the Curve

November 05, 2018

Los Angeles Corporate partner Ellie Altshuler is featured in this Loyola Law School article on the path she took to becoming the go-to lawyer for YouTube content creators and social media influencers seeking to expand their brand.

According to a recent study/survey … End-of-August 2018 edition

Modern Restaurant Management | August 30, 2018

This end-of-month roundup of top restaurant news includes highlights from Nixon Peabody’s Food, Beverage & Agriculture team’s quarterly Crystal Ball outlook report. Boston Financial Restructuring and Bankruptcy partner Lee Harrington, Los Angeles Corporate partner Ellie Altshuler, Rochester Corporate partner Tyler Savage, and Buffalo Complex Commercial Disputes associate Tracey Scarpello are quoted.

Top 40 under 40

Los Angeles Daily Journal | June 25, 2018

Los Angeles corporate partner Ellie Altshuler was named as one of the top 40 attorneys in California under the age of 40 by the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

Food And Beverage Industry Growing with Fresh Ideas

Rochester Business Journal | February 16, 2018

Rochester private equity and investment funds partner Jeremy Wolk explains our firm’s outlook on the food and beverage industry, including five trends he expects to see in 2018 and beyond. Several attorneys from the Food, Beverage and Agriculture team contributed information to the alert on which this article is based.

Building a new brand? IP attorney shares basic exercise to traverse starting a new trademark

FoodNavigator-USA | October 06, 2017

Chicago IP counseling and transactions partner Janet Garetto is featured in this Q&A article about IP protections for food manufacturers.

Changing landscapes

Long Island Business News | July 07, 2017

Long Island health care partner Allan Cohen provides commentary about how emerging food companies can find investors in this article about the changing landscape of food retailers in Long Island.

Nixon Peabody Adds Corporate Partner in Rochester, NY

Law360 | September 28, 2016

This feature story highlights the arrival of Rochester M&A and corporate transactions partner Tyler Savage.

Stati Uniti porte aperte alla qualita

Gazzetta di Parma | September 22, 2016

This article summarizes a seminar in Parma on exporting food products to the USA at which Charles Bernardini spoke.

Calling All Breweries: Is Your Wastewater In Order?

Law360 | July 11, 2016

Rochester senior environmental health engineer Libby Ford and San Francisco Energy & Environmental associate Alison Torbitt co-authored this column discussing the EPA’s national standards for industrial wastewater discharged to local publicly owned treatment works and how they affect breweries.

New York's craft beverage industry moves forward

Buffalo Law Journal | July 04, 2016

Food, Beverage & Agriculture team members New York City associate Jackie Sudano and Rochester associate Joe Carello provide commentary in this in-depth feature article that looks at the current state of New York’s craft beverage industry.