Introduction
The business of food production, food manufacturing,
and agricultural service is affected by all areas of law - finance,
real property, contracts, business formation and succession, tax planning,
and environmental law, just to name a few. Davis Wright Tremaine brings
worldwide experience in all of these core areas to our representation
of farm producers, agribusiness service providers, lenders, food and
beverage processors, distributors, retailers, and wineries.
We also recognize that food and agri-business
is a unique business with hard realities: variable production, perishable
products, and complex government regulation targeted at your operations.
Davis Wright Tremaine can help you allocate, manage, and mitigate
those risks.
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Range of Services Offered
Food
and Agri-Business Organization and Management
We are general counsel to food producers, wineries, agricultural associations,
and food warehousing and logistics firms. We negotiate agricultural
management agreements, form land-holding entities, and create business
entities of various forms according to our clients' needs. We assist
family farms with estate succession and tax planning. We help large
food and agribusiness clients execute complex mergers, acquisitions,
and joint ventures.
Food
and Agricultural Regulation
We help our clients obtain confined feeding operation permits, qualify
for federal farm programs, and respond to changing state and federal
food-safety regulations. We review and comment on the impact that
proposed legislative and regulatory changes will have on our food
and agribusiness clients.
Agri-business
Finance and Capital
We offer counsel regarding financial problems at agri-businesses,
assist in loan workouts and restructuring of agriculture-related
companies, and aid credit recovery associated with agricultural
liens. We prepare agreements to provide an influx of venture capital
to food and agribusiness firms.
Environmental
Law
We represent food and farm clients before pollution control boards,
in environmental permitting and cleanup matters, and in defense
of suits based upon the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean
Air Act, and Clean Water Act. We litigate toxic tort cases on behalf
of food and agriculture clients.
Food
and Agricultural Real Estate and Land Use
We assist clients in the purchase, sale, and lease of farms, orchards
and vineyards, as well as industrial sites for food processing and
distribution. We represent farm, food, and agribusiness clients
in land-use matters at the local, state, and federal level.
Water
and Energy Law
We represent food producers in water right and water quality hearings,
and we negotiate water allocations. We negotiate and contract favorably
priced energy supplies on behalf of food processors.
Intellectual
Property and Emerging Agricultural Technology
We assist clients in the protection, licensing, and sale of intellectual
property in food and agricultural biotechnology, products, and trademarks.
We help our clients register new pesticides with the EPA.
Food
and Agricultural Employment
We help food and agricultural employers comply with state and federal
law concerning farm labor contracting, immigration, and non-discrimination.
We draft and negotiate employment agreements for executive management
in food producers, food distributors, and agri-businesses. We defend
food and agri-business employers in employment-related litigation.
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