Food, Beverage, & Agribusiness

Overview

Navigating the complexities of food, beverage, and agribusiness requires a deep understanding of the sector. Our dedicated team includes experienced food and beverage lawyers and excels in meeting the unique demands of growers, suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, retailers, brand owners, and customers.

Our distinctiveness lies in our comprehensive food, beverage, and agribusiness law practice. Featuring an experienced team of 160+ professionals, we serve as outside general business counsel to companies in the food, beverage, and agribusiness space as they consider the daily strategic, operational, and financial decisions that drive business growth.

We help clients monetize their brands, protect their inventions, navigate food safety laws, make profitable investments, protect human capital, anticipate legislative changes, embrace sustainability, and globalize the supply chain. Our highly collaborative, cross-functional team works together globally to deliver the best thinking and problem-solving for our clients.

Our experience includes class action, employment, corporate transactions, intellectual property, and other substantive areas of the law in order to handle the diverse and complex challenges faced by our clients in the food, beverage, and agribusiness sectors. Our attorneys also provide clients with insights and practical guidance to help them navigate FDA regulation.

Representative Experience

• Boston Beer Company: Advising Boston Beer Company, producer of Samuel Adams beers and Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, and other brands, in numerous corporate transactions and investments, including its recent acquisition of Dogfish Head Brewery in a cash and stock transaction, valued at approximately $300 million. The transaction combines two award-winning craft beer pioneers with unrivaled brewing expertise and portfolios of leading beer and “beyond beer” brands
• Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B): Advise Constellation Brands, one of the largest global producers of beer, wine, and spirits in numerous corporate transactions, including its $4 billion investment in Canada’s Canopy Growth Corporation and acquisitions of Funky Buddha Brewery LLC, The Prisoner Wine Company’s portfolio of brands from Huneeus Vintners LLC, and California-based craft brewery, Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits, valued at $1 billion
• Refresco Group N.V.: Advising Refresco Group N.V., the world’s largest independent bottler of soft drinks and fruit juices on the acquisition of Cott Corporation’s worldwide bottling business for $1.25 billion—previously represented Refresco on its purchase of all of Whitlock Holding Company, the direct parent of Whitlock Packaging Corporation, a leading bottler and co-packer in the US—transaction was the first acquisition in North America by Refresco
• Wings Over: Advise the fast-food chain and franchisor on its trademark matters in the US and many foreign countries
• Consumer Goods Company: Represented company with a defined portfolio of natural and specialty food and beverage brands in a Proposition 65 matter involving ginger
• Restaurant Chain: Advised on implementing COVID-19-related employment actions and departures, screening and workplace precautions, and issues and reporting relating to COVID-19-positive employees
• California Winery: Represent client on water reclamation issues
• ElPlast: Represented the leading manufacturer of disposable food packaging in protecting its trademarks and patented products and manufacturing processes
• Wine.com: Represented the largest online wine retailer in the United States in the trademark registration process for ‘WINE.COM,’ successfully establishing the brand’s distinctiveness through the compiling of significant market research, data, and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office precedent
• WhatIf Foods: Assist the regenerative food and beverage company with its US expansion, ranging from US visa issues to corporate, tax, employment and IP matters

Recognition

• Nixon Peabody has been named a Tier 1 National firm for Franchise Law and Trademark Law in the 2025 edition of Best Law Firms®.
• Named as the 2020 Consumer, Retail, Food & Beverage Law Firm of the Year by The Deal; also awarded 2020 Deal of the Year in the same category