Agribusiness
At the core of every living thing is the fundamental need to source the energy necessary to survive, grow and thrive. The primary means of business since the beginning of recorded history was the ability to source, trade and process food for everyday life. Today, agribusiness and food production are part of a complex, global supply chain. Agribusiness and food-based businesses face a broad range of issues that can impact productivity and profitability, including land use and environmental concerns; government regulatory issues; the constant evolution of biotechnology, GMOs and agricultural chemicals; industry consolidation; food safety concerns; and management of complicated supply chains and global trading partners.
Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr attorneys help agribusinesses meet these challenges by providing pragmatic and forward-thinking advice so our clients can grow and thrive in a competitive and ever-changing industry. With deep agribusiness industry experience and comprehensive capabilities, our team helps clients address the complexities of modern agricultural production and devise holistic approaches and solutions.
From family farms to large agribusiness conglomerates, and the companies that service them, we represent clients across the spectrum of agricultural production, distribution and investment, including:
- Livestock and crop producers, family-owned farms, dairies, meat packers, and egg producers
- Vineyards and wineries
- Agribusiness corporations, cooperatives, distributors and licensors
- Ingredient companies
- Food and ingredient processors, transloaders and contract manufacturers
- Equipment manufacturers
- Agrichemical companies
- Agribusiness brokers, vendors and agents
- Horse farms and equestrian operations
- Investment funds, family offices and strategic investors—based in and outside of the United States—in their U.S. agriculture investments
- Orchards and value-added agriculture
- AgTech investors and developers
We serve our rural clients with the caliber and sophistication of traditional large-market firms while maintaining our down-to-earth, collaborative approach to problem-solving and strategy.
Our team regularly advises agribusinesses on matters in the following areas:
- Agriculture regulatory and administrative matters before federal, state, and local governments and agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, state departments of agriculture and water management agencies.
- Corporate
- General corporate – business formation, commercial agreements, governance, import/export matters, and expansion into new markets
- Financing – debt and equity capital raising transactions
- Mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and strategic alliances
- Investments by private equity funds, venture capital funds, wealth funds, strategic investors and family offices
- Tax – domestic and international tax planning and Internal Revenue Service inquiries and disputes
- Real Estate, including the purchase and sale of land, financing, development, land use rights, zoning, and appeals
- Construction, including the development of processing and handling facilities for a broad variety of agricultural production and processing businesses in the U.S. and abroad
- Environmental, including project permitting, defense of enforcement actions and other matters before state, local, regional and federal environmental authorities such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Labor and employment, including employment applications and agreements, employee handbook/policy requirements, collective bargaining agreements, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration matters
- Intellectual property, including matters related to patents, trademarks, licensing, genetic development, breeding programs, joint development agreements and merchandising
- Employee benefits and executive compensation
- Cybersecurity and data privacy
- Immigration, including employment-based visas
- Estate planning, including business succession planning
- Litigation, including supply chain disputes, government investigations, nuisance claims, unfair and deceptive trade practice claims, advertising and labeling disputes, and food safety litigation and class actions
- Bankruptcy and restructuring
Our attorneys’ keen knowledge of how each part of the agriculture value chain works—from inputs to output to consumption—informs our approach to providing practical counsel as we help clients manage successful business operations.