Food

We understand the specific issues that food and drink companies face, which translates into a quick and intuitive service from an experienced team of specialist food industry lawyers.

From mergers and acquisitions, supply chain contracts, crisis management, UK corporate governance, regulatory compliance and contract disputes, our food team focuses on the key issues to help food and drink clients.

Our food sector experience ranges over many legal disciplines including corporate and commercial, employment, property and real estate, dispute resolution, environmental, construction, health and safety, data protection and tax.

We have experience in a variety of areas such as specialist ingredients, bakery, contract packaging, fish, frozen, fresh produce, cereals and pet food and drinks.

We regularly act for food clients, especially international food groups and their advisers undertaking transactions in the UK, and providing UK food specific due diligence expertise.

Our industry-specific services available include advising on:

• Mergers, acquisitions and disposals, work in this sector includes advising a listed UK food group on three acquisitions and disposals, a UK due diligence exercise for a major US breakfast cereal group, retail bakery acquisitions and disposals, multiple UK food due diligence exercises and advising a private equity owned food group on multiple acquisitions
• Commercial agreements (agency, distribution, warehousing and logistics) as well as food-specific agreements such as packaging and labelling agreements, the purchase of key ingredients, protection and exploitation of IP, licences of intellectual property, product purchase and logistics and supply chain management.
• Food premises construction and food production equipment acquisition and installation.
• Consumer and product liability claims including against a supplier relating to a substantial contaminated batch of flavouring (including a product recall).
• Defendant personal injury including burns and scalds caused by products and processes in the workplace, manual handling injuries, slips and trips. We also have experience of industrial disease claims including asbestos related disease, work related upper limb disorders such as vibration white finger and carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injuries, industrial deafness, respiratory disease, toxic exposures and occupational asthma.
• Defective product claims including product recall.
• Health and safety including audits and training.
• Employment law defence work tailored to food companies such as issues relating to temporary workers, employment status, working time, immigration status, grievance and performance management and discrimination claims.
• Food waste issues including contracts relating to anaerobic digestive plants.

Related expertise include: Commercial Contracts, Joint Ventures, MBOs & MBIs, Mergers Acquisitions & Disposals, Private Equity & Venture Capital.