Food and Agriculture

Contacts:
Gary Jay Kushner, Washington, D.C.
Richard S. Silverman, Washington, D.C.
Joseph A. Levitt, Washington, D.C.
Martin J. Hahn, Washington, D.C.
Steven B. Steinborn, Washington, D.C.

Players in the food and agriculture sectors address regulatory challenges at every stage of the production cycle, from farm to table. Energy usage, working conditions, and product labeling and safety are a few of the issues in which business and regulation intersect. We help you anticipate, shape, and comply with regulations from numerous agencies at the national, state, and local levels, assessing and implementing strategies that are both in compliance and advancing business objectives. The practice includes lawyers with high-level experience in government and industry, such as a former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a former Associate Chief Counsel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Our lawyers, who have worked on virtually every major food and agriculture regulatory initiative over the past 30 years, are conversant with key players and procedures at the FDA, USDA, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), among others. For example, we were involved in all phases of food safety reform legislation, as well as regulations implementing the nutrition labeling laws and other initiatives affecting the food industry. We have helped clients deal with product recalls, congressional investigations, product tampering, and deceptive advertising challenges. Our guidance helps you understand the impact of regulations in such areas on your strategy, and devise approaches that reduce the risks of violations and that support business expansion.

Awards and Rankings

• Ranked number 1 in food and beverages: nationwide, Chambers USA (2009)
• Recommended law firm for EU regulatory: environment, food, chemicals, Legal 500 EMEA (2008–2010)

Former Leadership Positions

• Clayton Yeutter, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative
• Joe Levitt, Director, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA; Deputy Director for Regulations and Policy, the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health; Executive Assistant to the FDA Commissioner and other senior positions in the Commissioner's office
• Rick Silverman, counsel to the Bureau of Foods (now the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition) at the FDA
• Gary Kushner, Vice President and General Counsel for the American Meat Institute; Staff Counsel, Scientific Affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers of America