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Agriculture

  • OVERVIEW
  • PROFESSIONALS

As companies in today’s agriculture and biotechnology industries develop products and methods to improve the world’s food supply, they face constant change brought on by advances in research and development and new regulatory standards. Developments in bioenergy production and use, biosecurity legislation, new international trade rules, pesticide legislation, and advances in genomics, plant growth factors and transgenic plants, for example, have a tremendous impact on the these industries. Businesses involved in agriculture must also deal with a complex set of laws and regulations governing nearly every aspect of the life cycle of their products.

We have assembled a group of attorneys, scientific advisers and patent agents, many with advanced degrees, who understand the science driving the industry, communicate new regulations and industry trends to clients, and know the dynamics of the business. They are well-versed in the laws regulating product distribution, especially via railway and barge; seed law, including matters under the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVPA); environmental law, including the Federal Insecticide Fungicide & Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); patent law; commercial law; and product liability law.

Our lawyers, advisers and agents have decades of combined experience handling agricultural matters in the context of intellectual property, including PVPA and patent issues, environmental matters including FIFRA, commercial finance, product distribution and transportation, and product liability. Our litigators are highly experienced in handling agricultural and biotechnology-related disputes.

We can help protect our clients—and the significant amount of time and resources they invest in their efforts—as they conduct research, follow regulatory processes, and bring their products to the marketplace. Our agriculture clients are involved in every facet of the industry, from genomics to chemical and fertilizer development, to food production and transportation.

Partners
Braunel, Matthew A.
Brown, Paul M.
Cornfeld, Richard S.
Cox, Daniel C.
Godiner, Clifford A.
Hohn, Christopher M.
Jinkins, David B.
Maddock, Paul A.
Massey, Raymond L.
Musgrave, John R.
Ritchey, Steven M.
Shear, Richard H.
Associates
Bousquet, Kimberly M.
Carnie Jr., Kevin M.
Holtz, William A.
Masson, Jeffrey A.
Miller, Pamela M.
Musch, Jonathan G.
Schwent, Jason M.
  • Agri-Business Services
  • Aurora Packing Company, Inc.
  • Caputo's New Farm Produce
  • Cargill, Incorporated
  • CGB Enterprises, Inc.
  • Chiappetti Wholesale Meat Corp
  • Corn Products International
  • Crop Production Services
  • Divergence, Inc.
  • Foster Mechanical Corporation
  • Franklin Baker Co. of the Philippines
  • Franklin Baker Corporation Delaware
  • FuturaGene Inc.
  • Land O'Lakes, Inc.
  • Lybradyn, Inc.
  • M & E Farms, Inc.
  • Mass Produce, Inc.
  • Monsanto Company
  • National Corn Growers Association
  • Rabo Agrifinance, Inc.
  • Reignon Farms L.L.C.
  • SEMO Milling, LLC
  • Sukup Manufacturing Company
  • United States Soybean Export Council
  • Urjah Enterprises, LLC

  • Food Producers
  • AB Mauri Food Inc.
  • ACH Food Companies, Inc.
  • Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation
  • Careerspecific.com, LLC, d/b/a Careersinfood
  • CKE Restaurants, Inc.
  • Creative Compounds, LLC
  • DJM Restaurants, LLC
  • E.A. Ward & Associates
  • Edita Food Industries, S.A.E.
  • El Greg
  • Encore Baking Company, LLC
  • FKS, Inc.
  • Gerber Products Company
  • Grandad's Sweet Tea
  • Gryphon Investors
  • Hero Group, Inc.
  • Hero/WhiteWave, LLC
  • Kerry Foods
  • Kerry Inc.
  • Kid's Brands / Exclusive Consumer Brand
  • KIDStrong, LLC
  • Kissel's Spiced Jam, Inc.
  • Lalo's 4400 LLC
  • LF Choc LLC
  • Low Sodium Sea Salt Co. Ltd.
  • Milnot Holding Corporation
  • Nestle Purina PetCare Company
  • Noble Roman's, Inc.
  • The Nutrasweet Company
  • Papy's Foods, Inc.
  • Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc.
  • Pepsico, Inc.
  • Perishables Group, Inc.
  • Plochman, Inc.
  • Racine Danish Kringle Corp.
  • Riceland Foods, Inc.
  • Rucker's Wholesale & Service Company
  • Snookie Cookie Company, LLC
  • Superior Office Snacks, Inc.
  • Symrise Inc.
  • Tone Brothers, Inc.
  • U.S. Durum Milling
  • Weston Foods, Inc.
  • We represented an agribusiness owner of large hog farms in north Missouri in a multi-plaintiff lawsuit by individuals claiming nuisance and personal injury from insects and odors associated with the farms. The firm won a favorable result at trial in the City of St. Louis. Approximately half the plaintiffs received no award, while the remaining plaintiffs were awarded an amount well below the plaintiffs' demand.
  • Thompson Coburn represented Bunge North America, Inc., the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited, in negotiating the terms of its minority investment in and strategic relationship with Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (REG), the biodiesel industry leader and a full-service biodiesel company. Bunge’s investment was part of a $100 million private equity financing involving multiple strategic partners and investors. The firm also negotiated the terms under which Bunge would supply REG with raw materials, risk management and logistics expertise.
  • Our attorneys recently represented Sukup Manufacturing at trial in a patent and unfair competition case in the Central District of Illinois. We took over representation of Sukup from another firm and litigated the matter through trial.
  • We have handled several acquisitions for a global baking ingredients business, as well as substantial contract and general corporate work. We also have handled issues for the business with respect to importing raw materials from Cuba.
  • We represented a supplier of processed food products and ingredients in an acquisition of coconut operations in the Philippines. We also have done general corporate work for the client, including all of their distribution and warehouse agreements and tax issues.
  • We successfully defended a baking industry client against potential class claims brought by independent owner/operators asserting various claims for breach of contract, fraud, ERISA and payroll taxes.
  • We handled $30 million in sales of restaurants to franchisees for a large national operator of quick-service and fast-casual dining restaurant brands. We also handled their operational real estate issues, including disputes and condemnations and purchases and sales of restaurants and other properties.
  • We have represented a large manufacturer and distributor of soda products nationally in its ERISA litigation since 2000. We have defended the company in litigation pending in California, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
  • We represent an international operator of bakery-cafés in all of their employee benefits-related matters. In the past, we have acted as the company’s dedicated outside corporate counsel in reviewing and negotiating many of their vendor contracts.