Food and Beverage

We are well versed in the regulatory and business challenges facing our clients — including the extensive regulations on food ingredients and additives issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal and state agencies. We can guide you through compliance and act as your representative in dealing with these agencies.

We defend clients charged with violations of governing liquor and tax laws, provide consulting and regulatory advice regarding business operations and transactions, negotiate liquor license transfers, provide corporate services (such as business formation and drafting necessary corporate documents and agreements), and litigate shareholder disputes and disputes between buyers and sellers. We provide counsel to help our clients align their business needs with the statutory and regulatory requirements of this highly regulated industry. As trusted authorities in alcoholic beverage law and licensing, we also frequently present to legal organizations and alcoholic beverage and development industry groups. Recent presentations include “The ABCs of Liquor Licensing” and “So the Redevelopment Project You’re Working On Will Include F&B? Welcome to the World of Legal Issues Related to Serving Alcoholic Beverages in NJ,” both prepared for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education and its Annual Redevelopment Law Institute.

We assist both startup and established breweries and distilleries with all of the legal challenges that can face these ventures, from transactional and intellectual property matters to employment and labor, as well as assisting clients with state and federal regulatory compliance, including Dram Shop Laws.

We help clients navigate the growing and complicated global legal issues confronting them in order to effectively manage risk and minimize the potential for a lawsuit. Our attorneys counsel on everything from major product liability concerns to the daily operational issues of a business.

We frequently assist global producers of food and grain products with importing goods into the U.S., exporting their goods abroad, or setting up U.S. operations. We can assist with customs and trade issues, cross-border transactions, filing prior notice of imported foods, registering food production facilities with the FDA and the USDA, and other critical issues.

From national class actions to regional and local litigation or alternative dispute resolution forums, we have extensive experience defending clients in the full range of disputes that may arise from the development, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and use of products in highly regulated and litigation-prone industries like food. Our team routinely handles disputes involving personal injury, product liability, class actions, contracts and commercial agreements, franchise agreements, intellectual property rights, alleged violations of consumer protection statutes, and other critical areas, with a focus on resolving claims in the most efficient way possible for our clients.

We know from experience that the proper labeling and careful promotion of your product lines can make the difference between success and failure in a regulatory dispute or a product liability lawsuit. We draft, review, and advise on the copy for product labels and packaging, as well as advertising, marketing, and promotional campaigns in all media (including television, broadcast, print, the internet, and social media) to help ensure compliance with the FDA, CPSC, FTC, and other regulatory agencies. Our proactive approach also helps our clients guard against potential product liability, false advertising, improper labeling, failure to warn, intellectual property infringement, consumer fraud, and other claims, including those involving “all-natural,” “non-GMO,” “hormone-free,” “organic,” and other assertions.

We serve the day-to-day labor and employment needs of employers of all types and sizes, including handling all aspects of labor relations; counseling on employment practices and policies; and representing employers against all types of unfair labor practice charges, claims of sexual harassment and gender discrimination, and allegations relating to age, race, gender, and disability discrimination. We counsel and represent clients on wage and hour issues involving the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including those related to the food service and hospitality industry.

Goldberg Segalla has successfully represented clients from numerous industries in workers’ compensation litigation, and we have handled a full range of cases involving both major and minor injuries, in both the “accident” and “occupational disease” contexts.

We have extensive experience drafting and negotiating manufacturing and distribution agreements, and we can advise on a broad range of import and export concerns. We also assist with workplace safety issues, including evaluation of compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

We provide comprehensive transportation law litigation services and representation aimed at helping you avoid or minimize liability in the event of an accident involving a vehicle in your fleet. Our 24-seven Emergency Response Team manages the first response to an accident in order to begin building a defense to a potential claim immediately.

We utilize our extensive experience negotiating with the FDA to help clients respond to warning letters, notices of inspectional observations, government investigations, and other enforcement actions. Our team is also experienced in managing product adulteration and recalls (including both enforced and voluntary recalls), and we can advise clients on effective responses to adverse publicity resulting from recalls or safety concerns.