Food & Drink
The Michelmores Food & Drink Team works with clients involved in all aspects of the manufacture, supply, distribution and sale of food and drink.
We have a clear understanding of the issues that face businesses operating in the food and drink sector. Our team draws on the expertise of lawyers across the firm to advise on specialist areas such as:
- Managing the supply chain, including distribution agreements and importing/exporting
- Dealing with 'red-tape', including keeping ahead of issues relating to food labelling, trading standards and health and safety
- Product liability, including handling product recalls and litigation
Supporting your business
We provide a full range of legal services, giving you access to specialists in the areas key to your business. Alongside this, we have an in-depth knowledge of the food and drink sector: our clients represent all parts of the industry and include national brands, regional producers, distributors and retailers.
Make the most of commercial opportunities
We will guide your business through the most important stages of its development and operation. Our commercial law specialists ensure that you can maximise your commercial opportunities whilst minimising risk. We advise on all aspects of the supply chain, including: establishing warehousing and logistics arrangements for goods; distributorship agreements; purchase agreements; and agency agreements (both marketing and sales). Our corporate team are able to advise on business/company acquisitions and disposals, investment agreements, trading structures (including advice on director's duties) and stakeholder arrangements (including partnership and shareholders' agreements).
Minimise the risks of debt and disputes
Disputes and debt are a part of modern business life; it is how you manage these issues that governs their impact. We offer a proactive debt recovery service, tailored to your needs covering credit control and risk management advice, payment terms reviews and pre-litigation debt recovery. Our litigation specialists handle a wide range of commercial disputes, such as breach of contract claims, regulatory disputes and high value and strategic disputes (including product recalls and associated issues).
Manage your employment obligations
Employment law issues touch all levels of business. Our team of employment law specialists offers immediate HR legal support in relation to every aspect of the employment relationship, including drafting contracts for casual workers and seasonal staff, pay and benefit disputes and performance and absence management.
Protect and develop your brand
Protecting your brand is vital for any business. Our intellectual property experts advise a wide range of food and drink clients on registering trade marks, brand/product licensing and franchising arrangements. We also deal with all aspects of IT law, from assisting with all aspects of online trading to advising on major IT infrastructure projects.
Property and Planning
Our property specialists advise our food and drink clients on all issues relating to the management and use of their land and property. We can help with the sale and purchase of property, the development of land, planning for new builds and extensions, the renewal and acquisition of leases, and environmental issues. We have a strong team to advise on renewable energy projects.
Plan for your future
Our Private Client Group has an excellent reputation and offers a full range of services to meet the personal needs of clients with business interests, including estate planning and the preparation of wills, with particular expertise in succession planning for family businesses. We also advise on tax planning, trusts and matrimonial issues.
For more information on how we can help your business, please contact a member of our Food and Drink Team.
