Roetzel & Andress counsels companies in the Food Processing & Distribution Industry in all aspects of their operations throughout the country. Our multi-disciplinary team provides a comprehensive range of services which includes complex litigation, corporate business counsel, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, labor and employment, environmental law, interstate transportation and insurance. Our clients represent a broad range of companies beginning with the agricultural phase through consumption.

We understand the complexity of the current food industry and the task of balancing the demands of consumers and compliance with law and federal and state regulators. We have worked with our food industry clients in taking a proactive approach to advising the best manner in which the client can obtain its business mission of providing the consumer with the desired product, while minimizing its risk to allow it to achieve its desired profit.

We have represented national food and flavor manufacturers, manufacturers of food service equipment, agribusinesses including large and small food growers, food industry chemicals, grocery stores, hospitals, national chain restaurants and restaurant management companies. Our attorneys represent and advise clients on product safety matters and work with in-house counsel to develop monitoring and compliance programs, to reduce liability risks and to protect brand names.

• Served as national counsel for a flavoring company for diacetyl related claims
• Served as counsel for scombroid related outbreak claims
• Defended over thirty foreign object food related cases throughout the country
• Obtained dismissal for food manufacturer in canning defect case
• Defended a large food company in an intentional tort claim
• Represented a specialty seafood processor in a matter involving a claim of adulterated food by a consumer
• Represented the CEO and several executive officers of a $500 million publicly-held, multi-national Canadian company in an international grand jury investigation of price fixing activities in the agricultural industry
• Provide Ohio state lobbying services for a Fortune 500 top U.S. food company
• Represented a bank group in connection with a letter of credit issued in support of $25,000,000 maximum principal amount of floating-rate taxable option notes issued by a food processing company
• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of food manufacturer in Federal Court on claims of sexual harassment, retaliation, and gender discrimination, which was upheld by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Obtained dismissal on behalf of a food manufacturer of a complaint filed in Federal Court alleging retaliation, which was upheld by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Obtained dismissal of complaint filed against food manufacturer alleging violations of FMLA
• Convinced the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm summary judgment on behalf of restaurant chain on claims of race and national origin discrimination
• Received numerous no probable cause determinations and dismissals of Charges of Discrimination filed with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission