Agribusiness, Food & Beverage Sector Year in Review

2019 was a productive and thought-provoking year for our global agribusiness, food and beverage team. Over the course of the year our lawyers worked on numerous exciting and meaningful matters with our clients. These matters provided opportunities for thought leadership in the form of agribusiness, food, and beverage related alerts, articles, speaking engagements, sponsorships, webinars and podcasts. Please find below a representative list of our collective efforts. We look forward to an even more exciting 2020!

KEY TOPIC AREAS

Industrial Hemp and Cannabis

• Protections for Landlords and Lenders When Working with Hemp Growers, presented by Marisa Bocci, 6 December 2019, American Agricultural Law Association Webinar
• In the Weeds: Hemp Industry Voicing Concerns Regarding USDA Interim Hemp Rules (U.S. Product Liability Alert) by Caitlin C. Blanche, Desiree F. Moore, Daniel S. Cohen, 20 November 2019
• In the Weeds: Hemp Progress Shown With New USDA Interim Rule (Consumer Products Alert) by Caitlin C. Blanche, Desiree F. Moore, 5 November 2019
• In the Weeds: Eight Considerations for Retailers that Wish to Sell CBD Products (U.S. FDA, Product Liability and Agribusiness, Food & Beverage Alert) by Caitlin C. Blanche, Desiree F. Moore, 19 August 2019
• Legality of Industrial Hemp Products Back in Limbo in the Carolinas (U.S. Environment, Land and Natural Resources, and Agribusiness, Food and Beverage Alert) by Laura A. Musselman, Christopher S. Walker, Laura B. Truesdale, Christopher A. Jaros, 14 August 2019
• Returning to Our Roots: Industrial Hemp’s Comeback in the DMV (U.S. Environmental, Land and Natural Resources and Agribusiness Alert), by Brian D. Koosed, Lacey A. Gehm, 13 August 2019
• Industrial Hemp Gold Rush Moves East: Updates From South Carolina (U.S. Environment, Land & Natural Resources and Agribusiness, Food and Beverage Alert), by W. Ford Graham, Laura A. Musselman, Christopher A. Jaros, 6 June 2019
• States Race to Align on Industrial Hemp (U.S. Environmental, Land and Natural Resources Alert), by Alyssa A. Moir, Brandy A. Sargent, Christina A. Elles, Alice E. MacLean, 7 May 2019
• In the Weeds — FDA Enforcement Priorities, Public Hearing, and Litigation Considerations for Cannabis Products (FDA and Health Care Alert), by Erica M. Jackson, Caitlin C. Blanche, Zachary W. Ernst, 5 April 2019

Supply Chain

• An Insurable Event? Managing Supply Chain Risk in a Global Food Economy, presented by Kari Larson and Jonathan Cohen, 9 November 2019, 2019, American Agricultural Law Association Education Symposium, Washington, D.C.
• Global Supply, Global Risk: How to Manage Supply Chain Risks in a Globalized Food Industry, 11 June 2019, presented by Matt Ball and Jonathan Cohen, Webinar
• Global Supply, Global Risk: How to Manage Supply Chain Risks in a Globalized Food Industry; 31 January 2019, presented by Matt Ball and Jonathan Cohen, San Francisco, CA

Food Safety and Labeling

• Food Advertising, Labeling, and Litigation Conference: For the Food and Dietary Supplement Industries, 26 September 2019, presented by Matt Ball, Food and Drug Law Institute, Washington, D.C.
• Food Safety and Innovation, 26 September 2019, panel and TED-style talks moderated by Todd Southwell, 2019 Association of Corporate Growth Chicago Food Industry Conference
• Seven steps to prepare for and execute a successful food-related recall (WestLaw), by Carol C. Lumpkin, Jonathan M. Cohen and Robert S Hogue, March 2019

Bankruptcy

• Cash Cows: Unique Payment Options and Issues for Farmers and Ranchers, presented by Brandy Sargent, November 2019, Oregon Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference, Oregon Farm Bureau
• Agricultural Insolvency: What’s Different?, co-presented by Brandy Sargent, September 2019, Oregon State Bar Debtor-Creditor Annual Meeting
• Dust Off Your Chapter 12 Knowledge: Increase to Debt Limits May Revive Family Farmer Bankruptcies by Margaret R. Westbrook, Brandy A. Sargent, Marisa N. Bocci, 8 August 2019
• Distressed Solutions: Don’t Get Lost in the Weeds in Agriculture Bankruptcies, 4 December 2019, presented by Jeffrey Kucera, Margaret Westbrook, and Brandy Sargent, A HUB Talks Podcast
• Second Circuit Rejects Setoff Between PACA Merchants in Bankruptcy Cases by Margaret R. Westbrook, Brandy A. Sargent, 29 January 2019

Opportunity Zones

• Agribusiness Law & Policy: Opportunity Zones and Rural Farmland Development, 6 November 2019, presented by Marisa Bocci, Tim Peckinpaugh, Elizabeth Crouse, Mary Burke Baker and Jonathan Cohen, Washington, D.C.
• Opportunity Zones: Second Round of Proposed Regulations Are Helpful for Agribusiness and Forestry, but Refinements Are Needed to Support Revitalization of OZs in Farm and Timber Country by Elizabeth C. Crouse, Mary Burke Baker, Marisa N. Bocci, 12 June 2019

Real Estate & Transactional

• Real Estate Transactions Involving Agricultural Land, presented by Kellen Holgate, 9 November 2019, American Agricultural Law Association Education Symposium, Washington, D.C.
• No Bull__: Monetizing the Environmental Attributes of Dairy Gas, Ag Waste, and Renewable Energy Projects on Farmland, presented by Marisa Bocci, Ankur Tohan, Buck Endemann, 9 November 2019, American Agricultural Law Association Education Symposium, Washington, D.C.
• Farm & Agribusiness Purchase and Sale Transactions: Key Legal Issues for Buyers & Sellers, 24 September 2019, presented by Marisa Bocci, webinar
• Getting Paid: Strategies, Challenges and Developments in Agricultural Transactions, presented by Brandy Sargent, July 2019, Oregon Agricultural Law Conference by the Seminar Group
• Buying the Farm: A Due Diligence Primer When Buying or Selling Farming Operations and other Agribusinesses (NWLawyer), by Marisa N. Bocci, Kari L. Larson, Leslie A. Berkseth, 20 June 2019
• Getting Your Agribusiness Deal Done, presented by Brian Healey, 24 May 2019, Australia China Business Council Food and Agribusiness Forum, Brisbane
• FIRB Restrictions on Agricultural Land - The Future of Foreign Investment in the Sector, presented by Brian Healey, 9-10 May 2019, Television Education Network, Fourth Annual Agribusiness Law Conference
• Secured Transactions Made Simple: Oregon’s UCC Article 9, presented by Brandy Sargent, May 2019, Multnomah Bar Association Young Lawyers Program

Technology & Innovation

• Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority: New Program Supports Innovation in Agriculture, by Laurie B. Purpuro, Bart Gordon, 21 February 2019
• SC Life Sciences Boot Camp: Insights On SC's Fastest-Growing Industry (SCBIO), 20 February 2019, presented by Erica Jackson, Columbia, SC
• Resolving Custody Issues in Commercializing Agricultural, Food and Life Science Tech, 11 February 2019, Austin, TX

Other Timely Topics

• Attorney/Client Privilege and Agricultural Matters: Don’t let the Cow out of the Barn Door, presented by Brandy Sargent and Margaret Westbrook, 9 November 2019, American Agricultural Law Association Education Symposium, Washington, D.C.
• Upcoming Disruptions affecting International Trade and Investment of Main Agricultural Commodities, presented by Brian Healey, 11-13 September 2019, Tokyo
• The Future of the Snake River Dams: Agricultural and Energy Impacts, presented by Jeffrey Denham, Tim Peckinpaugh, Scott Nelson, Marisa Bocci, Ankur Tohan, Alyssa Moir, 11 July 2019, Seattle, WA