Natalie Rainer is a partner in the Healthcare and FDA practice group, focusing on laws affecting the food, cosmetic, and broader consumer product industries, with deep experience guiding companies in household goods, personal care, apparel, and retail through complex regulatory and litigation challenges.She advises manufacturers of finished foods, supplements, food-contact materials, additives, and processing aids on compliance with requirements administered by the US Food and Drug Administration, US Department of Agriculture, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and Federal Trade Commission. She advises on labeling and marketing—including use of structure/function, nutrient content, and other claims (e.g., organic and “natural”)—not only from a regulatory compliance standpoint but also from a class action litigation risk perspective. Natalie has successfully filed with FDA numerous Generally Recognized as Safe Notices, Color Additive Petitions, and Food Contact Notifications, enabling clients to bring innovative products to market.
In addition to federal requirements, Natalie regularly advises clients on the increasingly complex patchwork of state laws affecting not only food but consumer products more broadly, such as extended producer responsibility schemes, environmental marketing limitations, and restrictions on contaminants.
Her regulatory counseling often dovetails with the litigation practice, defending clients against not only deceptive advertising challenges but also claims alleging exposure to emerging contaminants like microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. She frequently represents clients in the food, textile, appliance, hardware, and consumer product industries in Proposition 65 enforcement challenges and provides pragmatic advice on Proposition 65 compliance. Her practice spans the consumer sector, advising manufacturers and retailers on compliance, sustainability, and marketing claims across apparel, footwear, beauty, household goods, and emerging lifestyle products.
Natalie, who has a Masters in Public Health in addition to her law degree, guides clients through enforcement actions and recall situations involving adulteration, misbranding, foodborne illness, and allergen cross-contamination. She regularly advises on food safety issues and regulatory compliance under the Food Safety Modernization Act. She regularly publishes on key challenges facing consumer product and retail companies, from sustainable packaging and emerging contaminants to advertising litigation risks.
Natalie has a background in bioethics and attended culinary school; this experience provides her with a unique perspective benefiting food and consumer product companies navigating complex regulatory landscapes. This diverse background provides her with a unique perspective benefiting consumer-facing companies navigating both regulatory compliance and evolving consumer expectations around safety, sustainability, and wellness. Prior to joining the firm, Natalie served as a partner in the San Francisco office of an international law firm. She focused her practice in food and food packaging in global jurisdictions including North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
- Presenter, "The Intricacies of Health Claims and Other FDA-Regulated Nutrition Claims," MISTA, 29 May 2025
- Speaker, "Examining Chocolate Regulations and Sustainability," Environmental Law Institute, 22 April 2025
- Presenter, "Food Labeling: General Requirements (Including Meat & Poultry)," Food and Drug Law Institute, 12 March 2025
- Guest Speaker, "FDA’s Proposed Rule Requiring Front-of-Package Nutrition Label: Prepare, But Don’t Freak Out," Food Processing, Food for Thought Podcast, 22 January 2025
- Presenter, “Overview of Food Law and New Developments,” National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 50-State Manufacturing Extension Partnership, 21 November 2024
- Speaker, "FDA Regulation of Novel Ingredients," MISTA Growth Hack 2024 Symposium, 19 November 2024
- Speaker, "So Fresh and So Green: Navigating the Pitfalls of Environmental and Nutritional Claims," Fortis Solutions Summit, 17 October 2024
- Speaker, "Traceability in Global Trade of Food and Fiber," Export Council of Australia, 16 October 2024
- Interview, "Natalie Rainer (Environmental Marketing & Related Pressures)," Ag Law in the Field, 10 October 2024
- Presenter, "FDA Registration and Compliance Webinar," Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), 8 October 2024
- Speaker, "Environmentally Friendly? FTC Green Guides, Recycling Laws, and Greenwashing Litigation," Food and Drug Law Institute Food Advertising, Labeling, and Litigation Conference, 25 September 2024
- Speaker, "Proposition 65 Update," 2024 American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) Regulatory Workshop, 24-25 September 2024
- Speaker, "SB 54 (CA's Extended Producer Responsibility Law)," California League of Food Producers 2025 Food Processing Expo, 5 February 2025
- Presenter, "Cell Culture and Novel Products: What’s GRAS and What’s Achievable?" International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) 2024 Annual Meeting, July 2024
- Speaker, "The Path to a Favorable FDA Status for Novel Fats," Alternative Fats & Oils Summit, 23-25 April 2024
- Presenter, “Overview of FDA’s Food Traceability Rule,” 2024 Food Production Solutions Association Executive Exchange and Conference, March 2024
- Speaker, “CLE program on Defending PFAS Liability Cases: Strategies for Challenging Causation and Standing,” Strafford, 20 March 2024
- Speaker, “California's Ban on Food and Color Additives (AB 418),” California League of Food Producers 2024 Food Processing Expo, 13 February 2024
- Presenter, “FDA Final Rule on Food Traceability: A Heavy Burden on Industry,” American Agricultural Law Association Annual Agricultural Law Symposium, November 2023
- Interview, "HSU Untied with Natalie Rainer, Partner at K&L Gates," HSU Untied, November 2022
- “4 Tips for Managing Disparate Global Food-Contact Material Regulations,” Packaging Digest, 14 August 2025
- “The Looming Color Shift: Why FDA’s Synthetic Dye Initiative Is a Complex Challenge for Food Companies,” Food Industry Executive, 11 June 2025
- “HHS Directive Could Overhaul Food Ingredient Safety Rules,” Law360, 2 April 2025
- Co-author, “Does the Delaney Clause Interfere With FDA's Science-Based Decision-Making?” Food Safety Magazine, 4 March 2025
- Co-author, “Pressing Food Safety and Regulatory Issues for 2025,” Food Processing, 9 January 2025
- "The Complex Challenges Facing Sustainable Food Packaging," Law360, 8 October 2024
- “‘Beauty From Within’ Trend Poses Regulatory Risks For Cos.,” Law360, 26 April 2024
- Challenges to Bringing Cell-Based Products to Market, Agro Food Industry Hi-Tech Journal, April 2023
- CA Proposes Second Amendment to Prop 65 Short-Form Warning Regulations, National Law Review, 10 April 2022
- California Proposes New Amendments to Proposition 65 Warning Regulations, National Law Review, 14 January 2022
- California Proposes Amendments to Proposition 65 Warning Regulations, National Law Review, 7 February 2020
- Weighing The Benefits Of Prop 65 Safe Use Determinations, Law360, 27 February 2019
- USDA Seeks Stakeholder Input to Support Forthcoming Proposed GM Labeling Rule, National Law Review, 7 July 2017
- California Finalizes Proposition 65 Rule Regarding Point-Of- Sale Warnings for Bisphenol A (BPA), National Law Review, 6 December 2016
- California Attorney General Issues New Proposition 65 Enforcement Regulations, National Law Review, 5 October 2016
- California Issues Final Rule on Proposition 65 - Article 6: Clear and Reasonable Warnings, National Law Review, 8 September 2016
- Summaries on FDA's Final Rule on GRAS Notices and the Draft Guidance Document on New Dietary Ingredient Issues, National Law Review, 30 August 2016
- The California Rigid Plastic Packaging Container Law, National Law Review, 28 May 2016
- FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): A Foreign Suppliers Guide, National Law Review, 21 April 2016
- Proposition 65 - California Proposes Regulations for Exposures to Bisphenol A (BPA), National Law Review, 23 March 2016
- California Finalizes New "Lead Agency Website" Rulemaking under Proposition 65, National Law Review, 4 February 2016
- California Prop 65 Enforcement Amendment Summary re: Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, National Law Review, 13 October 2015
- Quoted, "What packaging designers should know about FDA’s proposed nutrition info box," PackagingDive, 15 January 2025