Attuned to the evolving market, we understand the nuanced issues our F&B clients face on a daily basis. Our foremost goal is to protect our clients’ business interests, achieved through implementing innovative approaches to analyzing and mitigating litigation risk. Bilzin Sumberg’s Food & Beverage practice is renowned for its industry prowess, having successfully represented global companies in national class action and antitrust cases, advised franchisors and franchisees in regard to regulatory requirements and dispute related issues, and provided counsel to clients facing investigation by the Department of Justice. Our success lies in our deep industry knowledge and breadth of experience across sectors.
The Food Court provides commentary and analysis on top of mind issues confronting the food and beverage industry. Topics include:
Product Labeling
Product labeling and consumer fraud claims over alleged “deceptive” verbiage on product packaging and advertisements are a hot topic in food litigation.
Class Actions
Deceptive advertising and product labeling lawsuits continue to increase, with the state of Florida, and particularly South Florida, rapidly becoming a hotbed of food and beverage related class actions. Companies battling these claims require sophisticated counsel versed in all aspects of class action litigation, including multi-district proceedings.
Antitrust
Actions involving unfair competition, price fixing, trade infractions, or monopolization can implicate the full array of federal, state, and international antitrust and competition laws. Recently, as industry consolidation has continued to spread, regulators have turned their eyes on the food and beverage industry.
Price Fixing
Department of Justice investigations and in turn, antitrust civil lawsuits, are increasingly initiated against food manufacturers accused of anti-competitive price fixing.
Franchise Law
The legal relationship between franchisor and franchisee is complex and can include franchise agreement issues, disclosure infractions, fraud, and antitrust violations, amongst others.
About Bilzin Sumberg
Bilzin Sumberg works with clients whose business and legal opportunities and challenges span the United States and cross borders to Europe, Latin America, Canada, the Middle East, and Asia. The firm’s growth has paralleled that of its Miami home base, a region known for its rich cultural, social, and professional diversity. Bilzin Sumberg lawyers concentrate on services at the heart of both regional and international commerce, including real estate, land development and government relations, environmental, corporate law, joint ventures, domestic and international tax and estate planning, business litigation, finance, and public/private partnerships. For more information, please visit bilzin.com.