Find Lawyers in America for Agriculture Law
Practice Area Overview
Agricultural law encompasses a vast group of specialties applied to the complex and ever-changing market, business, and regulatory concerns faced by individuals and businesses in the food and agriculture industry. Agriculture and food law clients range from crop producers, livestock producers, dairy producers, and cooperatives; to the businesses that serve producers’ needs such as agricultural equipment manufacturers and dealers, agricultural finance and equity capital providers, animal health innovators, crop input providers, transportation firms, and energy producers; to the grain handlers and processors, food technology companies, and even restaurants, creating, using, and distributing the end products of agriculture. Given the broad range of agriculture and food client types, the concerns faced by those different client types vary, and agriculture law reflects the application of transactional, strategic planning, and litigation legal work to those concerns.
Food and agriculture industry clients frequently have questions in diverse legal areas such as real estate, contract, environmental, import/export compliance, tax, insurance, estate and succession planning, intellectual property, labor and employment, equity funding, legislation, business formation, and litigation. Agricultural law also encompasses assisting clients to influence the creation of policy and to navigate existing regulations administered by various federal, state, and local agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, local soil and water conservation districts, and state boards of health. Agricultural law addresses international concerns such as govern livestock import, grain and other processed food export, patent and trademark protection in foreign jurisdictions, foreign business licenses and taxation, and immigration of skilled workers.
Attorneys practicing in the food and agriculture industry may have a diverse range of experience in many of these legal and regulatory fields. More likely, however, agricultural law attorneys focus on one particular type of law and concentrate on assisting food and agriculture clients with needs in that focus area. Agricultural law attorneys also may focus on helping clients deal with issues raised in particular areas of food and agriculture, such as confined feeding operations, food labeling, water rights, or competitive advertising. Food and agriculture clients with sophisticated legal needs can benefit from a team approach in which a group of attorneys experienced in particular areas is assembled to ensure that all aspects of a client’s legal needs are met, while minimizing the chance that a decision in one particular legal area or jurisdiction will negatively affect the client’s position in another.
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Vince Chadick maintains a commercial law practice, representing corporate, public, and individual clients in matters of litigation and regulatory compliance. Mr. Chadick has appeared before state and federal courts, and administrative agencies, in at least six states and the District of Columbia; and has handled in excess of 50 trials (including more than 20 jury trials). He has also argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and the Arkansas Supreme Court. Over the past t...
CLARK R. HAMMOND is a partner with Wallace Jordan Ratliff & Brandt LLC. He is also a member of the Firm’s Litigation practice group. Mr. Hammond practices primarily in the area of bankruptcy, commercial and real estate loan defaults and workouts, construction law, workout of defaulted municipal and commercial bonds, creditor’s and debtor’s rights, securities litigation and general commercial litigation. Prior to 1989, Mr. Hammond’s work included the representation ...
John McQuiston is an experienced commercial litigator and is general counsel to two e-commerce companies. He has been named as one of the top 100 lawyers in Tennessee and one of the 15 best business litigators in Memphis. AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, he is listed in the prestigious publication The Best Lawyers In America for the 27th year for commercial litigation. Mr. McQuiston was named the Best Lawyers 2016 Litigation-Banking and Finance Law "Lawyer of the Year" in Memphis. He has also ...
Arleen Nand represents commercial, cooperative, development and investment banks, as well as hedge funds, private equity firms, and corporations in cross-border and domestic financings. Arleen has structured, drafted, and negotiated more than $40 billion of investment grade, leveraged finance and commercial paper transactions. Arleen has served as lead counsel on numerous financings, including cross-border credit facilities, securitizations, syndicated loan transactions, credit-linked notes, ...
Mr. Ritchie successfully represents clients involved in virtually all types of labor and employment disputes. Businesses trust Mr. Ritchie to achieve positive results when their reputations are on the line. Mr. Ritchie represents and advises clients in several areas, including claims of wrongful discharge, harassment, discrimination, breach of employment contract, response to state and federal investigations and claims arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Montana Human Rights Ac...
Allen began his career as a traditional litigator focused on business and real estate disputes. Over time, his practice has expanded to include clients from a variety of markets with a variety of needs. Litigation and dispute resolution remain essential parts of his daily practice, but he also enjoys advising clients on a broad range of general legal, business, regulatory, and practical matters, craving the opportunity to serve as a trusted advisor. His unique and varied journey through the p...
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