Agri-Business

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Safety concerns along the food chain and tension over water supplies and usage have created a high-pressure environment for farmers and agri-businesses. Further, the desire to expand operations from farming through distribution has created opportunities and pitfalls for both farmers and operators.

Best Best & Krieger LLP’s Agri-business attorneys are leaders in representing agriculture-based businesses, helping them optimize operations and overcome the challenges they face. Combining deep industry knowledge with broad legal experience, we meet our clients’ farm-to-table business and legal needs. With real-life equine, farm and cattle rancher experience, we have dealt first-hand with many of the issues our clients must address.

Comprehensive Service
We represent a broad range of agri-business clients. This includes farmers and producers, packers and processors in the rice, citrus, grape and other fruit and vegetable sectors, as well as vineyards, forestry/timber businesses and equine and livestock ranch operations. We offer pragmatic business and legal guidance to clients regarding:

Entity formation, structuring and corporate governance
Finance
Agri-business mergers, acquisitions and asset purchases and sales
Real estate acquisitions, development, construction and insurance
Zoning, land use, easements and permits
Business operations, contracts and litigation
Natural resources and sustainable operations
Water rights, supply and quality
Conservation easements, endangered species mitigation banks
Regulatory compliance, intellectual property and trade regulation
Labor & employment, including immigration law and wage & hour compliance
Pesticide registration compliance and performance disputes
Government Relations

Additionally, we represent agri-business and water district interests in state and federal courts and before California governmental agencies, including state and regional water boards, the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, and the departments of Food and Agriculture, Fish & Game, and Pesticide Regulation.

Leading the Way
BB&K attorneys are active in trade organizations and industry coalitions, leading the way toward collaboration, solutions and industry progress as increased regulation and legal challenges force agricultural operations to become more sophisticated.

Represented an international agricultural products processing company in $19.6 million new credit facility (equipment, accounts receivable, real estate and line of credit).
Represented multistate cattle rancher in acquisition of multiple properties totaling more than 14,600 acres, including conservation easements, grazing leases, personal property and leaseback arrangements.
Assisted landowner in drafting easement agreements, licenses, leases and acquisition/disposition agreements, hunting/rice/row crop/hay leases.
Represented California Cattlemen’s Association in landmark litigation involving the Sierra Framework United States Forest Service rules and nationwide environmental interest challenges.
Represented the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Public Lands Council, defending nationwide Bureau of Land Management rules applicable to grazing.
Advise and assist clients in connection with developing regulations, administrative determinations and enforcement actions.
Represented pesticide chemical companies on compliance and product registration and enforcement issues.
Represented several large cattle operations relative to setting up conservation easements.
Represented landowners on establishing mitigation banks to protect listed species.
Represent California landowners in interstate litigation involving environmental challenges to existing water adjudications.
Represent land operators in dispute with water agency threatening to curtail delivery.
Represent landowners on interstate dispute over water rights, endangered species, and tribal rights.
Represent in state and appellate court dispute between landowners over grazing rights.
Represent a California-grown commodity on possible federal trade action against imported product from Europe.
Represent related landowners on dividing various properties for purposes of selling some and transferring some of the other remaining properties.
Represent a consortium of water agencies in the State Water Board and in court regarding challenges from environmental entities.
Represent high-tech firm on new electronic high-speed method to selectively target only undesirable vegetation and apply only a “spit” of herbicide.
Represent horse owner regarding disputed ownership interest in valuable stud horse.