Food & Beverage

As home to some of the nation’s finest restaurants, chefs, producers, and growers, San Francisco and the greater Bay Area’s reputation as a food mecca is well deserved. And Coblentz is proud to represent some of the area’s most notable players.

With experience in matters at all stages of development from concept to market and on to the potential ultimate sale of a company, we represent food and beverage producers, processors, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, wholesalers, restaurateurs, and investors.

The challenges facing clients in this highly competitive industry are unique—and so is our approach. We bring experience in both transactional—employment, intellectual property, real estate, advertising, and mergers and acquisitions—and litigation aspects of the law, and our various teams work together seamlessly to help our clients grow their businesses.

Some of our areas of experience include:

• Working with clients on complex licensing, co-packer, and distribution deals
• Acting as outside general counsel as well as providing general corporate advice, including corporate governance counseling, private placement financing, SEC filings, and license negotiations
• Negotiating and advising on working capital lines of credit, term loans, equipment loans, and subordinated and bridge financing arrangements
• Preparing complex founder and shareholder agreements
• Preparing real estate development and lease agreements for restaurants, hotels, wineries, and manufacturers
• Providing comprehensive tax, estate planning, succession planning, generation transfer counseling, and entity formation for closely held hospitality, winery businesses, and families
• Advising on labor and employment issues, including collective bargaining agreements
• Managing and enforcing brand portfolios
• Providing advertising and label review and compliance advice