Agribusiness Middle Market Transactions

• Advised the largest U.S. producer of potash and phosphate fertilizer in various strategic agreements including:
  • in its strategic partnership with Sound Agriculture, to bring a revolutionary nutrient efficiency product to market to boost yields across major row crops and improve soil health.
  • in its collaboration with a developer of microbial solutions that enhance plant phenotypes and increase crop yields.
  • in its collaboration with a leader in discovering and developing innovative agricultural products from diverse microbial communities.
• Represented one of the world’s largest dairy cooperatives with nearly 13,000 dairy farmer members in 48 states marketing approximately 63 billion pounds of milk annually, in:
  • acquisition of sole ownership of a manufacturer of innovative cheese and dairy ingredients for the global food industry.
  • acquisition of a dairy cooperative owned by more than 2,300 farmers in the northeastern U.S.
• Represented a privately held food and agribusiness company in its agreement to acquire a leading agricultural retailer. The acquisition brought together two market leaders in the distribution of agricultural crop inputs and related services to create one of the largest ag retailers in the U.S.
• Represented a biotechnology company developing nematicides in its sale to a Switzerland-based world leader in agri-business focusing on sustainable agriculture for $113 million.
• Represented an agricultural technology company in its acquisition of the assets of an Iowa-based company delivering novel high-yielding, highprotein non-GMO soybean varieties.
• Represented a company operating a program of breeding, procuring, feeding and processing F1 Wagyu cattle and selling F1 Wagyu beef products, in the company’s sale of certain assets to a food processing company.
• Represented the largest family-owned pork production company in North America, in its acquisition of two sow farms from affiliates of a global leader in animal health and nutrition providing research-based products worldwide to owners and producers of various animal species.
• Represented a private equity agribusiness asset manager with more than $1.8B under management, in its acquisition of a developer of sustainable supply chains in global agriculture.
• Represented a provider of agricultural supply sales, grain purchasing, and storage options for farmers in multiple midwestern states, in its acquisition of a full service agricultural retail and grain handling organization operating in western Iowa.
• Represented a leading global agribusiness and food company, in its sale of its 28% stake in the world leader in developing soy technologies and ingredients to its joint venture partner for $440 million.

High Value Agribusiness Litigation & Regulatory Disputes

• Defending putative class action asserting violation of consumer false advertising laws based on labeling of products as being from “grass-fed cows” and “natural.”
• Defended global provider of crop inputs and services in personal injury cases nationwide, including chemical exposure and catastrophic personal injury claims.
• Defended agricultural chemical applicator in claims and lawsuits alleging off-target herbicide movement and chemical drift.

• Represented global agricultural company in government investigations and regulatory actions.
• Handled numerous indemnification disputes regarding generic crop chemicals.
• Successfully handled innumerable contract disputes for shipping, services, supply, and distribution agreements.