Food Business Law

Corporate and commercial legal services for food sector businesses.

Food businesses run on commercial agreements between manufacturers and distributors, brand owners and co-packers, content creators and publishers, companies and their suppliers. Most of those agreements are drafted by lawyers who do not have a deep understanding of the food sector. The difference is not just regulatory knowledge; it is understanding which commercial terms create exposure in a regulated business and which standard protections a generic template will miss.

GSJ&Co. handles corporate formation, governance, and commercial agreements for food sector clients. Many clients use us as ongoing commercial counsel alongside the regulatory work. Others engage us for specific transactions where the food context matters.

Co-Packing, Private Label, and Distribution

These are the agreements where the food-specific regulatory layer matters most. A co-packing agreement must allocate licensing, PCP, and recall obligations between the parties. A private label agreement must address whose name goes on the label and what regulatory responsibility follows. A distribution agreement must cover traceability, storage and handling, and recall cooperation. In each case, the regulatory framing constrains what the commercial terms can say. See Co-packing and Contract Manufacturing and Private Label and Distribution Agreements.

Regulatory Due Diligence

When a food company is being acquired, invested in, or merged, the regulatory layer (licensing, compliance record, PCP, labelling portfolio, co-packing allocation) is where generalist transaction counsel needs a specialist. We provide regulatory due diligence assessments that report findings in terms deal counsel can act on: representations and warranties, indemnities, holdbacks, and conditions to closing. See Regulatory Due Diligence.

Corporate Formation and Governance

We incorporate private companies under the CBCA and the Ontario BCA, draft shareholder agreements, and handle corporate reorganizations. Not-for-profit corporations, including food industry associations, are included: formation under the CNCA or the Ontario NPCA, and ongoing governance work including board structure, bylaw reviews, and member agreements.

Other Commercial Agreements

We handle supply and procurement agreements, warehousing and 3PL arrangements, broker agreements, product development contracts, publishing agreements, and licensing and co-branding arrangements for food sector clients. The common thread is that the regulatory context informs how these agreements are structured. Note: we are not trademark agents and do not handle trademark prosecution; for trademark filings, we refer to trusted counsel.

How We Work

We are a food law firm that handles the commercial work our clients need so that it stays with counsel who understands their business. The regulatory context is not background knowledge; it is central to how these agreements are structured. For matters outside our scope, we refer to trusted colleagues and remain available to advise on the food regulatory dimensions.

Last updated: March 2026. This page is maintained by GSJ&Co. and updated when there are material changes to the relevant regulatory framework.