Areas of Practice

Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of food and beverages across Canada are under growing pressure from consumers and regulators alike to be more knowledgeable, accountable, and transparent about their products. British Columbia’s new Liquor Control and Licensing Act and the new federal Safe Food for Canadians Act are just two examples of the dynamic legal framework affecting companies in this sector. Leading industry participants regularly call upon the lawyers of Owen Bird’s food and beverages practice group to help them adapt to these changing circumstances and to meet and exceed industry standards.

The complex regulatory regimes that govern the manufacture and sale of food and alcoholic beverages in British Columbia create potential risks to a business’s license, finances, and reputation. Food and beverage providers who require advice or representation on litigation and regulatory matters have come to rely on Owen Bird’s lawyers. We handle all types of litigation (including disputes around contracts, leases, shareholders, creditors, employment, and municipal regulation), as well as enforcement actions by the provincial Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, intellectual property protection, commercial host liability, and product recalls.

The Food & Beverage group at Owen Bird also assists established and emerging businesses in this sector with a wide range of commercial law matters. Our comprehensive suite of corporate services including assistance with licensing and permits, supply chain management, incorporations and shareholders’ agreements, property and equipment leasing, raising capital, drafting employment, intellectual property, and distribution contracts, mergers and acquisitions, and trademark registration and enforcement.

Our lawyers also help early-stage entrepreneurs raise capital and negotiate contracts, and we advise and represent established wineries and hospitality groups on all types of legal challenges and opportunities. We apply our industry-specific knowledge and real-world experience to give our clients practical commercial guidance. Owen Bird’s food and beverage law group understands not only commercial litigation and administrative law, but also the industry itself.