2023 Food & Ag Startup Legal Bootcamp

Please join Sandbox Sustainability Ventures and Morrison Foerster for a five-week Food & Ag Startup Legal Bootcamp.

With a rapidly growing population, demand for food is expected to increase exponentially and our future depends on today’s innovative solutions to feed the world safely and sustainably. Disruptive startups in the food and agriculture sectors are revolutionizing the way we address the world’s food challenges and paving the way for a better tomorrow. To ensure you get your industry-changing ideas off the ground, it is critical that you have a solid understanding of the legal issues that arise when launching and growing a startup in this field. 

Our course features interactive lectures designed to introduce startups, entrepreneurs and others interested in the food and agriculture industries to the legal knowledge needed to grow your business, protect your innovations, and navigate the challenging regulatory landscape. Leading lawyers from MoFo’s globally recognized Food + Agriculture industry team will lead each session with a real-world experience-based approach and provide insights on key legal issues across the sector.

The course begins Tuesday, March 28, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET, and runs every Tuesday through April 25, 2023.

Session Topics

Session 1: Formation and Early-Stage Financing – What You Need to Know | March 28, 2023

From entity structure and incorporation to fundraising approaches, this session will offer insights from seasoned investors and attorneys on how to launch and grow startups.

Speakers:

• Dan Phillips, Partner, Sandbox Sustainability Ventures
• Fredo Silva, Partner & Co-chair, Social Enterprise and Impact Investing Group, Morrison Foerster

Session 2: IP 101 & Recent Developments in Food & Ag Patent Litigation | April 4, 2023

This session will include an introduction to food & ag IP law, including patentability, FTO, and IP diligence, as well as a discussion of recent trends in food & ag patent litigation.

Speakers:

• Anita Choi, Partner, Patent Strategy + Prosecution Group, Morrison Foerster
• Matthew Chivvis, Partner, Patent Litigation Group, Morrison Foerster

Session 3: Navigating Food Law & Regulations for Disruptive Food & Ag Innovations | April 11, 2023

Led by the most recent former chief counsel of FDA, this session will provide you with strategic insights on the ever-evolving regulatory landscape governing food & ag products. 

Speakers:

• Stacy Cline Amin, Partner & Chair, FDA + Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance Group, Morrison Foerster, former FDA Chief Counsel and Deputy General Counsel of the Department of Health and Human Services
• Brigid Bondoc, Partner, FDA + Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance Group, Morrison Foerster 

Session 4: The Ins and Outs of Patent Licenses & University Technology Transfer | April 18, 2023

Collaboration and licensing transactions are vital to driving innovation in the food & ag sectors, and this session will equip you with an understanding of how to reduce risk and negotiate such agreements for mutual benefit.

Speakers:

• Matthew Ferry, Partner, Life Sciences Transactions + Licensing Group, Morrison Foerster
• Anita Choi, Partner, Patent Strategy + Prosecution Group, Morrison Foerster

Session 5: Strategic Considerations in Food Advertising, Labeling, & Litigation | April 25, 2023

This session will guide you through current food labeling and marketing laws as you seek to launch your food & ag innovations in this highly complex industry.

Speaker:

• Claudia Vetesi, Partner, Class Actions + Mass Torts and Product Life Cycle Groups, Morrison Foerster 
• Lena Gankin, Associate, Litigation Group, Morrison Foerster

Upon registering for this course, you will receive a unique Zoom link that provides access to each of the individual sessions on our schedule. Please use this same link to join each session. You will receive a reminder email containing your personal link before each session. You may attend all sessions during the five-week program, or only those of interest to you.