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MoFo Advises The Good Crisp Company on Acquisition by MPearlRock

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Morrison Foerster advised The Good Crisp Company, a brand offering classic snack formats reimagined with a cleaner label and...

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Morrison Foerster advised The Good Crisp Company, a brand offering classic snack formats reimagined with a cleaner label and healthier attributes, on its acquisition by MPearlRock, a strategic partnership focused on identifying, backing, and building high-growth, emerging consumer packaged goods brands.The MoFo team advising The Good Crisp Company was led by partner Chuck Cotter, private equity partner James Beach and corporate associate Stefan Rajiyah. The broader team included tax partner Brian Radigan, employment + labor partner Michael Schulman, FDA + Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance partner Brian Sylvester, and data, cyber + privacy partners Julie O’Neill and Melissa Crespo.Read the <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260113656430/en/MPearlRock-Acquires-The-Good-Crisp-Company-a-Leading-Clean-Label-Salty-Snack-Platform" target="_blank">press release</a>.

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Chuck Cotter is a partner in the firm’s Emerging Company + Venture Capital practice group in Denver.Chuck advises venture and growth stage companies, helping them to successfully raise capital, negotiate key agreements, manage investor and board dynamics, and through exit. Chuck also regularly advises investment funds in placing capital into consumer products, agtech, and food tech companies. He excels as a practical, business-minded advisor.With sophisticated experience in the consumer products space, including food, beverage, personal care, beauty, and fashion, Chuck has represented such companies and funds in over 200 financing and M&A transactions.Chuck has been recognized by Chambers USA for Corporate M&A and by The Best Lawyers in America for M&A and Venture Capital. He has also been named MVP in Food & Ag by Law360.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Chuck was a partner at a national law firm and the leader of their Food, Beverage, and Consumer Products industry group. Before that, he was a partner and chair of the Consumer Products industry group at an Am Law 100 firm.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>CrumblCookies, in its minority investment from TSG consumer Partners, supporting continued franchise expansion and growth.</li><li>Grüns, in its Series B preferred stock financing, including a $10 million primary investment at a $500 million post-money valuation led by Headline Global Growth and a $25 million secondary tender offer, with conversion of outstanding SAFEs and convertible notes.</li><li>David Protein (aka Linus Technology, Inc.), a cutting-edge brand offering high-protein, low calorie nutrition and redefining how we think about fat, in its Series A financing and its acquisition of the company behind EPG –a plant-based fat substitute that replicates texture and mouthfeel of traditional fat.</li><li>GroundForceCapital, an investment firm seeking to invest in companies in the consumer food and beverages sector that aim to improve health and longevity of people and the planet, in its participation in the Series E financing of Liquid Death, a disruptive hydration company valued at $1.4 billion.</li><li>Goat Rodeo Capital Advisors LLC, a venture capital fund focusing on early-stage opportunities in the alcohol beverage space, in its participation in the Series B financings of The Lemon Perfect Company, a celebrity-backed, ready-to-drink hydration company.</li><li>Sweetwood Smoke & Co., maker of FATTY Smoked Meat Sticks, in its sale to Conagra Brands (NYSE: CAG), one of North America’s leading branded food companies.</li><li>Caulipower, the #1 better-for-you, gluten-free, and cauliflower crust frozen pizza brand in America, in its sale to Urban Farmer, a portfolio company of Paine Schwartz Partners and a fully integrated producer of specialty dough products for leading brands and major retailers across North America.</li><li>Hooters, Inc., and Hoot Owl Restaurants LLC in restructuring transactions that would allow for the acquisition of more than 100 Hooters of America-owned restaurants.</li><li>NextWorldLLC, in the sale of The Citizenry, a direct-to-consumer, socially conscious home decor brand, to Havenly, a leading interior design service and home furnishings company.</li></ul>

Chuck Cotter

Partner

James Beach works with leading middle market private equity firms.James represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies in a broad range of complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including M&A, divestitures, and growth equity investments. He also advises companies across all stages of their lifecycle.James has completed over $20 billion of aggregate transactions across numerous industries, including enterprise software, data, security and technology, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare and consumer products.Prior to joining MoFo, James was a partner in the private equity and M&A group at another global law firm and at a private equity M&A boutique.

James Beach

Stefan Rajiyah is a corporate associate in Morrison Foerster’s New York office and a member of the firm’s Social Enterprise and Impact Investing Group.Stefan advises social enterprises on a diverse range of transactional matters. He also counsels public and private companies in connection with M&A and other transactional matters.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Stefan was an associate in the corporate department of another law firm based in New York. Stefan received his J.D., magna cum laude, from New York University School of Law where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and an Executive Editor for the New York University Law Review. Stefan received his B.S.F.S., magna cum laude, in International Politics from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University where he was Phi Beta Kappa.

Stefan Rajiyah

Associate

Brian Radigan is a partner in the Federal Tax Group at Morrison Foerster. He has a broad tax practice advising U.S. and non-U.S. clients on complex tax structuring and the tax aspects of corporate transactions.Brian advises private equity funds, startup entities, REITs, and established multinational corporations on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, cross-border corporate restructurings, and capital markets transactions. He has a particular focus on international tax, helping clients on cross-border structure formation and tax-driven internal reorganization, navigating tax laws across multiple jurisdictions to maximize global tax efficiency.Brian regularly advises emerging companies and venture capital firms on the tax aspects of capital raises, changes to capital structure, and general tax planning, providing strategic insight and tailored tax solutions to drive tax-efficient growth. He also advises financial institutions and corporations on capital markets offerings, financial products, and FATCA compliance.Brian is Recommended for US Taxes: Non-Contentious by Legal 500 US 2024.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Brian spent over a decade as a senior in-house tax advisor at General Electric and, more recently, as the global head of tax at New Fortress Energy (NFE). He structured the transition of NFE from an Up-C investment of Fortress Investment Group to a multibillion-dollar, fully public company. In his in-house roles, he served as a trusted advisor to senior executives, founders, and board members on various high-profile transactions, including a $2 billion LNG infrastructure joint venture between NFE and Apollo and a $5.1 billion acquisition by NFE of Hygo Energy Transition and Golar LNG Partners, LP.

Brian Radigan

Michael Schulman is a partner in the firm’s Global Employment and Labor Group and co-head of the firm’s Washington, D.C. Litigation Department.Michael regularly advises clients in connection with important workforce-related matters, including hiring and negotiating employment agreements for senior executives, sensitive executive separations, internal workplace investigations, employment claims and disputes, and employment issues arising in the context of mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies and other corporate transactions. Michael is known for using a pragmatic, efficient, and results-oriented approach, focused on achieving his clients’ desired business outcomes.Michael regularly guides clients through complex workforce issues, including, for instance allegations of workplace misconduct; restrictive covenant drafting, enforcement, and strategic evaluation; worker classification and wage-and-hour compliance practices; and the unique issues that arise in a unionized workplace. Michael’s experience covers a broad range of employment and labor laws at the federal, state, and local level, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the National Labor Relations Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and corresponding state and local laws.Michael has unique experience addressing labor and employment matters that arise in connection with corporate transactions, particularly for private equity firms. Michael has represented clients in over 2,000 transactions, including many large-scale multinational mergers, acquisitions, and asset carve-outs. He regularly conducts acquisition-related labor and employment due diligence and advises clients on the employment and workforce integration or separation implications of mergers, acquisitions, sales, and financings.In the litigation context, Michael represents employers in U.S. federal and state court litigation, administrative agency proceedings, and arbitrations arising out of alleged labor and employment law violations. Michael defends employers against actions brought by government agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Department of Labor, as well as actions initiated by current and former employees. He also prosecutes suits against former employees and their new employers for breach of restrictive covenants.

Michael Schulman

Brian P. Sylvester is a partner in our FDA & Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance Group. He is the head of Food Regulatory and an influential thought leader and practitioner in the field of food regulation.Brian counsels clients across the full life cycle of regulated products, serving global brands, startups, life sciences companies, investors, and trade associations. He has been recognized by a number of legal industry awards and publications such as Chambers USA, Bloomberg Law, and The National Law Journal. Chambers USA reports that Brian “is widely noted as an expert in regulatory issues relating to novel food technologies, with significant experience advising on USDA and FDA regulations.”Brian focuses his practice on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulated products, with an emphasis on the food and beverage sector. He additionally counsels early-stage, growth, and global clients on all aspects of cosmetics, over the counter (OTC) drugs, medical devices, consumer products, and a range of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulated commodities. Across all these regulated product categories, his work spans enforcement actions, audits and investigations, regulatory compliance, labeling and advertising, import and export, due diligence, consumer litigation, comment preparation, public policy advocacy at the federal and state levels, and new product development.In the area of food and beverage, Brian develops regulatory strategies to commercialize a range of food tech innovations, including transgenic crops and alternative proteins, such as cultivated meat and fermentation-derived food ingredients, among others. As a former regulator at USDA, he adeptly counsels clients on strategic considerations around engagement with and advocacy before USDA and FDA on numerous complex issues, including those of first impression.Brian is an author and frequent speaker at industry-leading events in the United States, the European Union, China, Israel, and other parts of the world. He is regularly called upon to offer insights on trending legal issues by preeminent industry and global publications.

Brian Sylvester

Clients seek out Julie because of her practical advice on cutting-edge issues at the intersection of privacy and consumer protection laws. She provides clients with practical solutions to compliance challenges around a wide variety of both online and offline privacy issues, including tracking, interest-based advertising, geo-targeting and other mobile tracking, personalization, and cross-device tracking. Recognized in The Legal 500 US 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2020 and Chambers USA 2021 for her exceptional legal work, her clients praise her saying, “She is really good at giving practical, targeted advice and taking stock of what the risk profile of the client is, so that the advice is holistic.” (Chambers USA).Julie provides clients with creative and practical advice on meeting the requirements of state and federal privacy laws, including the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). She crafts guidelines and compliance programs for clients’ collection, use, and disclosure of personal information in diverse contexts and throughout the life cycle of their initiatives, such as for connected products (the Internet of Things) and mobile services. She also drafts privacy and cookies policies, online service terms of use, agreements involving online and offline advertising and marketing practices, and agreements concerning a variety of data uses. In addition, Julie helps clients assess and manage privacy risks, including in connection with mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions.Julie creates compliance programs for clients’ use of a wide variety of channels for communicating with and marketing to consumers, including email, telephone, text message, and fax, both in the United States and around the world. She works with clients to develop their social media strategies and to clear their social media content. She also reviews advertising in both traditional and new media for compliance with applicable laws, including Section 5 of the FTC Act and various FTC rules and guides. In addition, she works with clients to structure, market, and implement their sweepstakes, contests, and other promotions in compliance with applicable laws.As a former FTC staff attorney, Julie regularly defends companies in investigations by the FTC and before data protection authorities around the world.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>A company that creates online software used by schools in an FTC investigation of alleged COPPA violations.</li><li>A consumer services company investigated by the Korean data protection authority for alleged privacy violations</li><li>A manufacturer in connection with a challenge of its environmental advertising claims by the FTC </li><li>An advertising services company in an investigation of alleged privacy-related violations of the FTC Act</li><li>An online provider of entertainment services in an FTC investigation of alleged COPPA violations</li><li>A beverage company in an FTC investigation of alleged COPPA violations</li></ul>Before attending law school, Julie was a Peace Corps volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa.

Julie O'Neill

Melissa Crespo helps clients navigate a wide range of challenging privacy compliance and data security matters with a focus on the health information and the health care sector. She regularly helps clients develop and implement privacy compliance programs and advises companies on managing risk in connection with cutting-edge technologies and data initiatives.Melissa has particular experience in advising clients on compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other laws governing the collection and use of medical and health information.Melissa regularly counsels clients responding to data breaches and security incidents. She has successfully defended clients in numerous regulatory inquiries regarding data security practices, including investigations by the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state attorneys general, and foreign regulators following data security incidents.Melissa also advises multinational companies on the privacy and data security aspects of their M&A transactions and has experience drafting and negotiating tailored privacy and data security contract provisions.In 2019, 2020, and 2021, The Legal 500 US recognized Melissa as a “Rising Star” in the area of cyber law, data privacy, and data protection. In 2016, she was shortlisted for the “Future Leader – Gender Diversity” award at the inaugural Chambers USA Diversity Awards. Melissa was a 2015 recipient of the Burton Award for Legal Achievement, which honors excellence in legal writing.Melissa earned her J.D., cum laude, from Howard University School of Law.

Melissa Crespo

Savannah McGinnis is a corporate associate in the Los Angeles office of Morrison Foerster.Prior to joining the Transactions Department, Savannah was a summer associate in the Los Angeles office the summer of 2021.Savannah earned her J.D. from University of Southern California Gould School of Law, where she also received a Business Law Certificate. While attending she served as Senior Articles Editor for the Southern California Interdisciplinary Law Journal and participated in the Women’s Law Association, the Business Law Society, and the First Generation Professionals Program.Savannah also holds an A.A. in Merchandising and Marketing from The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, as well as a B.A., summa cum laude, in Sociology from Loyola Marymount.

Savannah McGinnis

Bradley Zdroik is a corporate associate in Morrison Foerster’s San Francisco office.Prior to joining Morrison Foerster, Bradley served as a legal litigation intern with the California Office of the Attorney General, where he drafted pleadings, reviewed dockets, and attended hearings. Bradley participated in Morrison Foerster’s summer associate program during the summer of 2023.Bradley received his J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. While in law school, he worked at the UCLA Journal of Law and Technology as the business and finance chair. Bradley received his B.A. in economics, with a minor in classical history, from Stanford University.

Bradley Zdroik

Seth Stowe is an associate in Morrison Foerster’s New York office and a member of the firm’s Tax Group.Seth advises clients on a broad range of transactional, structuring, and advisory tax matters, including U.S. federal income tax considerations related to joint ventures, debt and equity offerings, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, financings, and real estate investment trusts. Before joining Morrison Foerster, Seth served as a law clerk to the Honorable Stacey W. Moreau, 22nd Judicial Circuit of Virginia, where he drafted legal memoranda analyzing a variety of civil and criminal issues.Seth received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he also served as a production editor for the Virginia Tax Review. Seth received his B.A. in history with a minor in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia.

Seth Stowe

Niki Hendi is an associate in Morrison Foerster’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s Litigation Group.Her practice focuses on employment matters.Prior to joining the firm, Niki was a summer associate in the New York office. She also spent time as a Criminal Division intern at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. While at law school, Niki was an assistant online editor of the Virginia Journal of International Law.Niki earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.A. in economics and foreign affairs at the University of Virginia.

Niki Hendi

Cathie Chen is an FDA associate in the Litigation Department of Morrison Foerster’s Washington, D.C. office.Cathie Chen advises FDA- and USDA-regulated companies, navigating complex regulatory landscapes at the state, federal, and international levels. She provides strategic guidance across the food, beverage, cosmetics, packaging, and food technology sectors, ensuring compliance while supporting business objectives.With experience in both domestic and global regulatory frameworks, Cathie has counseled clients on matters related to food additives, food packaging, food safety, drug and medical device packaging, and sustainability. She has assisted businesses in securing regulatory approvals in the United States, China, Japan, and the European Union. Additionally, she offers expertise in good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliance for companies producing FDA- and USDA-regulated products.While studying at The George Washington University Law School, Cathie served as senior managing editor of the Public Contract Law Journal, contributed to health law initiatives as a Kahan Health/FDA Law Fellow, and mentored aspiring legal professionals as president of the Student Health Law Association. In 2021, she won first place in the University of Maryland’s Health Law Regulatory and Compliance Competition, showcasing her expertise in navigating state and federal regulations.