A highly acclaimed boutique international firm with offices in Brussels and Paris, Food Law Science & Partners provides a full-service offering in relation to food law, including representing clients before the national and EU courts and international arbitration institutions. The team is led by firm founder Katia Merten-Lentz, a renowned expert in the EU regulatory market with three decades of litigation experience. She is supported by two other key names: Nathalie Henin and Charlotte Moutarlier. The team is well equipped to assist clients with bringing new products to market in accordance with EU food regulations and boasts a successful track record of representing multinationals and food tech start-ups. The practice has recently expanded its focus to food fraud, food safety and crisis management in response to public interventions and pressure from public bodies and consumer advocacy groups following the ETO food crisis.

A well-established firm, Product Law Firm handles the full spectrum of legal services, from product-related litigation and disputes before the EU and French courts to industrial risk issues and crisis management in relation to food products, for clients from the food, agribusiness and packaging sectors. Sustainability in the food chain is another area of growing focus. The team is also able to leverage the firm’s deep bench in both litigation and regulatory matters and strong international network of lawyers and scientific experts. The practice is led by the Paris-based duo of Antoine De Brosses and Laëtitia Guillet, who oversee major food crisis litigation and commercial disputes, respectively. Neli Sochirca is also a name to note.

Noted for its experience and specialised knowledge in competition law, DWF (France) AARPI is skilled at handling cases involving crisis management and product composition and communication, as well as product liability and unfair competition. With particular expertise in the agri-food sector, the team is led from the Paris office by Nicole Coutrelis, who leverages her 30 years’ litigation experience. Emily Amat is an up-and-coming name in the team and focuses on food labelling and communication, food processing, and food safety issues, amongst other matters.

Boutique firm Qolumn was established in 2021 by food and consumer law specialist Gilles Boin, formerly of Product Law Firm, alongside Gaëlle Saint-Jalmes. Boin regularly advises leading companies on regulatory affairs as well as litigation in the administrative, criminal and commercial courts. Meanwhile, Saint-Jalmes draws on her experience both in private practice and in-house, and acts for an impressive roster of international clients. The team offers the full range of sector-related services, including compliance, products legal affairs, enforcement actions and litigation, and crisis management and represents many globally recognised food companies.