Bird & Bird’s food and beverage regulatory team supports multinational producers, biotech innovators, major retailers, ingredient manufacturers, and start-ups. The group is equipped to advise on the entire food chain, from agricultural research and development through to production, packaging, and distribution. The practice is recognised for its expertise in crisis management and enforcement defence. Practice head Nicolas Carbonnelle is recognised for his technical expertise and commercial approach, excelling in traditional compliance mandates. He is adept at handling matters in emerging areas such as alternative proteins, genomic techniques, and sustainable supply chains.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Nicolas Carbonnelle is an expert in the field of food law. Very approachable with a human touch!'
- 'What sets Nicolas Carbonnelle apart from his competitors is his exceptional combination of deep technical knowledge and a genuine human approach to client relationships. Nicolas possesses an impressive mastery of food law regulations and consistently demonstrates his ability to navigate the complex regulatory environment with precision.'
- 'We found the team extremely knowledgeable and informed about EU regulation. All answers and replies were in a timely manner, with detailed explanations.'
- 'Nicolas Carbonnelle proved to be extremely professional on the one hand and very understanding of our needs on the other. He was able to merge the two in a very nice way.'
Key clients
- Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers
- Cambridge Crops (d/b/a Mori)
- Greenyard
- JuicePlus+
- SodaStream
- Eckes-Granini
- Torr Bar
- EU Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR) related work for several operators in the food industry, including AB Inbev and Muji
Work highlights
Provided the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers with groundbreaking advocacy campaign to secure Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for Alaska Pollock in the EU.
Assisted Mori with their EU market entry strategy for revolutionary food preservation technology derived from silkworm (Bombyx mori) ingredients.
Provided comprehensive food regulatory counsel to Eckes-Granini across their diverse fruit juice and beverage portfolio, addressing both EU-harmonised and national-specific requirements.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Nicolas Carbonnelle
Other key lawyers
Julie Dernelle