A Legal and Commercial Overview of the Food and Beverage Industry in the United States and India
Danielle M. DeFilippis, a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., and Co-Chair of its Intellectual Property Law Practice Group, presented a webinar, “A Legal and Commercial Overview of the F&B Industry in the U.S. and India,” with Mohit Kapoor, Co-Founder of law firm Universal Legal Advocates in India, on October 1. Universal Legal is a full-service law firm with a wide-reaching international presence and has been advising and assisting clients in the food and beverage space for 15 years.
About the Presentation
Danielle and Mohit were joined by Harshita Gandhi, Founder and Managing Director of Tree of Life, India’s largest and one-of-kind sales, marketing, and distribution company with a presence in 45 cities; and Raka Chakrawarti, Founder & CEO of Gourmetdelight, a unique online gourmet grocery that curates and sources organic and gourmet products from India and around the world and celebrates the joy of discovery of fine ingredients.
While Danielle and Mohit provided an extensive overview of the legalities of the food and beverage industry in the U.S. and in India, Harshita and Raka offered insights from the industry perspective and shared personal experiences with global distribution and insights for brands looking to expand. The webinar touched upon all the fundamentals of the food and beverage industry and was especially helpful for those interested in cross-border business opportunities. Topics included legal issues arising from cross-border food distribution, food safety, packaging and labeling, quality control, and cross-border food recall. For access to the slide deck and audio recording, please click here.
About the Presenters
Danielle DeFilippis
Danielle focuses her practice on intellectual property, contracts, and litigation. She regularly serves as lead counsel in cases before federal and state courts, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and alternative resolution forums. She has handled cases involving trademark and copyright infringement, false advertising, commercial disparagement, business torts, deceptive trade practices, Lanham Act claims, state and federal unfair competition laws, and other business disputes. Danielle is an author for Norris McLaughlin’s trademark, copyright, and unfair competition blog, More Than Your Ma®kTM.
Danielle has represented clients in a variety of industries, most notably, food and beverage, liquor, jewelry, cosmetics, sports, and entertainment. She enjoys working with both emerging and established food and beverage companies on brand development, clearance, counseling through the various stages of growth, and when the need arises, prosecuting and defending litigation. Danielle has been named to New Jersey Law Journal’s 2019 list of “New Jersey Trailblazers” for her efforts in the food and beverage industry in New Jersey and for expanding those efforts on a global scale.
Mohit Kapoor
Mohit is qualified in two jurisdictions, as a Solicitor, Supreme Court of England & Wales (NP), and as an Advocate in India. He has over 20 years of experience. He has advised Indian and International corporations on general business law matters, private equity transactions, outbound global investments by Indian companies, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, business combinations, corporate restructurings, dispute resolution, real estate, hospitality, intellectual property, private trusts, and estate-related matters.
Mohit has deep relationships with domestic and international tax, accountancy, consultants, and law firms across the world to assist his clients in their global businesses. Prior to establishing Universal Legal, he worked with leading law firms and corporations in London and Mumbai, and with a former Additional Solicitor General of India in New Delhi.
