In agriculture, sustainability is not a preference–it is a sign of vitality. Food manufacturers, farmers, and land investors across the globe who understand that have already begun to reap the benefits.
As in other industries that have prioritized environmental social governance, companies that ethically source the resources to develop and produce crops and livestock see substantial financial benefits and boost their long-term productivity and longevity. For reasons that differ across continents, consumers and regulators alike have placed enormous value on sustainable farming and land maintenance, and companies and investors that fail to meet the standards they set are being excluded in the market.
Responsible farming involves a litany of issues, all of which come with legal and financial hurdles that differ country to country and region to region. Our team of lawyers assists clients in navigating regulations around pesticide usage, sourcing clean water, ethical labor practices, environmental protection, and effects on wildlife, among countless others.
Standards also differ among private clients and trade groups. We serve as counsel in discussions and disputes across the supply chain, from farmers themselves to distributors, to the companies that deliver the product to the consumer. With lawyers around the globe who are intimately familiar with the standards of their region, our team is uniquely positioned to help guide clients looking to create policies and audit procedures across a variety of sustainability metrics.
More than any other time, businesses, investors, and consumers alike have the responsibility to promote, sponsor, and consume ethically sourced and sustainable agriculture. Our team has spent years helping clients meet that responsibility and build value while doing so. We can help to ensure that you will, too.
On 23 April 2025, the European Commission has issued its first ever fines under the Digital Markets Act (DMA): a €500 million fine on Apple for violation of the DMA’s prohibition of anti-steering provisions for app stores, and a €200 million for Meta’s “pay or consent” model that was found to be a violation of the DMA’s requirement of seeking user consent for gatekeepers before combining user data between their different services.
On 30 June 2025, both the US Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission announced revisions to their respective National Environmental Policy Act procedures to speed up the permitting process for energy infrastructure.
This alert describes the persons who would be subject to the changes contained in Code Section 899, the consequences of being subject to this proposed new Code section, and some of the impacts this provision would have on certain cross-border transactions.
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