telephone icon 800.747.9354
CONTACT USarrow icon

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Consent*

Overview

Legal counsel for agribusiness

Agriculture doesn’t just feed the world. It fuels economies, powers innovation, and stewards the land for future generations. As a result, agriculture is also one of the most heavily regulated and high-risk industries in today’s global economy. Farms, food producers, and agribusinesses must navigate a growing web of regulations and trade policies, all while protecting profit margins and adapting to market volatility.

From land use disputes to product recalls and environmental compliance, agricultural businesses must be as prepared for legal risks as they are for weather patterns. At Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, we understand that farmers, cooperatives, and agribusinesses need legal counsel grounded in industry knowledge and practical problem-solving. Our agriculture lawyers partner with growers, producers, and agribusiness investors to deliver legal support across the entire value chain.

Our experience in the agriculture industry

Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig brings decades of experience serving the agricultural sector, with a deep understanding of the laws, regulations, and commercial realities that shape modern farming and agribusiness. We represent clients across the full spectrum of the industry, including family farms, food producers, processors, packers, cooperatives, and equipment manufacturers.

We’ve supported clients in farmland sales, leasebacks, and agricultural preservation easements. Our team routinely assists with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program compliance, zoning and permitting, and environmental enforcement matters. We have also represented rightsholders in IP disputes, including recent litigation involving patented technologies for corn harvesting equipment.

We understand that modern agriculture operates at the crossroads of physical infrastructure and digital risk. Our attorneys advise on cybersecurity governance, Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) recordkeeping, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules for hazardous data, and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance for international ag-tech platforms.

From legacy infrastructure and supply chain vulnerabilities to the theft of proprietary genetic data and ransomware disruptions in remote operations, we help clients develop practical, scalable legal strategies to secure their land, their business, and their future.

What We Do

Our agriculture legal team supports everything from day-to-day operational needs to complex, high-stakes legal matters. We help clients protect their land and resolve disputes efficiently and effectively.

Land use, real estate, and transactions

  • Structure and negotiate farmland purchases, sales, and lease agreements
  • Represent landowners and lenders in agricultural loan products, refinances, and preservation easements
  • Secure and manage easements, water rights, mineral rights, and right-of-way access
  • Counsel on zoning, permitting, urban encroachment, and nuisance-related disputes
  • Handle eminent domain actions and land use litigation

 

Commercial contracts and agribusiness operations

  • Draft and negotiate vendor contracts and supply chain terms
  • Structure cooperative and distribution arrangements for bulk and specialty crops
  • Manage processor agreements, equipment leasing, and marketing relationships
  • Advise on domestic and international trade compliance for ag exports and imports
  • Support financing structures, Farm Services Agency (FSA) loans, credit facilities, and debt recovery

 

Cybersecurity, data governance, and digital compliance

  • Establish cybersecurity governance frameworks for agribusinesses
  • Draft internal policies for securing IoT-connected field equipment and remote ag-tech infrastructure
  • Conduct employee cybersecurity training to reduce insider risk and phishing vulnerability
  • Advise on FSMA digital recordkeeping rules, USDA program data retention, and EPA protocols for hazardous information
  • Conduct risk assessments and compliance audits for GDPR and international data laws
  • Provide breach response counsel and vendor due diligence for cross-border ag-tech platforms

 

Intellectual property and technology disputes

  • Represent rightsholders in patent litigation, including agricultural machinery and biotech patents
  • Advise on genetic data protection and theft of proprietary formulas
  • Conduct risk assessments and advise on global compliance for cross-border ag-tech platforms
  • Assist in the commercialization of ag-tech innovations

 

Litigation and risk management

  • Defend against product liability, trespass, environmental, and nuisance lawsuits
  • Litigate commercial disputes, contract enforcement, and lease disagreements
  • Guide clients through audits and enforcement actions from USDA, EPA, and state agriculture departments
  • Represent clients in disputes involving biosecurity, contamination, and product recalls
  • Advise on insurance recovery for crop loss, equipment failure, and cyber-related disruption
  • Develop proactive risk mitigation plans to address evolving ag-tech threats

 

Our Team

Partner

M. Clare Schuller

Partner

Contact Us

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Consent*
Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in this form.
Submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Intern Program

As part of our effort to recruit, develop and retail the best and brightest attorneys, Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig offers a summer intern program for promising law school students who are looking to work as part of an innovative and incredibly successful team. With a global team of lawyers, selected candidates are able to work on high level projects in a collaborative space.

Paralegals and Legal Support Staff

At Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, our team of paralegals and staff work together collaboratively along side our attorneys toward a common goal. We have created a positive work environment where our paralegals and legal assistants work to successfully reach firm-wide goals and support each other to combine individual strengths to enhance team performance. They regularly assist our attorneys with organizing and maintaining files, conducting legal research, and preparing documents.