Holland & Hart LLP

Holland & Hart's attorneys represent a wide range of clients in agriculture and food related industries.  Our attorneys provide strategic advice and counsel on bringing new and innovative products to market, compliance, litigation, and government relations.  We have extensive experience in virtually all regulatory, marketing, and economic investment programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), renewable biomass-based energy production, plant and animal health, food safety and labeling and related environmental issues including conservation programs, and climate change initiatives.  The Chair of Holland & Hart's Agriculture and Food group, Nancy Bryson, brings a wealth of practical experience to this practice from service as the General Counsel of the USDA from 2002 to 2005.

21st Century Agriculture
Much of the legal framework within which agriculture operates in the United States is rooted in Depression-era statutes and the regulatory, marketing, and economic investment programs that have evolved from those statutes.  The 21st century marketplace presents many new challenges and opportunities.  These arise from several different sources:

• The evolution and application of new technologies;
• Changing consumer demand for differentiated agricultural products including organic, local, minimally processed foods;
• Food safety concerns in global supply chains;
• A re-invention of farm products, such as renewable biomass energy sources, wildlife habitat, wetlands conservation, watershed improvement, pollution offset credits, and carbon sequestration opportunities;
• Increasing focus on the health and well-being of our plant and animal resources; and
• Rethinking competition.

Select Areas of Experience
Marketing and Regulatory Programs
We have significant experience with virtually all kinds of marketing and regulatory programs affecting agriculture.  We work closely with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which has the primary responsibility for safeguarding plants and animals and preventing the introduction and dissemination of plant and animal disease within the United States, as well as the Agricultural Marketing Service.

USDA National Organic Program
We regularly represent clients on matters arising under the USDA National Organic Program and the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 including certifications, use of the USDA Organic Seal, compliance, and program development.  Our experience includes working with USDA accredited certifying agents including the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Food Safety and Inspection Service
We assist clients in the meat and poultry industries with inspection rights, food safety, and labeling.  We work with clients to get labels pre-approved and have experience with issues surrounding key words like "natural," "naturally raised," "raised without antibiotics," "pasture fed," and tested for "BSE."

Natural Resources and Conservation
Our Natural Resources and Environmental practices are recognized as leaders in the country by Best Lawyers and Chambers USA, and our attorneys help agricultural and food clients deal with many of the natural resources and conservation-related issues, including matters concerning the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  We help clients understand and comply with the environmental standards, including cost-share and technical assistance under EQIP, WHP, WPP, and CRP, best management practice standards, EPA incentives, and conservation easements for major landowners.

Renewable Energy and Rural Development
Our business, real estate, energy, and telecommunication attorneys understand the issues faced in both agriculture and rural development.  Our attorneys assist clients with matters regarding the Rural Utilities Administration, Business and Cooperative Programs Administration, and Rural Housing Programs.
 

Holland & Hart's Statement of Commitment to Diversity
We are proud of our tradition of fostering and maintaining a work environment in which the diversity of each individual is valued and celebrated. We believe that the contributions of each individual are essential to our continued growth and to our ultimate goal of providing excellent quality legal services to our clients, with greater creativity and innovation. We are committed to taking full advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of our people and to promoting a greater diversity whenever and wherever possible.

Diversity Pledge
Holland & Hart is committed to promoting diversity by:

• Making every possible effort to recruit, hire, retain, and promote diverse persons at all levels of employment.
• Promoting greater sensitivity to the value of racial, ethnic and other forms of diversity, through diversity and sensitivity coaching or training for law firm members.
• Inviting to partnership diverse attorneys who meet the requisite criteria.

Diversity Initiatives
The following are additional examples of our commitment and efforts toward supporting and achieving diversity:

• We make a conscious effort to ensure that women and diverse attorneys are included as voting members of our committees of importance within the firm.
• We work closely with law school deans and placement directors in an effort to identify women and diverse law students who are interested in working at Holland & Hart.
• Holland & Hart offers medical and other benefits to partners of gay and lesbian employees on the same terms as it does to spouses of employees.
• We created an Indian Law Practice Group and actively recruited Native American law students and lateral hires.
• Each year we contribute to such scholarship funds as the Colorado Native American Indian Scholarship Fund, the Sam Cary Scholarship Endowment Fund, the Colorado Asian American Bar Scholarship Fund, the Colorado Hispanic Bar Scholarship Fund, and the Colorado Women's Bar Association Scholarship Fund.
• In partnership with the University of Idaho School of Law, we sponsor a "Law by Day, Jazz by Night" each year for undergraduate minority students who have an interest in law.
• We took a leadership role in organizing and supporting the Colorado Pledge Group's Minority First Year Law Student Summer Clerk Program. Through this program, law firms agreed to add at least one diverse first year law student to their summer clerk program.
• We were involved in the creation of the Cross-Professional Business Networking Group, where diverse attorneys in our community can meet and network with non-attorney professionals of color. We view this as a way to help diverse attorneys increase their business development possibilities.

For more information regarding Holland & Hart's commitment to diversity, please contact Peter Houtsma at (303) 295-8259.