Matt Griffin | Chicago Food and Beverage Attorney & Fractional General Counsel
I've practiced law for 25 years, 18 of them as a senior in-house lawyer at Kraft Heinz, Ferrara, and Lactalis. Today I'm a fractional general counsel at Outside GC, where I give small and mid-sized food and beverage companies that same experience on flat-fee retainers built for growing businesses. You can also find me on LinkedIn.
Email Matt GriffinA Chicago Food Lawyer With 25 Years of Experience
I'm a Chicago food and beverage attorney and fractional general counsel at OGC LLP (Outside GC). I've practiced law for 25 years, including more than 18 years as a senior in-house lawyer at Kraft Heinz, Ferrara Candy Company, and Lactalis USA. I've advised brands including Kraft, Capri Sun, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Maxwell House, Kool-Aid, Planters, Nerds, SweeTarts, Trolli, and Brach's.
I advise small and mid-sized food, beverage, confectionery, dairy, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies in Chicago, the Chicago suburbs, and across Illinois and the Midwest. My work covers food labeling, marketing claims, recalls, commercial contracts, trademarks, antitrust, and litigation.
I take a business-first approach. I work directly with CEOs, founders, and leadership teams to understand their goals and risk tolerance, and I'm most useful when a commercial deadline meets a legal or reputational risk and someone has to make a call.
Experienced Counsel at Reasonable Rates
I work on flat monthly retainers and fixed project fees, so you know the cost before the work starts. When hourly billing makes more sense, my hourly rate is lower than the median billing rate of an associate, and much lower than a partner, at a traditional law firm in Chicago. Either way, you get a senior general counsel without the cost of a full-time hire or big-firm rates.
Food and Beverage Legal Services
Food labeling and marketing claims review under FDA, USDA, and FTC rules, including allergen, "natural," protein, and sugar claims
Consumer class-action and false-advertising risk
Commercial contracts, including co-packer and co-manufacturing, supply, broker, warehouse, logistics, advertising agency, influencer, talent, and trademark license agreements
Trademark clearance and brand protection
Antitrust compliance
Environmental compliance
Food recalls, market withdrawals, and crisis management
Acquisition due diligence and post-closing disputes
Litigation strategy and management of outside litigation counsel
Legal processes and contract workflows for growing companies
Generative AI policies
Who I Work With
My clients are small and mid-sized food and beverage companies in Chicagoland and across the country, including family-owned manufacturers, private equity-backed brands, and growth-stage CPG companies. Some have no in-house lawyer and need an outside general counsel. Others have a small legal team and need senior overflow support, a second opinion, or interim coverage. Engagements range from a few hours a month to a standing fractional GC role.
Experience
Partner, OGC LLP (Outside GC), Chicago
General Counsel, Lactalis USA (Lactalis American Group, Lactalis Heritage Dairy, Karoun Dairies), 2021–2026
Deputy General Counsel, Ferrara Candy Company, 2019–2021
Chief Counsel (Business Unit General Counsel) and Senior Trademark Counsel, Kraft Heinz, 2008–2019
Associate, Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP, Chicago, 2001–2008
Education and Bar Admission
I earned my J.D. with honors from the University of Chicago Law School, an M.A. in Literature from the University of Michigan, and my B.A. magna cum laude from Miami University. I have been a member of the Illinois bar since 2002.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fractional general counsel?
A fractional general counsel is an experienced in-house lawyer who works for your company part time, on a retainer, instead of as a full-time hire. You get senior legal judgment on contracts, regulatory questions, and disputes, and you pay only for the time you need.
How much does a food and beverage attorney cost?
It depends on the scope of the work. I quote flat monthly retainers and fixed project fees up front, and my hourly rate is well below what traditional law firms charge.
Do you only work with Chicago companies?
No. I'm based in Chicago and work with many Chicagoland and Midwest companies, and I also advise food and beverage companies across the country.
Talk to a Chicago Food and Beverage Attorney
If your company needs an outside general counsel or help with a specific food or beverage legal issue, email me at [email protected] and we can talk through what you need.
Email Matt Griffin
