At Lathrop GPM, we understand this sector’s critical role and are committed to helping industrial and manufacturing clients navigate the complex legal landscape. Our team offers customized legal solutions designed to meet the unique challenges of this sector, from global supply chain management to protecting valuable intellectual property.

Today’s global economy opens up new channels—and growing opportunities—for businesses seeking to expand sales of their products and services into new markets across the United States and internationally. At the same time, companies must balance these opportunities with the need to maximize profit, compete for top sales talent and mitigate unauthorized sales of their products by third parties. Our attorneys understand the interests of our industrial and manufacturing clients and work to meet your goals and legal needs.

Our manufacturing clients range from mid-sized, family-owned companies to large global organizations with hundreds of distributors worldwide; they are franchises and distributorships, creators of proprietary products and technology companies serving the manufacturing sector, including some of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors. We have extensive experience serving:

Why Choose Us?

Comprehensive Lifecycle Support: From inception to IPO or acquisition—and beyond—our team is with you every step of the way. We provide strategic legal counsel at every stage of your company’s growth, ensuring your business is positioned for long-term success. Whether you need help forming your entity, securing financing, or navigating a complex merger, we are here to guide you.

Global Reach: Manufacturers often operate in multiple countries, facing different legal systems, regulations and standards across jurisdictions. A legal team with a global reach can provide consistent and coordinated defense, ensuring that strategies are aligned across all regions. It also allows for efficient handling of cross-border issues, such as international supply chains, export controls and compliance with global standards. Our global reach also helps clients manage potential litigation risks, access a broader network of expert witnesses and navigate complex international trade laws, all essential for protecting your interests worldwide.

Proven Cross-Industry Experience: Our team has extensive experience navigating the complexities of legal matters that affect industrial and manufacturing clients across various sectors, with clients ranging from Silicon Valley startups to global enterprises. We understand each industry’s unique challenges and opportunities, allowing us to provide tailored solutions that align with your business objectives.

Substantive Areas

Corporate Governance & Transactions: Whether you’re navigating mergers, acquisitions or general corporate needs, we provide strategic legal counsel to help your business thrive, including:

  • Corporate Governance: Advising on board structure, shareholder relations, compliance with corporate laws and implementing governance policies to ensure accountability and transparency.
  • Cross-Border Transactions: Managing legal aspects of international operations, including foreign investments, trade compliance and resolving disputes in foreign jurisdictions.
  • Entity Formation, Structuring and Restructuring: Assisting with the formation of corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies (LLCs), advising on the optimal corporate structure for tax efficiency and liability protection, and advising on reorganizations, spin-offs and consolidations to optimize operational efficiency or respond to market changes.
  • Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances: Facilitating partnerships with other companies, including drafting joint venture agreements, negotiating terms and ensuring compliance with antitrust laws.
  • Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A): Negotiating and structuring mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, including drafting and reviewing contracts, due diligence and navigating regulatory approvals.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring you comply with industry-specific regulations, such as environmental laws, labor standards and health and safety requirements.
  • Securities and Financing: Assisting with capital raising through equity or debt offerings, compliance with securities laws and negotiating financing agreements with banks or private equity firms.
  • Supply Chain and Distribution Agreements: Drafting and negotiating contracts with suppliers, distributors and customers, ensuring legal protection and compliance with U.S. and international trade laws, helping clients manage the complexities of global supply chains and ensuring that your operations remain efficient and cost-effective.

Contaminants, Odor Nuisance, and Toxic Tort Defense: Our attorneys defend industrial and manufacturing clients on contaminants, odor nuisance and other toxic tort claims. The team has extensive experience in litigating such claims, including mass torts, class actions and multidistrict litigation, with a strong focus on debunking “junk science” and managing media coverage. They work with expert witnesses across various scientific fields to challenge plaintiffs’ claims and streamline litigation costs. The team also provides comprehensive legal services, from compliance and regulatory advice to insurance recovery and environmental damage remediation. Their integrated approach ensures that clients are defended effectively and efficiently across all aspects of litigation.

Employment & Labor Law: When it comes to protecting your investment in your workforce, minimizing risks and positioning your company for maximum productivity and profitability, the experienced employment and labor lawyers at Lathrop GPM can help you:

  • Create proactive employment strategies and implement best practices and policies, including through our unique HR Compliance Review program
  • Ensure workers are correctly classified as contract, part-time and full-time employees, and hourly or salaried employees
  • Navigate complicated labor issues, including labor negotiations and providing union avoidance strategies
  • Remain compliant with international, federal, state and local employment regulations
  • Manage immigration issues to help attract talent from other countries and avoid the immigration violations that lead to costly sanctions
  • Respond swiftly and assertively when employment disputes arise, from defending discrimination, harassment, or wage and hour claims, to pursuing trade secret and noncompetition violations

Intellectual Property Protection: Protecting your innovations is crucial. Handling IP licensing and managing patent portfolios are also crucial for manufacturers that rely on proprietary technology or processes. We assist in securing patents, trademarks and trade secrets, and defending against infringement claims to safeguard your competitive edge and IP assets.

Real Estate: Our attorneys assist industrial and manufacturing clients with a comprehensive range of real estate matters, leveraging deep industry knowledge and a robust combination of counseling and litigation capabilities. Clients trust our counsel to navigate complex real property transactions, permitting, and litigation issues. Our services encompass commercial leasing, construction and development, along with entity formation, hazardous substance contamination and land use planning. Additionally, we offer guidance on property tax matters, purchase and sale transactions, real estate finance and loan documentation, regulatory takings and tax-deferred exchanges, ensuring our clients’ real estate interests are protected and optimized.

Our Services Also Include:

  • Land use and property rights
  • Litigation
  • Occupational safety
  • Product distribution strategies
  • Restrictive covenants
  • Succession planning
  • Supply and distributorship agreements
  • Tax planning

Lathrop GPM attorneys are here to help you handle complex mergers and acquisitions, navigate intricate litigation and dispute resolution, structure strategic joint ventures, ensure regulatory compliance and manage real estate and facility transactions with precision. We offer a comprehensive, global approach tailored to your unique needs, ensuring efficient, effective and well-thought-out legal solutions.

Experience

  • Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances: Structuring and negotiating joint ventures and distributorship agreements for manufacturers, including international partnerships in Europe and Canada.
  • Litigation and Dispute Resolution: Representing clients in complex litigation matters, including securing favorable outcomes in employment disputes, odor nuisance cases, breach of warranty claims and many other types of litigation.

  • Mergers and Acquisitions: Our attorneys have handled significant equity and stock sales for manufacturers
  • Real Estate and Facility Transactions: Assisting with the acquisition and development of manufacturing facilities, including negotiations and construction planning in international markets.
  • Regulatory and Compliance: Successfully managing legal issues related to product warranties, licensing agreements and regulatory compliance for major manufacturers.
Meet the Team

Primary Contacts