COMMUNICATIONS/LEGAL - FOOD LAWYER COMMUNICATIONS/LEGAL - FOOD LAWYER 19 20 is being thoroughly prepared for the meeting, setting clear goals, and trying to build a rapport that benefits both parties. If the agreement is not made clear, then this could mean big losses for the company. 4. Food Lawyers are Aces at Reading and Preparing Company Documents Legal documents are long and detailed. To the untrained eye, they can feel as though they are just long for the sake of it. Well, there is a good reason why they are long! It is to protect the company and its employees. Corporate lawyers are effective at reading and preparing documents. Using their expert communication skills, they can assist with a variety of issues. They review and edit documentation related to company policies such as employee handbooks and codes of conduct to ensure they are legally compliant and consistent with best practices. Alternatively, they may assist in the preparation of intellectual property documents, such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights, to protect the company’s intellectual property rights. 5. Food Lawyers Have Law Degrees Becoming a food lawyer for a food company will depend on the country that you live in. There is no specialized degree to become a food lawyer; however, there are some to become a corporate lawyer. In Canada, you need at least 90 hours of an undergraduate degree to apply to law school in Canada. Many lawyers choose to get degrees in political science, legal studies, sociology, english, and communication as they help to develop writing, communication, and critical thinking skills. However, any major can lead to a law degree. For those looking to practice food law, it may even be beneficial to have a degree in food science, food engineering, or food business management as this would provide the lawyer with a unique understanding of the food industry. After completing their undergraduate degree students are required to take the Law School Admission Test. To become a lawyer in Canada you need to attend a Canadian law school where they can offer specializations such as conflict resolution, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, food lawyers are expected to complete an articling placement (an apprenticeship) where they will be working. This requires passing a bar exam and meeting other requirements set by the province. Continuing legal education is also required to maintain a license to practice. 6. Food Lawyers Assist with Intellectual Property At the end of the day, food businesses are businesses. They have trade secrets such as recipes or cooking processes, that they would like to keep quiet from the world. Alternatively, they may have a secret that they want to keep quiet. Did you know that you can’t patent a recipe? Patents are only issued for novel inventions or processes that aren’t obvious. That’s why companies like Coca-Cola can’t patent their recipes. Although they might not want to do that either, as patents are publicly published. Food Lawyer assets with intangible (nonphysical) assets such as patents, or trademarks need to be protected by companies to help them maintain their competitive advantage. They will go through their company to discover potential technologies that the company could figure out such as risks that arise during business transactions. For example, a cookie company may have created a plant-based egg that they can use in their recipe that has all the same functionality as the original. The company may want to protect this innovation from other organizations. 7. Food Lawyers Assist Human Resources with Company Policies If you have ever taken a job at a fast-food chain, you will notice that there are a lot of documents that you will have to sign. It feels like there are pages upon pages of information. It’s likely that behind the scenes there is a corporate lawyer that is behind the scenes creating these documents. Corporate lawyers can assist human resource departments by providing them with guidance on compliance with labour and employment laws. For example, they can provide advice on wage and hour laws to ensure that the organization is in compliance. Additionally, they may assist human resources with employee relations issues such as how to handle sensitive employee relations such as discrimination, complaints, harassment claims, and disciplinary actions. Reviewing and updating company policies: Food Lawyers can review and update company policies and procedures, such as those related to benefits, leaves of absence, and termination, to ensure that they are legally compliant and consistent with best practices. Furthermore, they can help with respect to content, adoption, and implementation of certain policies and procedures, benefits, OSHA, labor, contracts, and litigation. They may also have a role in developing a company’s policies on industry-specific issues. 8. Food Lawyers are Analytical, Communicative, and Strategic Being a corporate food lawyer requires a wide range of skills. However, there are a few that are more essential than others. These skills include: • Analytical Skills: Corporate food lawyers must be able to analyze complex legal issues and identify potential risks and opportunities. They need to be able to identify. • Communication Skills: Corporate food lawyers need to be able to analyze and break down complex legal issues for those who might not be familiar with the conversations. They need to be able to explain legal concepts and issues to non-lawyers in a clear and concise manner. • Strategic Thinking: Corporate food lawyers must be able to think strategically and anticipate potential legal issues that could impact the organization’s long-term goals and objectives. Durham college is an education partner of ours, check them out on FoodGrads! Click their logo below! Durham College Available Programs: Paralegal – Honours Bachelor, Law Clerk and Paralegal (graduate certificate) Want to dive deeper in the topic of intellectual property in the food technology industry? Then check out, “Intellectual Property in the Food Technology Industry: Protecting Your Innovation” by Ryan W. Donnell, John J. O’Malley, Randolph J. Huis In this book you could learn about: - The differences between patents, trade secrets, trademarks and copyrights - Intellectual Property Issues in Labeling and Marketing - How to enforce intellectual property rights - How to set up a patent Click the photo to read all about it! Looking to listen in on the conversations behind food laws? Check out Repast, a food law and policy podcast from the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy at UCLA Law. Each month they interview a thought leader in the field of food law and policy to discuss past achievements, current developments, and future challenges. You can check out the podcast on any platform you get your favourite podcasts or simply click on the image! Photo by Food Lawyer 5/pexels.com Hi! I’m Quinton, the FoodGrads Bot! For any questions please come visit me at FoodGrads.com!
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