Food and Beverage Lawyer

PATRICK MORIN

Pat is a seasoned food and beverage lawyer and founder of Morsel Law. Pat’s practice is focused on representing food, beverage and hospitality businesses in a variety of commercial transactions, including regulatory compliance (TTB, FDA, USDA and FTC), commercial real estate (acquisition, disposition, leasing, tax credits, development and financing), finance, commercial transactions (licenses, contracts and agreements), intellectual property protection, and business entity structuring and governance matters. Pat works side by side with entrepreneurs, startups and small and mid-size companies alike as a strategic business partner and counsel.

Prior to founding Morsel Law, Pat practiced in the transactional and commercial groups at several national law firms, including Sullivan & Worcester LLP in Boston, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC in Nashville and Dickinson Wright PLLC in Detroit. Before attending law school, Pat served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

EDUCATION

L.L.M. in Agriculture and Food Law, University of Arkansas School of Law
Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship, Louisiana State University
J.D., University of New Hampshire School of Law
B.A., Northeastern University

AFFILIATIONS

Veterans Bar Association, Board Member
Warriors Wear, Treasurer and Board Member
Food Lab Detroit, Pro Bono legal services

EXPERIENCE

Food and Beverage
  • Assisted importer of middle-eastern food in revising product labels and obtaining release of containers seized by FDA.
  • Assisted Lebanese-based food business with U.S. federal labeling and import regulations.
  • Represented a beverage company with a line of specialty cocktail mixers in registering and protecting their intellectual property and negotiate various commercial contracts, including broker agreements and sale of membership interests.
  • Assisted professional hockey player launching a food business with U.S. labeling and import regulations.
  • Represented specialty coffee roaster and retailer in various commercial matters, including manufacturing contracts, distribution agreements, employee contracts and celebrity endorsement contract.
  • Represented privately-held restaurant franchise in the $5 million sale of a minority interest in five restaurants in two states.
  • Represented dietary supplement business in the acquisition of exclusive distribution rights to Australian-owned line of specialty beauty products, including lotions, creams and oils.
  • Representation of various foreign food, beverage and cosmetic importers with U.S. federal labeling, marketing and import regulations.
Alcohol Beverage
  • Representation of craft breweries and distilleries in a variety of matters, including obtaining TTB and state alcohol permits, certificate of label approval (COLA), distribution contracts, brand protection, and various corporate and commercial transactions.
  • Representation of beer, wine and distilled spirit beverage importers to obtain TTB and state import permits, certificate of label approval (COLA), distribution contracts, brand protection and various corporate and commercial transactions.
  • Represented retailer in the sale of liquor license and sublease of premises.
  • Represented business with patented alcohol delivery system to obtain distilled spirits permit and experimental distilled spirits permit from TTB.
Corporate
  • Represented publicly traded hospitality REIT in the $150 million acquisition of entities which owned two hotels located in Boston, Massachusetts and New Orleans, Louisiana.
  • Represented investors in the development of a clean energy project and negotiation of contractual agreements under the Massachusetts solar carve-out renewable energy credit program.
  • Represented municipal government in the negotiation of the development of a sports complex in Tennessee.
  • Represented Boston-based rock band in the negotiation and drafting of licensing agreements for the use of its trade name with multiple state lotteries.
  • Represented Boston-based, start-up robotics company in securing $2.5 million of early-stage financing.
  • Represented Boston-based private-equity investor in the $25 million acquisition of a controlling interest in a real estate investment, management and development company located in Knoxville, Tennessee.
  • Served as outside general counsel to Michigan-based trucking, transportation and logistics business, which services included drafting and negotiating stock incentive plans, transportation contracts, management agreements, and negotiating the sale of $10 million majority interest in transportation unit to South Korean-based logistics provider.
Real Estate
  • Represented publicly traded REIT in the $136 million acquisition of a multi-use development in Phoenix, Arizona.
  • Represented Massachusetts business trust in the $13 million disposition of two office buildings in downtown Boston.
  • Assisted travel center business in $5 million acquisition of their corporate headquarters in suburban Ohio.
  • Represented publicly traded REIT in the $46 million acquisition of four office buildings and assumption of debt on the properties located in Folsom, California.
  • Represented publicly traded REIT in the $50 million acquisition of an office building and assumption of debt on a property located in Austin, Texas.
  • Represented publicly traded REIT in the $167 million acquisition of thirteen medical office, clinic and biotech laboratory properties located in eight states.
  • Represented publicly traded REIT in the $85 million acquisition of an three office buildings and assumption of debt on the properties located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
  • Represented municipality in the $120 million commercial development in Bristol, Tennessee, including drafting and negotiating PILOT lease, tax increment financing and other documents related to the issuance of municipal bonds.
  • Represented economic development agency and municipal government in the $50 million acquisition of land in rural Tennessee for the purpose of attracting an automotive manufacturing facility to the region.
  • Represented purchaser in the $3 million acquisition and development of compounding pharmacy located in Troy, Michigan.
Commercial
  • Represented borrower in the $118 million refinancing of an office building in Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Served as bond counsel in the $200 million refinance of variable rate bonds for a healthcare insurance company that secured the acquisition and construction of their corporate headquarters in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • Assisted lender in the $37 million refinance of existing indebtedness of a for-profit healthcare provider for the purposes of renovating existing hospitals through the issuance of bonds by a municipality in Tennessee.
  • Assisted non-profit healthcare company in the $110 million financing for the acquisition and construction of a proton therapy center in Knoxville, Tennessee.
  • Represented auto parts manufacturer in the $5 million financing for the expansion of a manufacturing facility in Tennessee.
  • Represented lender in the extension of a $40 million revolving credit facility for an international chemical manufacturer.
  • Represented lender in the extension of a $20 million term loan to a religious organization for the purpose of the acquisition and construction of a church in Knoxville, Tennessee.
  • Represented borrower in the $30 million financing and construction of a multi-family housing project in Massachusetts.
  • Represented financial unit of German-based automotive manufacturer in various dealer lending programs.
  • Represented lender in $200 million national triple-net lease lending program.