Food Law and Regulation

The Food Lawyers

The Food Lawyers offers expertise in the following areas:

  • Novel ingredient regulatory petitions – RDA, USDA, FSIS, FDA

  • Ingredient labeling compliance – DSHEA, FDA, USDA, FSIS

  • Trademarks & licensing – Developing and protecting food-product trademarks

  • Trade secret protection

  • Food processing – Equipment lease/purchasing negotiations, capital sourcing and financing

 
George Salmas

George Salmas

George Salmas

Managing Principal - The Food Lawyers®

For more than three decades, food industry clients have turned to George for guidance and counsel. With a bachelor's degree from California State University, Long Beach in economics magna cum laude and graduating law school at UCLA, Mr. Salmas devoted four years to Navy service where, as a Lieutenant and JAG officer, he represented the United States in criminal trials in Greece, Spain, Morocco, and on ships at sea. Opening his own law firm, he focused on the food industry. Under Mr. Salmas’ direction, The Food Lawyers® provides food sector clients with full service representation in areas such as FDA and USDA regulatory issues, class action defense, trademarks, contracts, litigation and all other matters that a food business needs to function.

Over the years, Mr. Salmas has successfully tried a number of litigation matters including a food trade secret technology case resulting in a $28 million award to the firm’s client. Mr. Salmas has also served as a judge pro tem of the Los Angeles County Municipal Courts. Most recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration has changed food labeling law based on Mr. Salmas’ recommendation. Also, recently, Mr. Salmas and Michael Hambly of The Food Lawyers® won dismissal of a class action filed in New York federal court against Trader Joe’s, ending the litigation as to all parties.

Married for more than thirty years, Mr. and Mrs. Salmas have two sons. One son is a computer software engineer and the other is a graduate student studying forensic psychology at Arizona State University. Mr. and Mrs. Salmas are both military veterans.