Brian P. Sylvester joins Morrison Foerster as Food Regulatory Partner in Washington, D.C.

Morrison Foerster has announced that Protein Production Technology International Editorial Advisory Board member, Brian P. Sylvester, has joined the firm as a partner in its Complex Litigation + Advisement Group, where he will head the food regulatory practice within the FDA + Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance team. Based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Sylvester brings a decade of combined government and private sector experience advising clients on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulatory matters.

Sylvester arrives from another major international law firm, where he most recently chaired its Food Regulatory practice. He is recognized in Chambers USA for his leadership in novel food technologies and is known for guiding companies and trade groups through complex FDA and USDA regulatory frameworks.

“We are pleased to welcome Brian to MoFo and our FDA + Healthcare Regulatory Compliance team within the firm’s Complex Litigation practice,” said Brigid DeCoursey Bondoc, who leads the FDA + Healthcare Regulatory group at Morrison Foerster. “His focus on emerging food and beverage technologies and regulation will enhance our abilities to serve clients on the cutting edge of food and ag tech.”

Sylvester’s regulatory work spans the entire food product lifecycle, from pre-market planning through post-market compliance. His practice focuses particularly on innovative and high-growth areas such as transgenic crops, cultivated meat, and fermentation-derived ingredients. He also advises clients in the cosmetics, over-the-counter drug, and consumer goods sectors, including companies working with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)-regulated products.

Before entering private practice, Sylvester served as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of the General Counsel at USDA, where he supported rulemaking and enforcement actions. At Morrison Foerster, his experience is expected to bolster the firm’s already broad capabilities in the food and agriculture space.

“Brian’s practice is highly synergistic and complementary with our food and agriculture industry practice,” said Mitchell Presser, co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Food + Agriculture Group. “In addition to offering tremendous advantages to our high-tech food, food and agriculture, and consumer packaged goods clients, Brian’s presence further expands our regulatory capabilities to other relevant practices and underscores the prominence of our top-tier Food + Agriculture Group.”

Sylvester has advised companies at all stages, from startups to multinationals, helping navigate audits, investigations, recalls, labeling issues, and enforcement proceedings. His work also includes due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, strategic regulatory planning, public policy engagement at the federal and state levels, and litigation support involving FDA- or USDA-regulated products.

A regular speaker at industry conferences across the United States, European Union, China, and Israel, Sylvester is a familiar presence at food tech and regulatory events. He is frequently cited in publications focused on legal and regulatory developments in the life sciences and food sectors. His commentary has appeared in Chambers USA, Bloomberg Law, and The National Law Journal, among others.

“At MoFo, I’m excited to collaborate with the Firm’s globally leading, cross-disciplinary Food + Agriculture team across corporate, litigation, IP, trademark and related fields,” said Sylvester. “I’m especially delighted to continue my focus on food tech on a global basis. I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues in D.C., and across the firm’s global offices, to expand our food regulatory offerings, while tapping into my significant USDA and FDA regulatory experience to help clients navigate their most novel and complex regulatory business challenges.”