Matt Griffin brings more than 18 years of senior in-house leadership experience advising consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies on a broad range of commercial, regulatory, intellectual property, and operational matters, with particular depth in the food and beverage industry.

Over the course of his career, Matt has supported some of the industry’s most recognizable brands, including Kraft, Capri Sun, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Maxwell House, Kool-Aid, Planters, Nerds, SweeTarts, Trolli, and Brach’s, helping them navigate complex legal, regulatory, and business risks in highly regulated consumer-facing environments.

Known for his pragmatic, business-first approach, Matt works closely with leadership teams to understand business objectives, assess risk tolerance, and develop practical solutions aligned with operational realities. He is particularly effective in the “gray zone” where commercial mandates intersect with legal and reputational risks.

Matt regularly counsels clients on matters involving:

• marketing claims and food labeling
• crisis management, including food recalls and withdrawals
• product reformulations prompted by evolving federal and state food regulations
• commercial contracts with customers, manufacturers, suppliers, 3PLs, influencers, and talent
• litigation and dispute strategy
• antitrust matters, including Robinson-Patman compliance
• trademark clearance, brand protection, and licensing
• environmental regulatory compliance

Before joining OGC, Matt served as General Counsel for three U.S. divisions of Lactalis Group, the global leader in cheese and dairy. Prior to Lactalis, Matt was Deputy General Counsel of Ferrara Candy Company. He began his in-house career as a senior trademark counsel at Kraft Heinz and ultimately served as Chief Counsel for many of its U.S. business units.

In each of these leadership roles, Matt advised on complex commercial, regulatory, litigation, and transactional matters, including conducting pre-acquisition due diligence and managing post-acquisition disputes. He frequently presented to company boards on these strategic disputes and transactions. Additionally, Matt oversaw numerous legal department operations initiatives involving budgeting and spend management, organizational redesigns, and the implementation of e-billing and AI contracting platforms.

One of the most rewarding parts of his in-house career has been mentoring other attorneys—helping them navigate corporate environments and grow into senior roles leading their own teams.

Matt earned his legal degree from the University of Chicago Law School; a graduate degree in Literature from the University of Michigan; and his B.A. from Miami University.

Matt lives in Chicago with his partner, Jason, and their Maine Coon cats. He’s an avid traveler (most recently to Mérida and San Miguel de Allende) and spends his downtime reading detective fiction and philosophy for laypeople, often at the Lake Michigan beach near home.