Suzie Trigg
As co-chair of our Food, Beverage and Restaurant Practice Group, Suzie Trigg leads Haynes Boone’s team of business-focused FDA attorneys who serve as trusted advisors who generate practical solutions to prevent problems, reduce risk, or provide course-correction.
Suzie helps companies lawfully market FDA regulated consumer products, including foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, and over-the-counter drugs. She reviews the use of specific ingredients and product claims to reduce potential challenges. Suzie also frequently advises on strategies intended to reduce the risk of a product recall or potential enforcement.
In addition to providing prevention-focused regulatory guidance, Suzie leads a range of sophisticated commercial transactions. She helps retailers, restaurant chains, and consumer products companies to structure, negotiate, and document transactions, tackle critical supply-chain challenges, and pursue strategic growth opportunities. She also provides focused support for securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions.
Suzie’s recent work also includes:
- Preparing and implementing supplier standards and supply chain agreements for multiple global restaurant chains and large retailers
- Performing preventive gap analyses and analyzing specific events to determine FDA regulatory obligations and to chart a long-term course of action to correct and prevent re-occurrence
- Developing and negotiating commercial agreements and quality agreements for the manufacture, supply, and distribution of both branded and private-label foods, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and over-the-counter drugs
- Facilitating investigations and analyses of potential product concerns, including allegations of a foodborne illness outbreak and other potential food safety concerns
Suzie has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in food and drug law by Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) since 2016. She was also recognized as one of D Magazine’s “Best Lawyers in Dallas” (D Magazine Partners) in 2018 and 2020. Suzie also served as co-chair of our Healthcare and Life Sciences Group from 2018-2021.
- Member, Council for Responsible Nutrition
- Food and Drug Law Institute (Webinar Committee – 2021, Enforcement, Litigation and Compliance Conference Planning Committee – 2020, Food Advertising, Labeling, and Litigation Conference Planning Committee – Chair, 2019, Food and Dietary Supplements Committee, 2015-2018)
- Selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters, 2016-2021
- Recognized in D Magazine's "Best Lawyers in Dallas," D Magazine Partners, 2018 and 2020
- Selected as Best in Supply Chain Negotiations – USA, Acquisition International 2015 Legal Awards, AI Global Media Ltd, 2015; Best in Supply Chain Management Disputes - Texas, 2017
- "Crisis Management: Recalls and Beyond," presenter, FMI Legal Regulatory & Compliance Conference, July 17, 2023.
- “Takeaways From FDA's Allergen Compliance Draft Guide,” co-author, Law360, May 24, 2023.
- “FDA Guidance in Response to COVID-19 and a Plan for Transition Back to Normal,” co-author, Food and Drug Law Institute’s Update Magazine, Spring 2022.
- "Enforcement & Compliance Issues and Their Impact on Due Diligence in Transactions Involving FDA-Regulated Companies and Products," co-presenter, Food and Drug Law Institute, December 10, 2021.
- "Sourcing Cannabis Lawfully for CBD Consumer Products and Clinical Research: Challenges and Opportunities," co-author, Food and Drug Law Institute, Spring 2021.
- "Enforcement, Litigation, and Compliance Conference: For the Drug, Device, Food, and Tobacco Industries," moderator, Food and Drug Law Institute, December 15, 2020
- "Legal and Practical Issues in the Evolving World of Cannabis Regulation," interviewer, Food and Drug Law Institute, December 8, 2020
- “INSIGHT: Maximizing Immunity Under the PREP Act for Covered Countermeasures,” co-author, Bloomberg Law, September 8, 2020.
- “Plant Based Food Trends in the Era of COVID-19: Legal and Regulatory and Economic Considerations,” Co-Presenter, American Conference Institute Webinar, May 28, 2020.
- “Negotiating COVID-Impacted Supply Chains While Maintaining Product and Brand Integrity in Dietary Supplements,” Presenter, Q1 Productions Webinar, May 12, 2020.
- “COVID-19 and the Global Dietary Supplement Supply Chain,” Co-Presenter, Council for Responsible Nutrition Webinar, April 22, 2020.
- “A Practical Guide to Bringing a Dietary Supplement to Market,” Moderator, Food and Drug Law Institute Webinar, December 19, 2019.
- “Current State of Dietary Supplement Enforcement,” Moderator, Food and Drug Law Institute Enforcement, Litigation and Compliance Conference, December 2019.
- “Labeling Claims – Marketing Ideals vs. Regulation,” speaker, Texas Food Processors Association (TFPA) Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas, May 16, 2019.
- ""Sugar" and "Natural" Food Label Claims and Litigation – What’s Next?" speaker, FDLI Annual Conference: Exploring Advanced Topics in Food and Drug Law, Washington, D.C., May 2019.
- “Containing Imported Food Contaminants to Protect Supply Chain Integrity,” speaker, ACI Third Annual Advanced Summit on Food Law – Regulation, Compliance and Litigation, Chicago, Illinois, April 2019.
- “Reading the Tea Leaves for Dietary Supplements – FDA’s Current Enforcement Priorities and Actions,” presenter, FDLI Annual Conference: Exploring Advanced Topics in Food and Drug Law, May 2018.
- "The Not So Sweet Side of Sugar," presenter, Institute of Food Technologists, Longhorn Section, Dallas, Texas, April 20, 2017.
- “Menu Labeling – Cheese Fries for 700 Calories, Please,” speaker, 39th Annual ABA Forum on Franchising, Miami, Florida, November 2016.
- "Food Labeling and Content Claims: Planning Ahead for the Updated Nutrition Facts Requirements," speaker, Food and Drug Law Institute Annual Conference, Washington, DC., May 2016.
- "The Revised Nutrition Facts Panel and Update on Labeling of Foods from Genetically Engineered Plants," presenter, Institute of Food Technologists, Longhorn Section, Dallas, Texas, January 2016.
- "Recent Developments in Food and Drug Law, 2016 ed.: Leading Lawyers on Dealing with Increased Enforcement, Keeping Up-To-Date with FDA Requirements, and Developing Compliance Practices," speaker, Inside the Minds, February 2016.
- "Highlights of China’s 2015 Food Safety Law,” author, Law360, July 2015.
- “Cosmetics Claims: Origin and Composition, Natural, and Fragrance-Free,” Food and Drug Law Institute webinar, June 2015.
- “What’s Next for Labeling of Plant-Based Substitute [Foods],” speaker, Food and Drug Law Institute Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., April 2015.
- "Meaningful Audit Systems,” speaker, FDLI Conference on Safeguarding the Functional Food and Dietary Ingredient Supply Chain, Washington, D.C., September 2013.
- “Building an Effective Supply Chain and Distribution System,” speaker, 35th Annual ABA Forum on Franchising, Los Angeles, California, November 2012.
Education
J.D., The University of Texas School of Law, 2006, with honors, Texas Environmental Law Journal
B.S., Animal Science, Texas A&M University, 2003
Clerkships
The Honorable Brian L. Owsley, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Texas
Institute for Food Laws and Regulations, Michigan State University
Admissions
Texas
The FDA recently issued its first draft guidance addressing Registration and Listing of Cosmetic Product Facilities and Products (the “Draft Guidance”), as required under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (“MoCRA”). This summary provides an initial overview of the Draft Guidance and the steps that cosmetics manufacturers and processors should begin taking to ensure and/or prepa [...]
