Matthew (Matt) Watson advises domestic and international clients on food and drug law and assists clients in obtaining regulatory clearances for food additives, color additives, and food-contact materials. He drafts legal opinion letters evaluating packaging components such as additives, printing inks, adhesives, polymer components, and color additives used in plastics, paper and paperboard, and coatings. Matt is also well-versed in regulatory requirements related to environmental issues, as well as recycled materials intended for use in food-contact applications.

Prior to joining Keller and Heckman, Matt participated in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Student Honors Law Clerk Program in the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance where he conducted legal research and worked with EPA attorneys to compile an enforcement training guide related to the National Pretreatment Program. He also has experience in the food and agricultural industry drafting contracts, ensuring compliance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory requirements, and responding to food safety concerns. His industry experience, along with an undergraduate minor in Food Studies, helps Matt develop integrated scientific and regulatory strategies to assist clients with product development, production, and marketing.

During law school, Matt was an associate member of the Pace Law Review and was Director of the Food and Agriculture Division of the Environmental Law Society. Matt also acted as a law clerk in Pace’s Food and Beverage Transactional Law Clinic for two years and served on the Executive Board of the National Food Law Student Network.

Representative Matters

• Provided counsel and support to clients in submitting Food Contact Notifications (FCNs) to FDA to obtain regulatory clearances for food-contact substances
• Assisted clients in the preparation of submission materials to obtain regulatory clearances for food packaging materials in jurisdictions worldwide
• Performed regulatory review of food-contact materials to assess compliance with European Union, MERCOSUR, and Japanese food-contact laws and regulations