Food giant
JAMES W. CAVANAUGH
Senior vice president external affairs and general counsel,
Hormel Foods Corp.
Age 59
COMPANY PROFILE
Hormel Foods Corp. manufactures and markets to
retail, food-service and wholesale food operations.
World famous for its spiced ham SPAM product,
Hormel is also the leading domestic turkey processor
and a major player in the pork market. It has branched
out into the convenience, ethnic and frozen food fields,
as well. Hormel’s goods are sold in all 50 states and
exported to more than 40 countries. Based in Austin,
Minn., since 1891, the food giant has approximately
17,000 employees.
DAILY DUTIES
Within the department, the “primary job is to
manage risk,” according to General Counsel James
W. Cavanaugh. A typical day for him “depends upon
the circumstances.” He normally deals with strategic,
tactical and administrative issues, and handles pressing legal matters. He will get involved in litigation or
mediation if necessary. Hormel has not faced product
recalls “in many years,” but Cavanaugh and his crisis
team would respond if one occurred.
He is on a company steering committee dealing
with avian influenza. Hormel’s products are sold
worldwide; the company operates a pair of plants in
China and has several joint ventures in Asia, Europe
and Australia. Accordingly, the Cavanaugh staff has
familiarity with foreign laws. The GC also “makes sure
that the bills get paid.”
OUTSIDE COUNSEL
Cavanaugh maintains relationships with regulators
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and
Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection
Agency, the Federal Trade Commission and the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission. He is active
in trade issues, and Hormel assists the agencies in
shaping new and existing regulations. His philosophy
is that “if we are not involved, somebody else is, so it’s
good business to stay involved in critical issues.”
Hormel operates 20 plants, some of which are
unionized, and as a labor attorney, Cavanaugh strives
to maintain good relationships with unions and
employees. Immigration, he said, is “a big issue for
our country as a whole.” He believes that personnel
managers have been placed in untenable positions
having to implement what he considers flawed and
inconsistent national immigration laws.
IP AND SARBANES-OXLEY
His department has a lot of interest in intellectual
property cases, and “rightfully, aggressively defends”
its interests. Cavanaugh’s intent is to keep the
firm’s U.S. trademarks clear of any marks related to
Hormel’s signature Spam product, although nothing
can be done about the use of the term in the context
of unsolicited commercial e-mail. Cavanaugh declined
COMPANY
HORMEL FOODS CORP.
ANTITRUST
Faegre & Benson
LITIGATION
Moore, Costello & Hart
SECURITIES
Dorsey & Whitney; Krukowski & Costello
