Buffalo Biodiesel Inc.'s Board of Directors confirmed the appointment of Frank V. Balon as President and Chief Legal Officer on June 2, 2026. The move comes as founder Sumit Majumdar transitions out of day-to-day operations, shifting into a Limited Partner and Lead Director of Energy and Agriculture role at Verite Capital Partners.
Majumdar built Buffalo Biodiesel from the ground up over two decades, growing it into one of the largest waste cooking oil recycling operations in the country. BBD serves more than 30,000 restaurants across 17 states. He'll remain on the company's Board of Directors following the transition.
Balon comes from Steuben Foods, where he served as Co-President, Chief Legal Officer, and Board Director over a 15-year run. He holds a J.D. from the University at Buffalo School of Law and built his career in business and commercial litigation in New York City and Buffalo.
The choice of a commercial litigator and Chief Legal Officer is notable given Buffalo Biodiesel's history. The company and some of its executive employees have faced their share of legal turbulence over the years, including shutdown orders from the state over permitting, a personal-injury case, and legal citations involving executive employees. At the same time, Buffalo Biodiesel has made aggressive use of the courts as an offensive tool, filing suits against competitors, local newspapers, and even 600 restaurant clients. It's a tactic that's largely uncommon in the food service industry, where a lot of the customer base is made up of small restaurant operators. The tactic drew a New York Attorney General settlement.
The hire raises fair questions about where the company's legal strategy goes from here and what it signals for an industry still navigating its relationship with the restaurants that feed its supply chain.
