ABOUT
My boutique service offers a unique blend of cannabis business experience & legal expertise. Unlike other lawyers, I've built and operated cannabis companies.
What I Do
I combine my legal expertise and deep industry experience to help cannabis pioneers guide their business through the challenging phases of enterprise development.
In newly legalized markets, I find my focus is more on Startups and Expansion activities. In more mature markets, there is more focus on growth transactions, dispute resolution, or in some cases, guidance and legal support to Restructure.
In addition to working with cannabis business clients, I also offer professional services to other lawyers throughout the United States, including:
Cannabis Expert Witness Services
Cannabis Mediation Services
Why I Do It
My joy comes from enthusiastically supporting entrepreneurs, creatively solving challenging problems and advocating for the development of the cannabis industry.
I began my cannabis career as a business lawyer, offering commercial guidance at a time when cannabis law was handled only by criminal defense attorneys. I was one of the first “business” lawyers to enter cannabis.
Some years later, I left the practice of law to cofound an edible company. I believed that CPG quality cannabis goods were a powerful tool to challenge the way people thought about cannabis, to “legitimize” it. We developed the highest quality edibles, we tested our products and used sophisticated packaging – at a time when most edibles were untested Saran wrapped rice-crispy treats with dot-matrix printer labels. After a series of pivots, that enterprise has become Lowell Farms Co., a well known multi-state flower brand that nevertheless bears that same commitment to cannabis legitimacy.
I thereafter cofound Grupo Flor in Salinas, California to reinvigorate a landscape of dilapidated greenhouses into a landscape of cannabis greenhouses, economically elevating the local community. Today Grupo Flor is a California retail leader with multiple brands of flower CPG, including 2021 Emerald Cup winning infused pre-roll, Paletas. While the business has changed, the commitment to the local community has never wavered.
During these years I continued to advocate in Sacramento and Washington D.C., as well as cofound several important advocacy and trade groups. Today, I serve as cofounding board member and counsel to the California Cannabis Manufacturer’s Association helping to shape a normalized regulatory environment for Brands in the evolving cannabis industry.
My current work carries on that spirit of service and creative problem solving.
How I Work
STYLE
I prefer to meet clients the first time face to face, and where not possible, via videoconference.
During the initial meeting, I seek to understand not only the scope of the issue or problem presented, but also the Client’s macro business objectives. My goal is to tailor solutions that further both objectives.
FEES
I typically charge by the hour for legal services, though in some cases, such as incorporation or trademark, I offer flat fee costs. On projects that don’t have clearly defined time or work loads, I require an advance retainer deposit held against ongoing fees.
I also have a few select clients that hire me on a standing monthly rate to address their ongoing legal needs and to contain costs.
My professional consulting services such as Expert Witness and Mediation can vary depending on the scope and duration but are sometimes flat rate. This fee structure is most common with Mediation.
ENGAGEMENT
To comply with laws and generally good business practices, I require all clients enter into an engagement agreement with a clear scope and fee structure before commencement of services can begin.