Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers
Directory 2024/25
Welcome to the 5th Edition of the Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers 2024 – 2025 published by Cannabis Law Report & Cannabis Law Journal.
We have compiled the lawyers and law firms we believe, to be the top 200 cannabis practitioners & practices around the world via our annual survey of clients and lawyers in the cannabis legal services sector as well as our personal editorial decisions based on our reporting of the industry on a daily basis for the past eight + years. Read More
Thank you, Sean Hocking – Editor: The Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers
Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers – Plus 2024/2025
Meghana D. Shah – Eversheds
Meghana is a dynamic, creative and solution-focused lawyer with over 15 years of experience managing all aspects of domestic and international litigation and investigations. Clients appreciate her attention to detail, ability to meaningfully synthesize information, and case management skills, particularly with respect to managing cases across jurisdictions and globally. Meghana has significant experience handling and managing class action and large-scale multi-district litigation here at home and managing multi-lingual, international investigations ...
Susan Burns – S Burns Legal PLLC
With more than 30 years of experience, Susan Burns has forged a career as a no-nonsense business lawyer and global development consultant helping businesses in growth mode tactically use legal strategies to meet their needs. Serving a broad range of industries, Susan has been a partner to businesses tackling the burgeoning cannabis industry since the outset, supporting processors, manufacturers and retailers. She has also worked extensively with psychotherapy and health-related ...
Peter Homberg – Dentons
Peter Homberg is a partner in the Dentons Berlin office. He focuses on life sciences, IP, corporate law and M&A transactions in the life sciences and high-tech sector as well as in R&D and cooperation agreements, cross-border IP licensing and IP strategies. Furthermore, he has extensive experience providing legal advice on compliance issues. Additionally, he is the head of the European Cannabis sector group. Peter advises companies in the pharmaceutical, ...
David Sergi – Sergi and Associates P.C.
Mr. Sergi brings his unique background to the practice of law in San Marcos. He was born in Hamburg Germany where his parents where opera singers. His schooling included stints at the International Schools as well as British military schools. After he moved to Texas with his parents he attended Anderson High School in Austin and graduated from Allen Military Academy in Bryan. He thereafter graduated from Texas A and ...
Benjamin Sheppard – Norris McLaughlin
Benjamin P. Sheppard is an associate with the Allentown office of Norris McLaughlin, P.A., where he represents both growers and retailers in the cannabis industry, as well as employers navigating the complexities of cannabis law. Mr. Sheppard's deep understanding of the intricate balance between state-specific and federal regulations helps with represent both retailers and growers in the cannabis industry. General business clients frequently seek his guidance in gaining clarity on the ...
Benjamin M. Rattner – Cermele & Wood LLP
Benjamin M. Rattner leads the cannabis practice at his law firm, Cermele & Wood LLP. He represents pre-operational and operational clients throughout the cannabis and hemp industries, along with numerous ancillary businesses. Ben routinely negotiates leases and land deals, drafts licensing and purchase agreements, and drafts the documentation necessary to form and operate cannabis businesses. He also counsels clients about brand protection, marketing, and advertising. Ben uses his background as ...
Lisa L. Pittman, ANODYNE ADR
Lisa Pittman focuses on litigation, regulatory compliance, and corporate matters. Throughout Ms. Pittman’s 25-year career, she has litigated and tried disputes relating to labor & employment, breach of contract, commercial banking, fraud, fiduciary duty, construction defect and injury, deceptive trade practices, premises liability, professional liability, and products liability. She also possesses extensive expertise in complex commercial insurance coverage matters, having both defended insurance companies and advocated for policy holders in ...
Sean J. McGowan – Kaufman McGowan PLLC
Sean J. McGowan represents emerging growth, middle market and public companies and investment firms in their corporate, securities, financing, borrowing, merger & acquisition and other legal matters. Mr. McGowan is: President of the Columbian Lawyers’ Association of Suffolk County. Secretary of the Confederation of Columbian Lawyers of New York State. Member of the Columbian Lawyers’ Association of Nassau County. Member of the New York State Bar Association and its Cannabis ...
Richard Y. Cheng – Ritter Spencer Cheng, PLLC
Richard Y. Cheng, a managing member at Ritter Spencer Cheng PLLC and brings a wealth of experience and expertise in corporate transactions, regulatory, compliance matters, specifically to the cannabis and healthcare industries. Through his traditional healthcare practice, Richard ventured into the cannabis industry in 2013. His contributions to the cannabis industry have been significant, representing a variety of clients (e.g. cultivators, investors, manufacturers, retailers, healthcare providers, third-party business) and earning ...
Chelsie Spencer – Ritter Spencer Cheng, PLLC
Forbes Magazine dubbed Chelsie Spencer the “rare friendly face in the midst of a cutthroat CBD hurricane, the person you want on speed dial when things turn sour” for her work in the cannabidiol (CBD) industry. As head of the cannabis practice at Ritter Spencer PLLC, Chelsie represents clients in every facet of the cannabis and hemp industries, including dispensaries, growers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, and more for their business needs ...
Shannett Thompson – Kingsley Napley LLP
Shannett Thompson is a Partner in Kingsley Napley’s Regulatory Team. She trained in the National Health Service. She provides regulatory advice predominantly in the health and social care and education sectors. Shannett has a varied client base which includes healthcare businesses, care homes, regulators, professional bodies, and regulated individuals. Cannabis sector Shannett has built up a significant niche in advising investors and businesses in the medical cannabis sector. She has been at the forefront of ...
Steve Malito – Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP
Steve Malito is the Chair of DHC’s New York State Government Relations group which focuses on all aspects of government relations on the New York State level. The group represents a broad array of clients ranging from Fortune 500 technology companies and the film industry to not-for-profits, including universities, social services agencies, statewide trade associations, as well as clients in the banking, insurance and transportation industries. Under Mr. Malito’s leadership, ...
Daniel Haymann – MME
Daniel Haymann specialises in corporate and commercial law. Thanks to his extensive business experience, he has a good sense for new markets and understands the requirements for market launch and scale-up strategies. As an interdisciplinary and hands-on advisor, his focus is on investments, venture capital and financing transactions as well as regulatory issues in the healthcare and consumer goods sectors. He has been advising investors, start-ups, and vertically integrated companies ...
Courtney Barnes, Esq – Feldman Legal Advisors
Courtney Barnes is a Partner at Feldman Legal Advisors PLLC where she specializes in advising clients on regulatory compliance, risk management, contract creation, nonprofit formation, and strategic operational matters relating to provision of services and the production and distribution of stringently regulated products in emerging industries. Her legal expertise includes providing bespoke DEA, FDA, and state regulatory compliance guidance, including licensing, distribution, and advertising strategy to consumer-packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers, ...
James K Landau – Lachtman Cohen & Belowich
Jim Landau is a Partner and a member of the firm’s Litigation Group. He represents clients in litigation before Federal, New York State and Local courts and other tribunals, including arbitration and mediation before the American Arbitration Association. Jim’s practice also focuses on providing day-to-day business counseling to cannabis and other businesses with an eye toward avoiding problems before they arise. Jim has been recognized as a New York Metro Super ...
David Feldman – Feldman Legal Advisors
David Feldman concentrates his law practice on corporate and securities law and mergers and acquisitions, as well as general representation of public and private companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and private equity and venture capital firms. David has represented a wide range of clients in the legal cannabis and psychedelics industries since 2013. He provides guidance on private placements, public offerings, loan structuring and fund formation for cannabis companies, as well as ...
Neil M. Kaufman – Kaufman McGowan PLLC
Neil M. Kaufman, is the managing member of Kaufman McGowan PLLC, Corporate & Securities Counsel to the Cannabis Industry™ and one of the leading corporate cannabis law firms in New York and the USA. He combines over 40 years of practicing corporate and securities law at the highest levels with 10 years of extensive cannabis industry experience. Mr. Kaufman represents a wide variety of cannabis companies and investors in their ...
Ricardo Costa Macedo – Caiado Guerreiro
Ricardo Costa Macedo is a partner at Caiado Guerreiro since 2006. He heads the Intellectual Property and Life Sciences groups of the firm. His practice covers a wide range of contentious and non-contentious patent, trademark and other IP-related rights, such as trade secrets and unfair competition, in particular in the pharmaceutical, home care, food and insurance sectors. Moreover, he has vast knowledge in regulatory matters in these sectors. Recognition As ...
Shay Aaron Gilmore – The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore
Shay Aaron Gilmore is a leading cannabis business attorney in California and a recognized expert in corporate and commercial transactions throughout the cannabis supply chain. Shay works exclusively with cannabis operators and investors on regulatory, administrative law, real estate, land use, corporate, labor & employment, and intellectual property matters, providing advice and counsel honed to protect and expand access to cannabis. Shay has been recognized by The Los Angeles/San Francisco ...
Neil Willner – Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld
Neil M. Willner is Co-chair of the Cannabis Group. He focuses his practice on the cannabis industry and provides counsel to hemp and marijuana companies across all parts of the supply chain on regulatory and compliance issues. Neil also handles regulatory compliance, investigatory due diligence, mergers and acquisitions, and litigation matters for firm clients. He advises buyers and sellers on regulatory considerations in mergers and acquisitions in many East Coast ...
Jonathan S. Berck – Offit Kurman
Jonathan S. Berck is a principal attorney at Offit Kurman, where he leads the firm’s Cannabis Law Practice Group. Jon provides strategic legal counsel to businesses in the cannabis industry, guiding them through complex regulatory landscapes and ensuring compliance with state and federal laws. He advises cultivators, manufacturers, and retailers, making him a trusted advisor in the industry. Jon stays ahead of industry trends, helping clients navigate challenges and seize ...
Nicola Finnerty – Kingsley Napley
Nicola is a leading criminal defence expert in white collar and business crime, general criminal defence, and proceeds of crime and asset forfeiture. Nicola advises corporates and individuals (both in the UK and overseas) on cannabis investment in particular in respect of the UK Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 White Collar Crime, Business Crime, Fraud and Investigations Over the last 25 years she has been involved in many of the ...
Daniel Shortt – mcglinchey
Daniel Shortt is a regulatory and corporate attorney. With experience in the hemp and marijuana industries, he advises federal agencies, top-tier cannabis corporations, and ambitious entrepreneurs in entering, succeeding in, and exiting the industry. Daniel provides highly tailored advice on heavily regulated topics, including contracts, regulatory guidance, administrative advice, employment issues, real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and general legal counsel. Frequently speaking on legal issues relating to cannabis across ...
Samantha Myers – Gowling WLG (UK) LLP
Samantha is a partner in Gowling WLG's Corporate Group and is head of the firm's UK Cannabis Group. She specialises in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and equity capital markets. With extensive experience of acting for companies, or their advisers, on IPOs and secondary transactions, Samantha regularly advises on a range of domestic and cross border M&A transactions, including public takeovers. She also has significant experience in a range of ...
Heidi Urness – mcglinchey
Heidi Urness has developed a national reputation as a skillful, tenacious, and results-focused attorney for successfully representing and advising a wide range of marijuana and hemp companies, licensees, investors, and more. Born and raised in Chicago, Heidi attended Wake Forest University and the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she won awards for both outstanding writing and oral argument skills. Upon graduation, Heidi cut her teeth in the Superior and ...
Pamela Bubb – Webber Newdigate Attorneys
Pamela Bubb is a partner and head of the Corporate and Commercial Department of Webber Newdigate Attorneys in Lesotho. Pamela focuses on commercial law and has a keen interest in cannabis matters. She and her team are involved in providing a broad range of commercial services including due diligence investigations, foreign exchange, advising international and local clients on cross-border taxation matters, along with drafting and vetting contracts. Pamela: Assists new ...
Mitchel C. Chargo – Hinshaw
Mitchel Chargo represents clients in a wide array of matters related to the state of Minnesota's newly enacted adult recreational use cannabis program, including regulatory and compliance matters, licensing, financing, commercial real estate, and corporate governance. He also represents a Native American entity in a Native American medicinal cannabis program and adult recreational use program, as well as clients in the hemp industry, including manufacturers of hemp products. Prior to ...
Mollie Hartman Lustig – McLaughlin & Stern
Mollie Hartman Lustig is the Chair of McLaughlin and Stern’s Cannabis Practice Group. Mollie’s clients include cannabis business operators, management service operators, cannabis vendors and cannabis investors. Her practice focuses on providing regulatory, licensing (both State and Local), and business/transactional counsel to clients, along with handling related litigation. Mollie has been a member of the NJSBA’s Cannabis and Psychedelic Law Special Committee (“CPLSC”) since 2017 and is serving as the ...
Courtney N. Moran – EARTH Law, LLC
Courtney N. Moran, LL.M., Founding Principal of EARTH Law, LLC, and Chief Legislative Strategist for Agricultural Hemp Solutions, LLC, has a passion for policy reform and precedent-setting. She liaised with the offices of Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) in drafting and negotiating the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, the language in the 2018 Farm Bill federally legalizing hemp in the United States. Courtney is a highly accomplished ...
Marie Sanchez – Nooa Avocats
Marie Sanchez advises clients in the life sciences sector (including clients in the pharmaceutical, medical devices, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, food supplements and veterinary drugs sectors) by offering bespoke guidance on regulatory issues, litigation and contractual matters. She also has an extensive practice in the cannabis sector, advising clients on regulatory and strategic issues related to both the medical cannabis and wellness hemp markets in France and representing them in commercial litigations ...
Rod Kight – Kight on Cannabis
Rod is a cannabis business law attorney. Based in North Carolina and Mexico, Rod represents legal cannabis businesses throughout the world and is editor and chief writer of the Kight On Cannabis law blog (www.kightoncannabis.com). Rod is the author of “Cannabis Business Law-What You Need to Know”, published by Aspatore Books in August 2015. He has served on the advisory board and written a legal column for the American Journal ...
João Taborda da Gama – Gama Gloria
João Gama is a founding partner of Gama Glória, a law firm based in Lisbon, and a senior advisor of the Albright Stonebridge Group, in Washington DC. João advises global companies, governments, patients and NGOs on the regulation, use, production and trade of controlled substances in medical, religious, spiritual or recreational contexts. João has successfully advised companies obtaining licenses to cultivate GACP medical cannabis and to produce GMP medical cannabis ...
Joshua S. Bauchner – Mandelbaum Barrett PC
Joshua S. Bauchner, Esq., serves as the Chair of the Cannabis and Psychedelics Practice Group at Mandelbaum Barrett PC, where he maintains offices in both Roseland, New Jersey, and New York City. He also is a member of the Commercial Litigation and Bankruptcy Practice Groups. A well-known force in this evolving area of law, Joshua counsels investors entrepreneurs, growers, distributors, and retailers on real estate, regulatory, corporate, tax, and employment ...
Featured Firms – 2024/2025
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP
Legalized cannabis in New York is a rapidly growing, evolving, and highly regulated industry, requiring an in-depth understanding of the regulations and how they impact our clients’ businesses and communities. The seasoned cannabis law team at DHC provides cannabis retailers, growers, distributors, processors, cultivators, and investors with the guidance and knowledge they need to succeed. Starting a cannabis business is like starting any other business, just a lot more complicated ...
Gowling WLG (UK) LLP
Gowling WLG has established itself as a leader in advising cannabis businesses across a range of legal matters and services. Our team of experienced professionals are deeply versed in the complexities of cannabis law and regulation and have extensive experience advising businesses in the cannabis and CBD industries on multiple fronts including with respect to public listings, financings, mergers and acquisitions, business development, licencing, product regulatory issues and distribution requirements. ...
ANODYNE ADR
Lisa Pittman I specialize in cannabis business law. If your dispute involves marijuana or hemp law, I have a decade of cannabis law and industry experience. Since 2015, I have represented governmental entities, businesses, and investors in every part of the cannabis supply chain, all over the country and the world. I spent 2 years in Colorado under the 2014 Farm Bill and marijuana legalization heyday. I have seen just ...
Cannabis Lawyers – Commended Listings
Melissa Chapman-Samad – Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP
Melissa Chapman-Samad is Associate Director of Government Relations and a registered Lobbyist in the New York City office of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP, where she works on city, state, and federal matters. In this role, she uses a client-focused approach to navigate issues related to government funding and legislation. Before joining DHC, Melissa spent over a decade at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (BCC) in various capacities and at ...
Nicholas T. Terzulli – Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP
Nicholas T. Terzulli is Co-Chair of the Economic Development & Tax Incentives law practice and Senior Counsel attorney in the Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Government Relations, Commercial Banking & Finance Law and Cannabis Law groups in the firm’s New York City office. Nick practices law at the nexus of business and government, providing legal, policy, regulatory and strategic guidance to clients on a range of corporate, real estate, economic development, ...