Recreational and Medical Marijuana Law and Business in California (CA)

What You Will Learn

Day One

Regulations Update:  The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Rolling Out the California Adult Use Act

• Introduction to the Medicinal and Adult Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (“MAUCRSA”)
• 2018 Regulatory Updates
• Roles and Powers of the California State Agencies
• Marketing Restrictions

Licensing: License to Ill? How to Navigate the Weeds

• Grounds for license refusal
• Third party assistance required with license applications (site plans, budgets, safety and security plans)
• Local permitting system (zoning, land use compliance CEQA) overview
• Application procedures and avoiding mistakes
• License renewals and transfers
• Appealing application denials
• Development agreements
• Different treatment of different business types in different municipalities
• Tips for dealing with city staff and local elected officials
• What a City does to keep up with the ever-changing law
  • How Ordinances evolve and how to keep up with them
  • Case study of Desert Hot Springs
• What we have learned and a few things of what NOT to do
• State and City interactions and pending fixes at the state level

Compliance: How Not to Get Burned by the Regulators

• How do up and running businesses remain compliant at the local and state level?
  • Vendor management
    • Distribution & Supply Chain
  • document retention/recordkeeping
  • product and packaging quality control at various touch points
    • cultivator/MFR/Distributor
    • Retailer
  • changing regulations
• Prop. 65, testing and pesticides
  • Prop 65 Warnings and recent litigation/notices
  • Testing – at what stage/responsibility
  • Testing – scope
  • Testing – returns, recall plans and destroyed products
• Internal operations
  • Generally how it works
  • Inventory management
  • Retail store compliance
  • documentation required to be maintained
• Employment concerns/OSHA
  • Labor peace agreements
  • certain licensed activity must be performed by an employee and not third party
    • having two masters
  • OSHA issues
  • Local requirements for hiring
• Joint Ventures and Changes to Ownership
  • Financial interest holder vs. owner
  • Leasing of licenses vs. management/consulting agreements
  • Changes in ownership or owners falling out of compliance
  • potential convertible note and securitization issues – what will regulators say?
• Administrative Appeals and threats of loss of licensure
  • Procedure
  • Case presentation
  • Discovery
  • Having “your day” in front of regulators
  • Penalties and fines (negotiating with regulators)

A Discussion with Regulators

The State of Marijuana Related Businesses:  In the Fields: How’s it Going So Far?
Almost One Year into the California Adult Use Act what are the major business and legal problems facing the Cannabis industry.

• Distribution (supply and supply chains)
• Due Dilligence:  Local Municipal concerns
• Due Dilligence:  State issues
• Regulation Vacuum?
• Conflict of Law Lingering Problems
• Pending Legislation

Day Two

Banking, Lending, and Finance:  The Most Complex Issue Facing the Industry

• Institutional Lending
• Banking
  • How federal Rules and Regulations Affect Financing
    • Controlled Substances Act
    • Bank Secrecy Act
    • 18 USC
  • Banking compliance post-withdrawal of Cole Memorandum
  • FINCEN Guidelines and Compliance
  • How SARS Affect your Bank Account
  • Providing Transparency to Banks and Lenders
  • Deposits
  • BSA, AML, KYC leading to OFK
  • Impounding of Taxes

Corporate Entities and Formation

• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Structure

Is there a Union in your future?

• Mandatory labor peace requirements for licensure in California
• What you can expect to have, with a union in your business

Tax Considerations

• State, local and federal
• Best practices for 280E compliance

Investing in Cannabis and Cannabis Adjacent Businesses from a legal perspective

1:00 – 2:45
Investing in Cannabis and Cannabis Adjacent Businesses from a legal perspective

•  Cannabis Industry Investment Opportunities
• California Regulatory Concerns with Respect to Cannabis Investments
• Buyer and Investor Side Considerations
• Securities Issues
• Investment Instruments and Documentation
• Risk Factors and Due Diligence
• Buying and Selling Licensed Businesses

Real Estate & Commercial Leasing

Intellectual Property Considerations

Testimonials

“Good information that needs to be taken into consideration if one wants to get into the cannabis sector.” – Alexander Cohen, Esq.

“Very thorough overview of the industry and the regulations.” – John Morelli, Esq.

“Great, practical material.” – Michael Yraceburn, Esq.

“Great value and well-run conference. Strong speakers and content.”

“Excellent! Super engaging, good use of images and anecdotes. Good source of resources!”

“This was well organized and the presentations were excellent.”

“More than expected! Super informative.“

“Very, very thorough – more so than others that I’ve attended.”

“Good overview of a complex subject. Good primer.”

“Very good! Very engaging.”

“Excellent!”

“Great information.”

“Very professional, informed panel.”

“I received a thorough overview. It was great.”

“Excellent.”

The following testimonials are from our Marijuana Law & Practice 101 seminar held in Los Angeles:

“Great speakers. Good content and materials.” – Rena Wheaton, Esq.

“Great overall information regarding how complex the field is…Everything was great.” – Tim Klubnikin, Esq.

“[Chris Conrad was] excellent. I will probably use his services as an expert on my next case.” – David Paquin, Esq.

“Wanted an overview of the emerging issues, which was well-presented.” – Jeffrey E. Zinder, Esq.

“[Ariel Clark was] excellent.”

“Great speaker. [Hillary Bricken] kept us engaged.” – Eric Tuy, Esq.

“Fantastic presentation [by the speakers].” – Anthony Parker, Esq.

“Hoped to gain basic understanding of state and federal regulatory framework. Did that and more. Materials [were] excellent…I had a particular medical marijuana issue arise in a property damage case. This seminar provided the background I needed.”

“Good coverage of the basics…[materials were] great for reference. Good ethics discussion.”

“[Hillary Bricken was] the star of the day! Outstanding!”

“Very interesting and educational. Wanted to learn the basics of marijuana laws. Very good program.”

“Great topic. Good overview.”

“[Hillary Bricken was] Brilliant!”

“The speakers were clearly very knowledgeable of this topic.”

“[Hillary Bricken was] excellent, informative, entertaining, and a great presenter.”

“[Ariel Clark was] very knowledgeable.”

“[Raza Lawrence was] excellent.”

“Hillary Bricken was excellent.”

Faculty

Bryan M. Bergman, Esq.
Founder
Law Office of Bryan M. Bergman

Bryan Bergman helps clients and businesses of any size at all stages of the business lifecycle with a laser focus on helping to maximize profitability. He approaches every transaction and situation with compassion and looks to ensure that the outcome not only results in the desired legal outcome, but also works specifically for each client’s unique situation. Whether its forming or re-structuring an entity, working through a strategic partnership or contract deal, raising investment/debt, selling or acquiring a business, or many other transactions, Bryan always endeavors to be flexible and ensure he gets the best results possible. Bryan’s role as a civil litigator for close to twenty years further informs his deftness at navigating difficult situations and resolve issues short of litigation.

One unique puzzle Bryan loves helping solve are marital dissolutions that could affect the operation or profitability of a business or specific asset. Bryan assists professional service providers and couples who are in the midst of (or contemplating) divorce and have difficult asset division concerns or business issues that cannot be solved by the traditional buyout or divide-in-kind remedies typically utilized by family law practitioners. His business skill set alongside 17+ years as a high-conflict, family law litigator has made Bryan indispensable to family law professionals and divorcing couples needing creative, win-win solutions to challenging asset and business divisions.

Bryan speaks regularly on industry-related topics and educates operators and other professionals, including attorneys and accountants. His clients enjoy access to his deep network of professional service experts. Bryan has also extensive experience serving a variety of industries, especially the cannabis industry, where he has built a strong reputation for deep knowledge and zealous client advocacy.

Oren Bitan, Esq.
Shareholder
Buchalter

Oren Bitan has an extensive legal background that includes business, real estate, banking, receivership law, consumer product, and commercial litigation. Mr. Bitan is known for his ability to solve complex business disputes for his clients in a strong but practical manner. He is a trusted advisor who guides his clients through their day to day legal concerns, and has particular expertise in disputes involving real estate, banking and mortgage fraud, creditors’ rights, film finance, and intellectual property.

Representative clients include banks and financial institutions, state and federal receivers, private investors and investment funds, private equity groups, real property developers, apparel manufacturers, breweries, consumer products companies, and corporate entities large and small.

Mr. Bitan advises cannabis related businesses on a wide variety of topics, including disputes regarding business licenses, receivership over grow facilities and dispensaries, real property development, leasing, and financing for cannabis related businesses, and assembling teams of attorneys to provide general corporate, employment, and intellectual property advice to the industry.

Mr. Bitan is also an experienced appellate lawyer and has successfully argued numerous times before the California Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Mr. Bitan also serves as a member of the Planning Committee for the USC Real Estate Law and Business Forum, a member of the Planning Committee for the USC Intellectual Property Institute.

Prior to law school, Mr. Bitan launched H.I.Q.I. (Hit It ‘n Quit It) Media, a film distribution company specializing in documentaries. Notable films he distributed were the Radiohead documentary Meeting People Is Easy, the Academy Award winning documentary The Long Way Home, and the Oscar nominated film The Farm. Mr. Bitan has repeatedly spoken at film festivals and conferences around the world and has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Daily Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and on CNN.

Mr. Bitan has been recognized as a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2013-2017. He has an active pro-bono practice litigating immigration asylum claims, civil rights and Freedom of Information Act lawsuits, and has volunteered with the ACLU of Southern California, Bet Tzedek, and Public Counsel. Prior to joining Buchalter, Mr. Bitan was an associate with a global law firm.

Hilary Bricken, Esq.
Partner
Husch Blackwell

Hilary likes being a dealmaker: she values building collegial relationships with clients and other attorneys, and she loves helping clients create value and business opportunities. She also appreciates the in-depth strategies that transactions rely on.

Much of Hilary’s practice is devoted to mergers, acquisitions, and other transactions, as well as to serving as first point of outside counsel for certain clients. She also assists with entity formation and the drafting of various governance documents and asset portfolio management. In addition, Hilary advises clients on industry-specific regulatory compliance.

Hilary’s experience with the cannabis industry dates to 2010, when she began assisting medical cannabis providers with business questions. It was immediately clear to her that this emerging, growing industry had a massive need for corporate counsel, and she has advised cannabis clients—including many major national and international companies—ever since. Her experience includes cannabis licensing; marijuana and industrial hemp regulatory compliance; mergers and acquisitions; corporate and transactional matters, including negotiating management services agreements, fee slotting agreements, cultivation supply agreements, and intellectual property licensing agreements; receiverships; dissolution and wind downs; and financing and debt restructuring. In 2023, Hilary joined Husch Blackwell out of enthusiasm for the firm’s deep bench of innovators in the cannabis and healthcare space.

Hilary also devotes a significant portion of her practice to healthcare clients, including physicians, physician groups, and medical services organizations, and she represents clients regarding the off-label application of controlled substances.

Michael S. Chernis, Esq.
Partner
Chernis Law Group

Michael Chernis is one of California’s premier experts on marijuana legal issues whether it’s criminal, civil, federal, or business related. His law firm, Chernis Law Group P.C. in Santa Monica California, serves the varied needs of collectives, dispensaries, deliveries, cultivators, manufacturers and other medical cannabis clients, including a number of leading cannabis brands.  His experience as a federal criminal defense attorney gives him a unique perspective on federal enforcement issues as they pertain to the cannabis industry.  As Policy Director of the Los Angeles Cannabis Task Force, he has been at the forefront of driving ballot issues and working with lawmakers to enact changes in the law that will benefit existing and prospective stakeholders.

Ariel Clark, Esq.
Partner
Clark Howell LLP

 Ariel Clark is a progressive pioneer and business lawyer leading the new generation of the cannabis industry. Simultaneously shrewd, inspiring, and engaging, Ariel advises cannabis business owners and entrepreneurs nationwide, and enjoys an excellent reputation as a fierce advocate who applies the conservative approach necessary to protect and advance her clients’ interests.

Since 2008, Ariel has specialized in the cannabis industry and successfully has guided her clients through the complex and ever-changing rules, laws, and regulations governing the medical and adult-use marijuana industry. Her clients value her extensive industry experience, contagious spirit, and no nonsense approach, buoyed by the confidence that they are getting the best advice available.

Through her many years navigating California’s volatile and unregulated market, she has significantly shaped the legal contours of its evolving cannabis market.  In other jurisdictions, she has provided key assistance in directing legislation.  In Nevada, Ariel worked for three years to provide invaluable advice and consultation to local and state government officials and political activists in drafting SB374 and its related regulations.  Her clients include licensed dispensaries, growers and manufacturers in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Illinois, and Michigan.

Ariel earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  She is an active member of California State Bar, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, National and California NORML Legal Committees, National Cannabis Industry Association, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the National Lawyers Guild.  She serves on the board of Wellness Education Cannabis Advocates of Nevada.

Prior to founding Clark Howell LLP, Ariel captained her own solo firm for six years, which she started after practicing Indian law with California Indian Legal Services in their Oakland, Santa Rosa and Eureka Offices.  Her Indian law experience, as well as personal background, proves invaluable to the Indian nations and Indian-owned cannabis businesses the firm now represents.

Ariel and the firm are active in the political efforts to legalize adult-use marijuana and adopt medical marijuana regulations in California and advocate for national drug policy reform.

Ryan Fingerhut, Esq.
Director of Licensing, Permitting and Compliance
Highroad Consulting Group

Ryan Fingerhut is an attorney, business manager and consultant who has devoted himself full time to the regulated cannabis industry since it first began in 2014. Ryan first entered the cannabis space in Seattle, WA by helping to manage and verify compliance for Washington’s most successful chain of naturopathic clinics, The Hope Clinics. From there, Ryan progressed into the Compliance Officer and In-House Council for The G Car Companies, LLC, a cannabis holding and management company with oversite for several large-scale cannabis cultivation, processing and distribution businesses in Central Washington. Through his role with the G Car Companies, Ryan personally managed the daily operations of a one of Washington’s largest cannabis cultivation facilities, working on the ground to turn a bankrupt cannabis farm into a profitable venture.

Outside of his personal experience managing the compliance and operations of cannabis facilities, Ryan has also worked as a licensing and compliance consultant with multiple outside companies. Ryan has a 100% track record in licensing and compliance, with over 40 local and State cannabis licenses won in 4 different states and with a perfect compliance track record for all businesses whose compliance regiments Ryan actively oversaw. Having participated directly in the management of several cannabis businesses, Ryan brings his expertise in cannabis regulation and couples it with good business sense, creating what he calls “Value Added Compliance”. Not content to simply get his clients licensed or keep them from receiving fines and suspensions, Ryan is constantly looking for ways to meet compliance needs while lowering overhead and finding ways to ensure compliance has a minimal impact on productivity. 

Ryan holds a J.D. from Florida State University’s College of Law, as well as bachelor’s degrees in Criminology, Writing and a minor in business.

Jonathan Havens, Esq.
Partner
Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP

Jonathan Havens is co-chair of the Cannabis Law Practice at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP.  He also serves as vice chair of the firm’s Food and Beverage Practice and is a member of the firm’s Life Sciences Practice.  Jonathan’s unique perspective on cannabis regulation is informed by his congressional, federal agency, and national and international law firm experience.

He counsels state cannabis license applicants and awardees, ancillary service and product providers, investors, management companies, and various other entities that are affected by federal and state marijuana laws, such as long-term care facilities and higher education institutions.

Before entering private practice, Jonathan served as a regulatory counsel with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where he focused on compliance and enforcement related to promotion, advertising, and labeling.  Prior to law school, Jonathan held legislative and government affairs positions in which he managed several areas of policy and drafted legislative proposals, and facilitated the development and execution of strategic communications to members of Congress and their staff aides.

Iran Hopkins, Esq.
Partner
Akerman LLP

Irán Hopkins is a Partner at Akerman, where she advises clients across a range of industries in all aspects of real estate and business transactions and day-to-day operations, including structuring ownership and joint ventures, equity investments, capital structure and debt financing, M&A transactions, commercial contracts, service and use agreements, purchase and sale of real estate, commercial and residential leasing, development, property management, insurance and business succession planning, disputes and risk management, branding, licensing, intellectual property rights.

Ms. Hopkins is an expert in California cannabis, working with landlords, tenants, lenders, legacy operators, new operators, investors, and other stakeholders in the cannabis industry in all aspects of real estate transactions, business operations, getting products to market, and regulatory compliance with California law on a local, county and state level. 

Todd Kleperis
CEO
HARDCAR

Todd is an accomplished serial entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in both the US and Asia Pacific markets.

Having grown one startup from Asia, bringing millions of dollars of product into the US, only proves his ability to bring great ideas to fruition.  Globally he has built sales channels in every country in Asia, Africa and EMEA. Domestically he has been able to quickly acquire clients like Google, Diebold, Securitas, Boon Edam, as well as many others. Prior to joining HARDCAR, Todd was the EVP of Sales for Broadband Discovery Systems where he was able to open a number of countries internationally and was awarded the Popular Science “Best of What’s New” Award for 2016.

All of Todd’s past roles have given him the ability and afforded him the time to now establish the premier next generation security firm with armored transport security service, HARDCAR Security. His technology development background enables him the ability to build a solution from a napkin or blueprint. Todd has military background and is a veteran of the US Army. He serves on numerous advisory boards for firms in Asia and has a strong interest in helping young entrepreneurs make a solid impact and achieve their goals.

He has been featured on ‘WSJ’, ‘The NY Times’ and other publications both here in the US and abroad.

Todd holds a degree in entrepreneurial studies and marketing from Babson College.

Eduard Linetskiy
Founder
CCBC Group Inc.

Eduard Linetskiy is currently operating as a cannabis compliance and business consultant and is the Founder of CCBC, LLC. Prior to venturing out as a consultant, Eduard was responsible for ensuring MedMen national operations and assets remained in compliance with applicable state and local cannabis regulations. He oversaw all Compliance functions, which included auditing, operational support, and surveillance. 

Prior to joining MedMen, he was the Compliance Director for Los Angeles-based global investment bank Houlihan Lokey, which is a world-leading advisor in mergers, acquisitions, transactions and restructuring. He also worked at MetLife, one of the largest global insurance providers and a was a FINOP examiner for the New York Stock Exchange. 

Eduard brings class-leading compliance expertise and unprecedented skills to the fast changing and fast-growing cannabis industry.

Sean Matsler, Esq.

Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP

Sean Matsler is a land use partner in the firm’s Orange County office. His practice focuses on securing entitlements for controversial and complex real estate development projects.

Sean also represents developers and property owners secure local entitlements for cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, retail storefront and other facilities.

Sean advises clients on compliance with the myriad local, state and federal laws and regulations that govern the development of real property, including local planning and zoning regulations, the California Coastal Act and the California Environmental Quality Act. Sean guides his clients through the entitlement process, from site selection to project approval, and regularly appears before both state and local administrative bodies to secure approvals on behalf of clients. Sean also represents developers and property owners in securing local entitlements for cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, retail storefront and other facilities.

Jennifer Mizrahi, Esq.
City Attorney, Desert Hot Springs
Law Offices of Quintanilla & Associates

Jennifer Mizrahi currently serves as the City Attorney for the City of Desert Hot Springs, Deputy City Attorney for the City of Rancho Mirage and Deputy Counsel for several of the firm’s public agency clients. Ms. Mizrahi joined Quintanilla &Associates in 2015, after working with Mr. Quintanilla for over nine years at the firm of Green, de Bortnowsky & Quintanilla (“GdQ”), where she served as Assistant City Attorney the firm’s public agency clients including the City of Cathedral City and the City of Victorville.  Prior to GdQ, Ms. Mizrahi worked at Beltran & Medina where she served as Deputy City Attorney for the City of Lynwood, and Deputy General Counsel for the Water Replenishment District.

During the course of representing public entities for over 15 years, Ms. Mizrahi has acquired extensive experience in many facets of municipal law including land use and planning, infrastructure and public works, and environmental regulation and compliance.  With respect to the cannabis field, Ms. Mizrahi has represented the City of Desert Hot Springs from stem to stern in the cannabis arena – from working with elected officials to solidify their ideas to allow cannabis activity in their city, to creating a highly regulated and developer-friendly space where the cannabis industry can flourish. The City of Desert Hot Springs has received national and international recognition as being welcoming to those in the industry.  To that end, Ms. Mizrahi has been and currently is in charge of drafting all City documents regulating the cannabis industry from ordinances and regulations, to development agreements and procedures.  Ms. Mizrahi also has had the distinct pleasure of working with key players at the State level in aiding to draft State cannabis regulations.  Further, Ms. Mizrahi has been instrumental in working with several public agencies, including CalFire and water districts, to effectively develop a comprehensive inter-agency regulatory structure within the County of Riverside. Most importantly, Ms. Mizrahi oversees the implementation of the City Council’s zero-tolerance stance on non-compliant cannabis activity, from conducting permit revocation procedures to general code enforcement.

Ms. Mizrahi was admitted to the State Bar of California in January 2003.   Ms. Mizrahi received her Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin American Studies/Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she graduated with honors.  Ms. Mizrahi also attended the University of Madrid, Complutense, where she studied international political economy.  Ms. Mizrahi is currently a member of the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Desert Bar Association and the Southwestern Alumni Association.  Ms. Mizrahi is admitted to practice before all courts of the State of California, the United States District Court, District 7, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and she is fluent in speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish.

Richard Ormond, Esq.
Shareholder
Buchalter

With an extensive background that includes business, real estate, banking, receivership law, commercial litigation, and work-out experience, Richard Ormond is known for his ability to solve complex business issues for his clients. He has particular experience with matters involving Preferred Equity Structures, Bridge Lending, CMBS, and other debt facilities. As a trusted advisor, Mr. Ormond also guides his clients through their day-to-day legal concerns and considerations. Mr. Ormond co-chairs the firm’s Receivership Law industry group. Mr. Ormond also focuses his practice on the complexities of the cannabis industry’s legal impact on lenders, real estate, and businesses.

Representative clients include financial institutions, state and federal receivers, loan servicers, CUSO’s, private investors and investment funds, private equity groups, developers, and high-net worth families (and family offices).

Mr. Ormond has tried cases before the Los Angeles Superior Court, the United States District Court, Central District of California, and the Bankruptcy Court of the United States District Court, and he has arbitrated before JAMS, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and the American Arbitration Association.

He also serves as the current Chair of the California Receivers Forum and he is the former Chair of the Remedies Division of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. He teaches Continuing Legal Education courses on high-yield debt issues, cannabis business law, receivership law and practice, dispute resolution, intellectual property issues, considerations for complex litigation and lender security in intellectual property.

Mr. Ormond was recognized as one of L.A.’s Top 100 Lawyers by the Los Angeles Business Journal. He has been repeatedly recognized by Super Lawyer Magazine as either a Super Lawyer Rising Star or a Super Lawyer.

Richard Rosenberg, Esq.
Partner
Ballard Rosenberg Golper & Savitt, LLP

Richard began his career as a workplace lawyer in 1977 after obtaining degrees from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations and the Santa Clara University law school. Richard has spent his entire career assisting management defend and risk manage workplace related legal matters and proposed personnel transactions.

His experience in the trenches enables Richard to provide management with a clear-eyed assessment and strategic options. Richard’s style is one which motivates his clients and adversaries to work cooperatively to find creative solutions to the toughest workplace challenges.

His reputation as a formidable opponent and labor law strategist who is both fair and trustworthy has resulted in peers naming him to the list of Southern California Super Lawyers every year since the inception of that honor and a listing in Best Lawyers in America since 2009.

Recognized as one of the state’s leading experts of workplace law, Richard has lectured extensively for bar associations, trade organizations and management groups throughout the United States and has delivered his proprietary workplace law compliance training and dispute prevention seminars to thousands of lawyers, human resources professionals, business executives and management personnel.

Richard has also published over 75 articles and legal commentaries in numerous trade publications and legal journals and is the creator and principal author of the firm’s widely read e-bulletin Compliance Matters.

David Schnider, Esq.
Partner
Nolan Heimann LLP

 David is a lawyer and business executive with over 15 years of experience specializing in intellectual property, licensing, and contract negotiations. With a proven track record of developing creative and pragmatic solutions that align business needs with legal and regulatory requirements, he helps his clients protect and monetize their copyrights and trademarks and efficiently resolve day-to-day legal issues. David has filed over 300 trademark registrations in the U.S. and overseas and has negotiated and drafted hundreds of business agreements with service providers, manufacturers, distributors, vendors, and other business partners.

David’s clients include, among others, software developers, consumer products companies, creative artists, fashion designers, and manufacturers. Recognizing the increasing need for companies in the cannabis industry to protect their brands, David has worked with growers, distributors, and service providers to understand the complicated federal and state registration system and to obtain registrations for their trademarks. David has also helped Amazon sellers through the complicated process of protecting their trademarks on the Amazon marketplace and successfully gating their brand from unauthorized sellers. In addition to legal work, David understands the nuances of business development and strategy, having developed a multi-million-dollar licensed apparel division from scratch.

David spent the first 10 years of his career at Sedgwick LLP before resigning his partnership to join a 0 million-a-year apparel company as General Counsel. In that role, he managed the company’s global intellectual property portfolio, combated counterfeiting and discounters, negotiated and drafted leases, software service agreements, and other contracts, and advised on employment issues, while also working with the executive team to plan and implement the company’s strategy. David is a passionate soccer fan and L.A. Galaxy supporter. In fact, he is the Regional Commissioner for Region 58 of the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) in the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park. He is also the former Chair of the Editorial Board of Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine.

Dante Tosetti
Banker

Dante Tosetti is a regulatory compliance and risk management consultant to financial institutions. He has over twenty years of risk management experience within private equity, the Federal Reserve and commercial banking. Dante has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, American Banker, Fortune, Geekwire, Reuters PE Hub, and Credit Union Management Magazine for his expert analysis on banking the nascent cannabis industry in a safe and sound manner. He has presented his views on banking marijuana related business at the Power of Collaboration Global Summit at the United Nations in New York and Innovation Project at Harvard University in Cambridge. He also presented at the Cannabis Banking Working Group convened by California State Treasurer John Chiang, the California Bankers Association’s Directors Conference and Bank Counsel Seminar, and the Trigild Fall Conference.

Dante is currently a Regulatory Liaison for a bank which was under a BSA related public enforcement action. Dante was formally recognized as “instrumental” to the bank’s successful release from the public enforcement action. Dante is also consulting for the City of Oakland, City of Berkeley, City of Richmond, and County of Alameda’s feasibility study for a public bank initiative. He consulted to a lobby group pursuing marijuana related banking legislation in the State of Colorado. He has been a regulatory advisor to a marijuana related Fintech startup. He was an invited guest to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s cannabis affinity group to discuss marijuana banking policy.

Prior to his independent practice, Dante was the Director of Treasury Compliance with Privateer Holdings, Inc. a global private equity firm shaping the future of the legal cannabis industry. As Director, he oversaw the firm’s compliance with laws and regulations, the Department of Justice Cole Memorandum and corresponding FinCEN guidance. He fostered and established first of its kind relationships with banks, credit unions, insurance providers and merchant service providers in the United States, Canada and the EU. Prior to Privateer, Dante was a Bank Examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco where he led and supported safety and soundness examinations of community, regional, and large banks throughout the nine western states. He was responsible for the evaluation of a bank’s financial condition and operating performance, including capital, asset quality, earnings, liquidity and sensitivity to market risk, assessment of management performance and the effectiveness of risk management practices and control environment, including internal audit, accounting, and credit review. Other roles included review of the investment portfolio, CRE concentrations, and BSA/AML compliance. He received his credentials from the Federal Reserve Board of Governors as a commissioned Bank Examiner. Prior to the Fed, Dante was a commercial banker with credit related responsibilities including underwriting, elationship management, portfolio management, and distressed debt.

Dante earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego and is a graduate from the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. He resides in Northern California.

Scott A Watkins, MBA MPP
Associate Planner – Cannabis Division
Trinity County Planning Department

Scott Watkins specializes in community planning at the intersection of environmental sustainability and behavioral economics. In doing so, Scott often views land use and development issues from the ground up, taking time to consider the human-scale interactions of space and place. His projects range from developing digital tools to fabricating public art.

A licensed California General Contractor, an accredited New Urbanist (CNUa) and LEED-ND professional, Scott holds a Bachelor of applied Arts and Science (BAS) in Public Administration, with an emphasis in City Planning, from San Diego State University and a Masters in Public Policy (MPP) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Mills College.

Scott is a resourceful, mid-career professional with broad technical knowledge of healthy, sustainable urban design and land use policy. As a skilled policy translator, he often helps community members understand the impact policy has on their everyday life and their local economy. Scott has knowledge of the Living Building Challenge, EcoDistricts, and the LEED-ND rating system. In his spare time, Scott serves as a consultant to business start-ups and those looking to expand their market share. He excels in finding new revenue streams, reducing costs and in finding creative strategic partnerships.

dress wedding
Co-Founder
Harborside

Harborside’s free Holistic Healing Center was developed by co-founder dress wedding (aka dress). dress has spent much of his adult life as an activist for peace and justice; working with non-hierarchical groups on direct action projects to stop war and injustice, and bring more equality and balance to the lives of poor and oppressed peoples.

The extraordinary level of patient care at Harborside is another manifestation of dress’ deep sense of compassion, and commitment to helping those most in need.

David Wensley, Esq.
Partner
Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP

David works with a broad array of clients across the full spectrum of the real estate industry, including the representation of office, industrial, and retail developers, owners and investors, corporate tenant users, lenders, institutional investors and borrowers, and real estate industry consultants, including property management companies, brokers, environmental consultants, architects, engineers, and contractors. He brings more than 26 years of experience in commercial real estate to his practice and is adept at negotiating, documenting, and closing all manner of commercial real estate transactions including land acquisition and disposition purchase and sale transactions, leases, joint ventures, commercial loans for borrowers and lenders, and all types of ancillary transactions related to the acquisition, development, construction, ownership, finance, management and disposition of office, industrial, retail, mixed-use, and multi-family residential projects. David also routinely counsels clients on partnership, joint venture and entity selection, formation and operation issues, mixed-use project design and development, and environmental issues, including environmental due diligence, site assessments and remediation, asbestos abatement and removal, underground tank removal, confidentiality and duty to disclose issues, and water and air quality compliance matters.

For the past many years, David and his team of partners, associates, and lease administrator paralegals have routinely handled in excess of 5 million square feet each year of sophisticated, high-rise office, industrial, and retail lease transactions. From small multi-tenant industrial, small office and shop space retail transactions, to ground leases, major anchor retail, corporate office headquarters and campus facilities, entertainment centers, theater and health club transactions, to 1,000,000 plus square foot warehouse, logistics and distribution deals, David’s commercial development and leasing practice has virtually no limits. 

His team’s lease materials (for office, industrial, and retail projects) are in use for more than 40 million square feet of office, industrial, and retail space throughout California and the west coast, from Seattle to Denver to Las Vegas and Phoenix. He also represents national retail clients and corporate clients, having completed acquisition and leasing transactions across the country in Florida, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, and other states, with assistance from local counsel as needed.  

David’s breadth of experience on both the borrower and lender side, the landlord and tenant side, the landowner and developer side, as well as his work with numerous cities, counties, and governmental agencies, gives him perspective from every angle of virtually every type of real estate transaction and has made him the consummate "deal maker" among real estate counsel based out of California.

Fees

CD INVENTORY CLOSE OUT SALE! 

SELECT CDS REDUCED – 60-94% OFF* 

Full Program Audio Recording and Materials Package:

Audio Recording and Materials Package – Download: $725

Audio Recording and Materials Package – CD: $725 $200

For audio CDs: please add $10 shipping and, in CA, sales tax.

If purchasing 2 or more CDs: please add $10 shipping and, in CA, sales tax.

Partial Audio Recording and Materials Package – CD or Download:

• Day One Audio Recording $425
• Day Two Audio Recording $425

For audio CDs, please add $10 shipping and, in CA, sales tax.

Handout Materials – CD or Download:

• Handout Materials Only $100

For handout CDs only, please add $10 shipping and, in CA, sales tax.

CLE Credit

California:

Both Days/Full Program: This entire program is approved for 12.5 units of general CLE in California.

• Day 1: The day one session of this program is approved for 6.5 units.
• Day 2: The day two session of this program is approved for 6.0 units.

New Jersey & New York:

NJ General and NY General CLE: The LIVE session of this course is approved, under New Jersey & New York’s Approved Jurisdiction policy, for:

Both Days/Full Program: The full, two-day LIVE program is approved for 12.5 units of general CLE in New York & New Jersey.

Day 1: The LIVE day one session of this program is approved for 6.5 units of general CLE in New York & New Jersey.

Day 2: The LIVE day two session of this program is approved for 6.0 units of general CLE in New York & New Jersey.

Pincus Professional Education is a CA Accredited Provider, which is an approved jurisdiction in NJ and NY. See the New Jersey State CLE Board Regulations and Guidelines for further information or Section 6 of the New York State CLE Board Regulations and Guidelines.

This program is approved for CLE in the states listed above.  Upon request, Pincus Pro Ed will provide any information an attorney needs to support their application for CLE approval in other states other than what is listed above.

Terms and Policies

Seminar Cancellations: Should you be unable to attend for any reason, please inform us in writing no later than 14 days prior to the event and a credit voucher will be issued. If you prefer, a refund, less a $50 non-refundable deposit, will be issued. No refunds or credits will be given for cancellations received within 14 days of an event. However, if you notify us within 14 days of an event, and wish to convert your in-person attendance registration to an Audio CD package (with handout), we can do so. A small additional shipping charge, and sales tax in CA, will be incurred. No shipping charge is incurred for downloads. We will also issue a voucher for the amount paid if you notify us within 14 days and prefer not to have the audio recording.

Substitutions may be made at any time.

Downloads/CDs/DVDs – Refund policy:

Downloads are non-returnable/non-refundable once purchased and received. Tapes, CDs and DVDs are returnable for a full refund or replacement if defective, within 90 days of purchase.