The enlightened lawyer at the cutting edge – IR Member Spotlight

“The whole industry is trying to move into the daylight which is something that doesn’t happen very often and raises a number of interesting challenges.”

The drug in question is cannabis; due to be legalised in California in 2018 but illegal under federal law. Cannabis business is predicted by the Californian State Treasury to be worth well in excess of USD1 billion in tax revenue. John and his partners have decided to move into the sector to take advantage of the myriad business opportunities already generated by the law change.

The firm recently held a cannabis business seminar attended by more than 100 people, attracting speakers from the upper echelons of the Californian legislature and business community.

John says: “You have a law in its infancy, but a product and market place that has fully matured except it exists out of sight. The whole industry is trying to move into the daylight which is something that doesn’t happen very often and raises a number of interesting challenges, as well as opportunities.”

He says: “We have created what many people call the most prestigious firm in this area of Northern California and I feel good about that. We have collected some very bright lawyers here, a good number of whom have been designated as Super Lawyers, meaning they are in the top 5 per cent in the country by peer review.”

To view John’s spotlight in full, click here.