Cannabis Consulting Company Names Second General Counsel
A Colorado-based cannabis consulting company announced it has found a new general counsel as the previous one leaves to pursue other opportunities in the cannabis space.
April 08, 2019 at 03:19 PM
3 minute read
Jean Smith Gonnell, general counsel of STWC Holdings Inc.
A Lakewood, Colorado-based cannabis consulting company has named an experienced attorney in the cannabis space as its new general counsel.
Jean Smith Gonnell was named general counsel of STWC Holdings Inc. on April 3. She began working at the company in the beginning of April. In her role, she oversees all legal, regulatory compliance, merger and acquisitions, government relations and lobbying efforts for STWC.
Gonnell said she was excited to join the company and use her experience to help the company grow. She said she is the only attorney working in-house in the company for now though she hopes to be able to grow the legal department and use it as a means to help grow the company.
"I'm hoping [the legal department] can grow with the company rather than grow as a litigation role," Gonnell said.
The company's CEO, Erin Phillips, said in the press release that Gonnell has extensive experience in the cannabis industry.
"Her expertise in all areas of cannabis law are a perfect match for STWC Holdings' diverse business and growth agenda as we intensify our focus on multimillion-dollar opportunities across the nation," Phillips said in the press release.
Gonnell has been a sole practitioner in cannabis law since March 2018, according to her LinkedIn profile. She has also worked as an attorney at Feldmann Nagel Cantafio Margulis Gonnell; Messner Reeves; and Hoban Law Group. She graduated from the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law in 2011.
Gonnell replaces Jay Kotzker, who resigned as general counsel in March. Kotzker became general counsel of STWC in 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile, and he is the sole attorney and owner of The Kotzker Law Group.
"I left to pursue new opportunities in the cannabis space here in Colorado and to focus on my IP legal services in the industry," Kotzker said in an email to Corporate Counsel. "Given the increase in national attention and the growing practice of licensing cannabis brands and other industry-specific IP into new, emerging cannabis states, my unique expertise has been in high demand."
The cannabis industry has grown in the past year and legal departments for companies selling the product are beginning to blossom. There are now 33 states that allow the sale and use of medical or recreational marijuana.
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