Continuing its steady expansion and focus on the cannabis market, Greenspoon Marder has opened an office in Phoenix.

The firm's co-managing director, Gerald Greenspoon, said the new office fits well into the firm's strategy, in which it hires lawyers with experience in cannabis-related work in a particular state and from there builds out other compatible practices, such as real estate and corporate work.

The Phoenix office, which opened earlier this month, is being led by corporate and business law shareholder Stephen Lenn, who together with associate Jeremy Jarrett, will work on complex mergers and acquisitions and capital market transaction practices in the state and across the western United States. Both lawyers previously worked for Arizona-based Sacks Tierney.

Lenn has been concentrating his practice almost exclusively on cannabis-related corporate type transactions, Greenspoon said. He has more than 40 years of legal, commercial and investment banking experience in connection with capital formation for start-ups and emerging and middle market businesses. His experience also includes debt finance transactions, loan workouts and other resolutions of distressed businesses and real estate transactions.

Jarrett focuses on corporate transactional matters, including M&A financings, and other corporate and securities issues. He has represented corporate clients and emerging companies in acquisitions, equity investments and recapitalization.

Greenspoon said because cannabis laws are very state specific, the firm typically seeks attorneys with experience in the industry to work with others with similar experience in other jurisdictions, so as to enable corporate mergers within the industry and across state lines.

“We've been trying to cover every state out west as the western states are leading the pack in this industry,” Greenspoon said. “Our clients who already have expertise in this industry and are operating in one jurisdiction are looking to expand their businesses to other jurisdictions in the form of corporate mergers and acquisitions. It has increased rapidly over the last couple of years.”

Greenspoon Marder has experienced explosive growth in the last few years—largely due to its cannabis specialization and the increase in the number of states passing laws related to the use of medical and recreational marijuana.

Arizona voters rejected recreational marijuana earlier this year, but the use of medical marijuana has been legal there for years.

Greenspoon said he does not expect the cannabis industry to expand rapidly in Arizona unless the drug is legalized for recreational use. However, he said he does expect to add lawyers to the Phoneix office in the near future.

Continuing its steady expansion and focus on the cannabis market, Greenspoon Marder has opened an office in Phoenix.

The firm's co-managing director, Gerald Greenspoon, said the new office fits well into the firm's strategy, in which it hires lawyers with experience in cannabis-related work in a particular state and from there builds out other compatible practices, such as real estate and corporate work.

The Phoenix office, which opened earlier this month, is being led by corporate and business law shareholder Stephen Lenn, who together with associate Jeremy Jarrett, will work on complex mergers and acquisitions and capital market transaction practices in the state and across the western United States. Both lawyers previously worked for Arizona-based Sacks Tierney.

Lenn has been concentrating his practice almost exclusively on cannabis-related corporate type transactions, Greenspoon said. He has more than 40 years of legal, commercial and investment banking experience in connection with capital formation for start-ups and emerging and middle market businesses. His experience also includes debt finance transactions, loan workouts and other resolutions of distressed businesses and real estate transactions.

Jarrett focuses on corporate transactional matters, including M&A financings, and other corporate and securities issues. He has represented corporate clients and emerging companies in acquisitions, equity investments and recapitalization.

Greenspoon said because cannabis laws are very state specific, the firm typically seeks attorneys with experience in the industry to work with others with similar experience in other jurisdictions, so as to enable corporate mergers within the industry and across state lines.

“We've been trying to cover every state out west as the western states are leading the pack in this industry,” Greenspoon said. “Our clients who already have expertise in this industry and are operating in one jurisdiction are looking to expand their businesses to other jurisdictions in the form of corporate mergers and acquisitions. It has increased rapidly over the last couple of years.”

Greenspoon Marder has experienced explosive growth in the last few years—largely due to its cannabis specialization and the increase in the number of states passing laws related to the use of medical and recreational marijuana.

Arizona voters rejected recreational marijuana earlier this year, but the use of medical marijuana has been legal there for years.

Greenspoon said he does not expect the cannabis industry to expand rapidly in Arizona unless the drug is legalized for recreational use. However, he said he does expect to add lawyers to the Phoneix office in the near future.