Laura is one of the nation’s foremost experts in cannabis law, business, compliance, and operations. Having begun her work in the discipline with the 2010 passage of Arizona’s medical marijuana law, she was among the first business/corporate transaction attorneys in the country to specialize in the nascent legal cannabis market and has represented clients in more than $150 million in transactions in the industry.

Laura’s extensive knowledge, experience and expertise allow her to provide advice and guidance to her clients at every stage of development, from applications and startup, through operations, to expansion and exit. Having worked closely with more than a dozen different states to develop various cannabis programs and rule-making processes, she is deeply familiar with all aspects of the regulatory, compliance and licensing processes. Laura provides strategic guidance to her individual, private and public company clients in numerous areas, including complex transactions, joint ventures and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, operations, due diligence, expansion, licensing, employment, regulatory and compliance matters. Her meticulous attention to detail and holistic, top-down approach to client relations has led to significant successes on both a national and international level.

As a passionate and powerful advocate for the development of a professional and responsible cannabis industry, Laura was honored in “Top 100 Attorneys in Arizona” by AZ BIG Media and “Women Leaders of the Cannabis Industry” by Authority Magazine. She has been featured as a cannabis expert in numerous media outlets across the country, including O Magazine, Forbes, Bloomberg, Marijuana Business Daily, Marijuana Venture, Cannabis Industry Journal, mg Magazine, DOPE Magazine, Benzinga, Green Entrepreneur, Arizona Attorney Magazine, Denver Post, Arizona Republic, Arizona Business Magazine, Phoenix Business Journal and numerous other industry and traditional media sources.

Outside of work, Laura enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her sweet and extra spicy Yorkie, Romeo. She is a staunch animal rights advocate and has a passion for traveling, Latin music and dancing, and mixed martial arts. Laura is happiest with her toes in the sand on the beach.

We started KW Law to create a platform from which we can address client’s needs with fewer of the constraints imposed by a traditional law firm. 

I am a scientist and an attorney. I have spent a decade at the bench as a research scientist and almost another decade as an attorney. As a patent attorney, I approach my clients’ technical innovations critically, thinking in terms of experimental design to demonstrate the validity of an invention, while also integrating legal strategies to articulate and protect that invention. 

Patent counseling is only a small part of the work I do for my clients. KW works best when we are intellectually invested in our clients’ businesses and understand their overall business objectives. The more we understand, the better we can tailor our advice to helping them achieve those objectives, whether through patent portfolio development, branding and trademark protection, making introductions, negotiating strategic partnerships, or initiating enforcement actions

KW was born to solve problems in how traditional law firms provide services to clients, and customized problem solving is at the core of our firm. We continuously strive to synthesize all of our expertise to identify effective solutions for our client’s business needs.

Prior to starting KW, I worked for a large firm, where my practice included patent procurement, strategic analysis and counseling services for companies developing medical devices, diagnostic and therapeutic solutions, and next-generation sequencing technology, among other technology areas. I also built an IP practice at a smaller, full-service boutique firm, before ultimately joining a few former colleagues in building a different kind of law firm focused on personal relationships with clients to better understand their goals.

I work with clients across a variety of industries, including hemp and cannabis, the boundaries of which are increasingly blurring with those of traditional ag, biotech, pharma, and other mainstream industry sectors.

Working with dynamic clients requires a dynamic legal team and I’m proud be part of such an organization.

Alicia Ashcraft is the managing partner of Ashcraft & Barr LLP. A skilled transactional, corporate and administrative law attorney, her practice encompasses complex commercial transactions, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance matters. With more than 20 years of experience representing clients in highly regulated industries such as cannabis and hemp, gaming, liquor and transportation services, Alicia advises businesses through all phases of operation – from startups, through financing, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, land use and licensing. Since 2013, Alicia has focused her practice on counseling marijuana and hemp businesses through the regulatory process and emerging legal issues. This includes all phases of the application and operation process.