Business Law – Formation 201 - Drafting for cannabis business entities

Stephan Ferris Related Seminars and Products

Law Office of Stephan F. Ferris

Stephan Ferris is the founder of the Law Office of Stephan F. Ferris, a cannabis, business, and queer entertainment focused law practice with a primary residence in San Francisco. He is part of an emerging generation of openly queer and sexually progressive activist attorneys who see the law as an opportunity to make social, civic, and cultural change. Stephan serves on the board of directors of Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (“BALIF”) and on the Continuing Legal Education committee of the International Cannabis Bar Association.
 

Sahar Ayinehsazian Related Seminars and Products

Vicente LLP

Sahar Ayinehsazian is an attorney in Vicente Sederberg's Los Angeles office, where she focuses on cannabis banking, corporate transactions, and regulations. With her specialized knowledge, Sahar helped to establish and currently co-chairs Vicente Sederberg's Banking and Financial Services Department. As a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Banking Access Committee, Sahar also works on strategy and educational advocacy to enable state-licensed businesses to obtain accounts at depository institutions.

Prior to joining Vicente Sederberg, Sahar served as the director of regulatory and governmental affairs at a multi-state money transmitter servicing the cannabis industry, where she developed a comprehensive understanding of credit card flow, banking and cannabis compliance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from the University of California, San Diego and a law degree from Loyola Law School, where she was a Loyola Scholar.

Mitzi Vaughn Related Seminars and Products

Shareholder

Karr Tuttle Campbell

Mitzi Vaughn is a shareholder at Karr Tuttle Campbell in Seattle, Washington. She is an internationally recognized attorney who has spent more than a decade representing cannabis and hemp clients in complex corporate transactions and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, national and international expansion, and governance. Mitzi was a founding board member of the International Cannabis Bar Association and currently sits on its advisory board.

Mitzi has spoken in Zurich, in the Irish Parliament (Oireachtas), and before the Hawai'i Legislature; she consulted with the Jamaican Cannabis Licensing Authority prior to their medical rollout. She has negotiated and drafted Washington State cannabis laws, regulations, and policies, has served as General Counsel to The Cannabis Alliance (WA) for nearly a decade. Mitzi is also a Board Member for the Drug Reform Coordination Network, an international drug policy organization which has consultative status at the United Nations. 

Mitzi was awarded a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, studied international human rights at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, and earned a B.A. in History, magna cum laude, from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Ati P. Khatri Related Seminars and Products

Counsel

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP

Ati Khatri focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, financial transactions, and general counsel matters, working very closely with founders and investors alike. He assists privately-held companies, technology firms, banks, lenders, executives, investors, and investor groups in all areas of transactional, business planning, and general corporate matters. Ati is involved in the entire life cycle of a company, from inception to exit, and he prides himself on being the first phone call that his clients make for nearly all general corporate matters.

Having facilitated commercial loan transactions ranging from $1 million to $350 million, Ati has a depth of experience providing lender-side and borrower-side loan documentation for financial institutions and middle market businesses.

In addition to traditional corporate financial transactions, Ati has a strong practice leading specialty finance transactions including equipment leasing, warranty finance, insurance premium finance, and other such specialty disciplines.

Ati also focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, representing clients in numerous industries in transactions ranging from $1 million to $375 million. His finance background makes him uniquely qualified as a “one-stop shop” for merger and acquisition needs, overseeing both the purchase transaction logistics, as well as the senior and mezzanine debt financing necessary to bring the transaction to a smooth closing.

Prior to joining the firm, Ati was a partner in the Business and Finance Group at HMB Legal Counsel, a well-established, corporate-focused law firm based in Chicago, Illinois. He was also a leader in its Debt Finance and Banking practice and led its ETA/Search Fund efforts.