Cannabis Labor Issues: Labor Peace Agreements and Beyond

Zachary Kobrin Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Saul Ewing LLP

A regulatory and transactional lawyer by background, Zack Kobrin is a nationally recognized leader in cannabis law. Having previously served as the Vice President and General Counsel for one of the largest cannabis companies in the U.S. and as the General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for a publicly traded, multi-state cannabis company, Zack’s practice focuses on cannabis, marijuana, and hemp law. In his prior capacity, Zack was responsible for all corporate and regulatory legal matters, including transactional, banking, and insurance matters; as well as ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local government regulations. Zack was also a key member of the team that helped take his former company public on the Canadian Securities Exchange.

Zack’s practice involves advising clients on the evolving, complex legal and business issues impacting companies with interests in this heavily regulated industry, including all manner of corporate, real estate, and regulatory legal issues. He speaks frequently at business, legal, and industry events and advises a number of entities on areas such as business development and formation, as well as legal and regulatory and compliance issues in the emerging growth cannabis, marijuana, and hemp industries throughout the United States and international markets. Zack also advises clients on developing federal and state public policy matters and banking and insurance issues impacting clients in the cannabis, marijuana, and hemp industries.

In addition to his work in the cannabis industry, Zack’s practice focuses on antitrust, where he advises clients on the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) review and filing process required to obtain federal antitrust approval for certain mergers and acquisitions. Zack works with clients on HSR reportability and transaction structure issues to ensure compliance with federal antitrust regulatory requirements.

Carolyn Pellegrini Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Saul Ewing LLP

Carolyn Pellegrini assists employers with labor and employment disputes and other sensitive matters affecting their professional relationships with their employees. Colleges and universities in particular rely on Carolyn for representation in litigation and advice on day-to-day operations involving HR issues and their compliance with federal and state laws. Carolyn brings a holistic understanding of how the many stakeholders within institutions of higher education -- including administrative, academic and athletic departments, student affairs and public safety -- can affect HR departments. 

She handles tenure and collective bargaining agreement disputes and claims involving allegations of harassment and discrimination based on race, age, disability and other protected classes. To help minimize the risk of such disputes, Carolyn also drafts faculty and staff handbooks, as well as policies and procedures, and provides training on how to follow them.

Carolyn's experience with discrimination matters for educational institutions includes compliance reviews, investigation of complaints, issuance of investigation reports, and responses to information requests from the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Carolyn extends this same skill set to assist businesses across numerous industries with labor and employment matters. Carolyn represents clients in federal and state employment litigation and arbitration, including matters involving Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and the National Labor Relations Act. She also handles investigations of employee misconduct, and the implementation of HR policies and procedures.  

Taylor Stevens Related Seminars and Products

Vice President, Labor and Employment

PharmaCann Inc.

General Counsel whose practice tends to focus on general business and legal matters from labor and employment matters including wage and hour claims, wrongful termination suits, and union LPA and CBA contract negotiations, to general contract negotiation and drafting, as well as Intellectual Property filing and protection, real estate lease and/or purchase negotiations, and AIA construction agreements. My practice is a hybrid of both transactional and litigation practice that has developed due to my unique skill set and ability to adapt to the needs of my clients, from Fortune 500 companies to privately held start-ups. I have advised and assisted my clients on structuring airport concession agreements, real estate leases, telecommunications leases, access agreements, and installation agreements involving telecommunications equipment and providers. I have also advised my clients on a variety of intellectual property issues ranging from technology licensing to copyright and trademark infringement to the protection of proprietary technology. My hybrid practice provides me with a unique perspective and a comprehensive approach to practicing law that benefits my clients. I understand the business objectives of my clients and how they intersect with the legal realities of today. I am not afraid to get creative in an effort to help my clients achieve their business goals within the confines of the law.

Thomas Y. Mandler Related Seminars and Products

Partner | Co-Chair, Traditional Labor Law Practice

Akerman LLP

Tom Mandler represents employers on a nationwide basis in the full spectrum of issues dealing with their employees, whether or not they are employed at-will, pursuant to an employment agreement, or represented by a union. A substantial portion of his practice is devoted to advising employers on how to maintain union-free status, including conducting supervisory training, union vulnerability audits, election campaigns, and defending unfair labor practice charges. 

For employers whose employees are represented by a union, Tom has negotiated more than 300 collective bargaining agreements nationwide, some of which have involved Federal Mediators, strikes, picketing and injunctions. He has also handled countless grievance and arbitration proceedings, as well as having represented employers in court and before all federal and many state and local governmental agencies enforcing labor, equal employment opportunity, wage and hour, affirmative action, and occupational safety and health laws.

Tom attempts to prevent or minimize costly legal problems by devoting a substantial part of his practice to supervisory training, client counseling, and workplace claims prevention. He also serves as outside general counsel for several clients, in matters involving business disputes, and drafting contracts such as distribution and supply agreements.

David Suetholz Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Herzfeld, Suetholz, Gastel, Leniski and Wall, PLLC

David Suetholz is a founding member of HSGLaW.  He concentrates his practice on labor and employment law, appellate practice and civil litigation. He has broad experience in representing working people and their unions in Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri. He previously served as the general counsel of the Kentucky Labor Cabinet and was partially responsible for record-breaking wage recoveries for Kentucky workers. Additional legal accomplishments include victories at both the Kentucky Supreme Court in Workforce Development Cabinet v. Gaines (2008) and the U.S. Supreme Court in Thompson v. North American Stainless LP (2011), which changed the law for the entire country to more broadly protect people from retaliation under Title VII. Mr. Suetholz is a graduate of Villanova University, where he studied history and theology. He credits his theology background for his decision to attend Notre Dame Law School, where he earned his J.D., and ultimately become a Union-side labor attorney. After law school, he spent nine months at the Instituto de Idiomas in Cochabamba, Bolivia, to learn Spanish and assist immigrant workers. He served as the General Counsel of the Kentucky Labor Cabinet for nearly three years before returning to private practice in 2012. He is licensed to practice law in Kentucky and Indiana.