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Ringgenberg Law Firm advises clients on the complex and rapidly changing requirements to obtain state and local licenses to operate in the cannabis industry and how to stay abreast of, and comply with, the emerging regulatory regime. The firm provides a full range of legal services to cannabis industry entrepreneurs, established companies, and investors, including litigation, commercial agreements, and intellectual property.
Cannabis litigation
The firm represents plaintiffs and defendants in cannabis-related disputes. Firm founder Kieran Ringgenberg brings more than 15 years of experience in high-stakes litigation, including trials, arbitrations and mediation for a range of clients from some of the world’s largest and most successful companies to individual entrepreneurs. Among the matters handed by the firm including lawsuits relating to commercial cannabis leases, disputes among partners/investors, allegations of trademark infringement, and employment claims.
Kieran has presented on cannabis litigation topics to a range of audiences, including at the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Cannabis Business Summit and the San Francisco Bar Association.
Cannabis licensing
We provide our clients with full-service assistance through the state and local licensing process. Working with city and county governments throughout the state, and all three of California’s cannabis licensing agencies – the California Department of Public Health’s Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch, the Bureau of Cannabis Control, and the California Department of Agriculture’s CalCannabis division, Collectively, our firm has successfully helped our clients obtain and maintain over 150 provisional and annual licenses for operators throughout the supply chain, from cultivators through CalCannabis, manufacturers through MCSB, and distributors and retailers through the BCC. This includes assistance at the local level, where we have deep relationships with local authorities around the state, particularly in the City of Oakland and the County of Monterey.
Our success hinges on our hands-on experience with every component of local and state application and licensing process. This spans corporate formation/structuring and cannabis tax permits to assistance with site diagrams and compliant operating procedures.
working with hemp and cbd products?
We offer nationwide consultation!
Cannabis Trademarks
Ringgenberg Law Firm provides intellectual property protection in the form of counseling on trademark, trade secret and other intellectual property matters. The firm has helped clients obtain numerous California state trademarks for cannabis goods and services, as well as federal trademarks on hemp-related products and services as well as cannabis-ancillary products and services. We advise our clients on trademark protection and are well versed in the unique challenges facing brands in the cannabis and hemp industries. We also assist our clients with intellectual property protection in their business transactions, employment matters and trademark disputes.
Regulatory Compliance
We help our cannabis clients navigate California’s challenging regulatory landscape at both the state and local level. We work with clients to strategize creative but compliant paths to achieve business goals. We have assisted clients through compliance audits and notices of violation, and have advocated for clients through the state rule-making process, in regulator investigations and site visits, and in enforcement proceedings.
We also provide regulatory advice to clients in rapidly evolving hemp and CBD industry. This includes assistance in complying with the numerous, confusing state laws and regulations being applied to hemp cultivation and hemp-based CBD products, as well as advice regarding federal compliance.
Cannabis Business Transactions
Ringgenberg Law Firm advises clients in documenting and negotiating all aspects of business formation and corporate transactions. From helping to determine the appropriate business entity, to establishing and maintaining corporate governance structures, to restructurings and acquisitions, the firm’s attorneys have a depth of experience in the corporate transactions involved in running a successful business.
We have assisted a number of clients in positioning their companies for acquisition. We also counsel our clients on a wide range of commercial contracts, including agreements for purchase and/or sale of products, management agreements, service and consulting agreements, and joint venture agreements. The firm has a depth of experience in all manner of agreements, and can aid in review of contracts provided by a counterparty or tailor a new agreement to any purpose.
Cannabis
Real Estate Transactions
Ringgenberg Law Firm counsels clients in the drafting and negotiation of real estate contracts, including supporting landlords and tenants seeking to enter commercial and industrial leases, purchase and sale agreements for real property, and construction and project development agreements. The firm also represents clients in property-related disputes.
Looking for quick links to useful regulatory resources?
Legal Alphabet Soup: Deciphering California's Regulation
Industry Presentations
We educate on the changing legal and regulatory landscape
As part of our mission, the firm presents to help educate lawyers and businesspeople on the changing legal and regulatory landscape.
The firm’s attorneys have presented to numerous industry and legal groups, including the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Cannabis Business Summit and Expo, the San Francisco Bar Association, the Real Property Section of the California Bar Association, the Stanford GSB Alumni Cannabis Group, and the California Association of Realtors Legal Affairs Forum. They have also appeared on Gateway Incubator‘s Open Office Hours (twice) and the $1 Pound Show podcast.
Some of Our Clients
