Company description
Vicente Sederberg LLP is not just a law firm that decided to jump into the cannabis space. We are a cannabis law firm, and we have been at the leading edge of cannabis law and policy since the inception of the regulated cannabis industry. We not only help clients navigate marijuana and hemp laws and regulations — we help shape those policies, and have an unparalleled track record of advancing the legal cannabis industry in a dynamic and responsible manner. As Rolling Stone magazine put it, VS is “the country’s first powerhouse marijuana law firm.”
OVERVIEW
When VS was founded in 2010, it was just a handful of employees working out of a tiny office suite in Denver. Today, the firm has more than 85 employees, including about three dozen attorneys, working out of offices in Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, Ann Arbor, Austin, and Jacksonville. We also maintain strategic relationships with a number of leading firms around the U.S. and across the globe that specialize in areas of the law that are critical to cannabis clients.
VS offers a full suite of services — legal, corporate, regulatory, policy and research — for all types of plant-touching marijuana and hemp businesses (cultivators, retailers, extractors, product manufacturers, distributors, and testing labs), ancillary businesses, investors, trade associations, and governmental bodies. We also offer services to those interested in participating in the area of psychedelics, entheogens and other emerging therapies.
Our firm and many of our individual team members are widely recognized as leaders in cannabis law and policy. We're proud to be ranked a Band 1 law firm by Chambers and Partners USA in its "Nationwide: Cannabis Law" practice category and recognized as a two-time "Cannabis Law - Law Firm of the Year" winner for the 2021 and 2022 Chambers USA Awards. Additionally, five of the firm's partners are individually ranked in Chambers. In 2022, the firm was recognized in U.S. News – Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" for Corporate Law. Five VS partners were included in the National Law Journal's annual list of "Cannabis Law Trailblazers" in the first two years it was published, and Business Insider named VS one of "the top 7 law firms in cannabis, according to investors, startups and major companies in the booming industry." We were also included in the 2020 list of "Top Cannabis Law Firms" compiled by Green Market Report and Cannabis Law Report.
VS is a trusted source of information and analysis, and the firm and its team members appear frequently in the media. We have been featured or quoted by dozens of major news organizations, including USA Today, the Associated Press, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Denver Post, the Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, Bloomberg Law, Forbes, Politico, Law.com, Law360, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel, the BBC and the CBC.
ADVISING VISIONARIES
Our business clients are trailblazers, and they are building a new and vibrant industry from the ground up. They have made a conscious decision to assume a certain level of risk in order to change the course of history. As trailblazers ourselves, we take pride in being with them every step along the way, helping them navigate and overcome unique legal, regulatory, and business challenges. We understand every aspect of the cannabis industry — even aspects that are not yet fully developed. Whether you are a veteran of the industry or just looking to enter it, we can assist and guide you.
SHAPING POLICY
While other firms provide legal representation to marijuana industry clients, no firm can compete with VS when it comes to shaping cannabis and hemp laws themselves. Our attorneys literally wrote Amendment 64, which established the legal marijuana market in Colorado, and served on the governor’s task force to implement the law. We have been hired by local governments to help draft marijuana ordinances, and we have worked with state and national officials to help develop medical and adult-use cannabis laws. On the regulatory side, our attorneys have helped governments shape regulations at the local, state, and national levels. Through these experiences and others, VS has developed a strong reputation for responsible and pragmatic policy work. As a result, our voices are respected and our opinions are sought, not just across the U.S., but also abroad.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
VS has roots in the drug policy reform movement, and that activist spirit and commitment to advancing the common good have been central to our culture and identity for over a decade. We remain deeply involved in advocacy and pro bono work that reflects our core values of compassion, justice, diversity, liberty, and social responsibility. In addition to addressing the needs of our clients, we encourage them to see the bigger picture. This is where all of our areas of expertise come together. Having fought for years to end marijuana prohibition, we see the regulated cultivation and sale of marijuana as the means of finally putting that failed system to rest. We know, however, that the expansion of the industry is dependent upon it growing responsibly. We are not looking to build an industry focused solely on profits; we want to work with individuals interested in building an industry of which we can all be proud. View our inaugural Impact Report, where we reflect on our work in 2021, celebrate our commitment to community, and look forward to a future of positive, meaningful, and measurable impact.
