Banking Issues in the Cannabis Industry: Managing Risks Under State and Federal Law; Recent Developments

Mr. Alovisetti is a partner at Vicente Sederberg and chair of the firm's Corporate Department. He is recognized by Chambers and Partners as one of the top cannabis lawyers in the United States. Mr. Alovisetti focuses his practice on advising investors, companies, and other law firms on the nuances of executing corporate transactions involving licensed and ancillary cannabis companies. Prior to joining VS, he worked as an associate in the New York offices of Latham & Watkins and Goodwin, where he represented public companies and private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a range of corporate transactions.

Jim Landau is a Partner and a member of the firm’s Litigation Group. He represents clients in litigation before Federal, New York State and Local courts and other tribunals, including arbitration and mediation before the American Arbitration Association. Jim’s practice also focuses on providing day-to-day business counseling to cannabis and other businesses with an eye toward avoiding problems before they arise. Jim has been recognized as a New York Metro Super Lawyer® in the area of Commercial Litigation every year since 2012. In addition, Jim has received a peer review rating of AV®Preeminent on Martindale-Hubbell®. Jim has become a thought leader in the New York Cannabis legal community. He frequently writes and speaks on such topics as attorney ethics, cannabis banking and licensing of cannabis businesses. Jim is currently the President-Elect of the Westchester County Bar Association. He is Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Cannabis Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and Co-Chair of the Cannabis and CBD Litigation Committee of NYSBA’s Commercial and Federal Litigation Section. He is also a Founder and Immediate Past Co-Chair of the Westchester County Bar Association’s Cannabis Law Committee and a Director and Chair of the Regulatory Committee of the Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Association. Jim is a past president of the White Plains Bar Association. Prior to joining the firm, Jim was an attorney at Prince Lobel & Tye LLP in Purchase, NY, McCarthy Fingar LLP in White Plains, NY, and Ellenoff, Grossman & Schole LLP, Proskauer LLP and Brown Raysman & Millstein LLP in New York City. Jim received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Michigan. He is admitted to practice in New York and Pennsylvania and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

Mr. Robbins serves as chair of Akerman’s Cannabis Practice, counseling clients on the evolving, complex legal and business issues impacting companies with interests in the regulated substances industries. Ranked by Chambers USA as a top lawyer in Cannabis Law and recognized in 2018 by the National Law Journal as one of the country’s “Cannabis Law Trailblazers,” he has been published and quoted in national media outlets such as U.S. News & World Report, The American Lawyer, Politico, Washington Post, Bloomberg News, and Law360. He is a founding board member of the National Cannabis Bar Association and is also an active member of the National Cannabis Industry Association. Mr. Robbins brings deep experience representing public and private companies and individuals in complex regulatory and litigation matters in the regulated substances sectors. His experience encompasses investigations and administrative and enforcement proceedings brought by federal, state, and self-regulatory bodies, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Florida Attorney General’s Office, Florida Department of Financial Services, and Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.