Cannabis

Expert Analysis

• Opinion

  Cannabis Exclusion From COVID-19 Relief Must Be Remedied

  

  Marijuana businesses — deemed essential in several states — are not able to tap into the $360 billion in U.S. Small Business Administration loans being made available in response to COVID-19, amplifying the disconnect between federal and state treatment of cannabis. Something can and should be done to fix this, says Zachary Kobrin at Akerman.

• Confronting The Challenges Of Virtual Mediation

  

  Conducting mediation via videoconference amid the ongoing pandemic poses significant challenges, including the difficulty of reading people when you are not with them in person. Daniel Garrie at JAMS shares six tips to overcome the limitations.

• SEC Investigation Shows Maturation Of Cannabis Scrutiny

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s investigation into accounting irregularities at cannabis giant Cronos Group shows a shift from rooting out fraud and manipulation in marijuana penny stocks, to applying more traditional enforcement scrutiny to marijuana-related businesses, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

• 3 Steps To Building Effective Teams While On Lockdown

  

  When your team is working from different locations due to the COVID-19 outbreak, don’t default to just sending emails. Collaboration is much easier when team members are also communicating in real time over the phone or through videoconferences, say William Oxley and Meghan Rohling Kelly at BakerHostetler.

• Client Advocacy Tips For Remote Hearings During COVID-19

  

  As the judiciary implements telephone and video hearings in response to the coronavirus pandemic, attorneys can deliver effective advocacy by following certain best practices, such as using backup materials and specially preparing witnesses and exhibits, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.

• How To Conduct Depositions Remotely

  

  Remote depositions are a useful tool for meeting discovery deadlines while allowing all parties to stay at home amid the COVID-19 outbreak. But they come with a unique set of challenges, say Eliot Williams and Daniel Rabinowitz at Baker Botts. 

• A Guide To Zealously Representing Clients During COVID-19

  

  The American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct require lawyers to be zealous advocates for clients' interests, but how do these rules apply in this unprecedented time of COVID-19? Anne Lockner at Robins Kaplan offers some pointers.

• 7 Ways Attys Can Create The Right Home Office Environment

  

  In the midst of this health crisis when lawyers are working from home with their loved ones around all day, practitioners need to ensure their “home” and “office” settings coexist without one trumping the needs of the other, says Luciana Fragali at Design Solutions.

• 10 E-Discovery Challenges Caused By COVID-19

  

  The COVID-19 crisis will continue to affect e-discovery long after we overcome this pandemic. When litigation and investigations reengage and courts start moving their schedules forward, these concerns will need to be addressed, say David Kessler and Andrea D'Ambra at Norton Rose.

• BigLaw Leaders Must Prepare For COVID-19 Economic Fallout

  

  The financial impact of COVID-19 is already starting to ripple through law firms in the form of diminished demand and time entry. A few lessons from the 2008 financial crisis and some new ideas can help firm leaders navigate the storm, says Peter Zeughauser at Zeughauser Group.

• 3 Ways Leaders Can Improve Remote Work For Lawyers

  

  Remote working doesn’t work when people feel they must apologize for or hide it, and lawyers often feel that way — even in unavoidable, disaster-related scenarios like we see with the pandemic today, says David Pierce at Axiom.

• Tips For Online Mediation In The Age Of Social Distancing

  

  While mediating via an internet conferencing platform during the COVID-19 crisis, remember that visual interactions are of vital importance. A simple phrase can be transformed into a sincere inquiry, a shocked response or a sarcastic put-down depending upon how we visually convey that message, says mediator Sidney Kanazawa at ARC.

• How To Manage Marketing Risks For CBD Products

  

  Until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or Congress clarifies the path forward for CBD products, companies can follow certain best practices — including actively monitoring the supply chain and avoiding aggressive health claims — to mitigate risks caused by inconsistent state laws and active plaintiff bars, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

• Updating Publicly Traded Company Disclosures For COVID-19

  

  U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission-reporting companies confronting the evolving COVID-19 pandemic should be aware of updated filing obligations to keep investors apprised of what new developments mean for their businesses, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

• A Work-From-Home Tech Checklist For Law Firms

  

  With law firms across the country implementing policies to ensure the safety of attorneys and staff and prevent the spread of coronavirus, Andrew Russell at Shaw Keller shares some tips for firms, particularly smaller firms, that may be transitioning to remote work now or in the coming days.