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GREENSPOON MARDER PARTNER LANCE ROGERS FEATURED SPEAKER AT THE STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW SECTION’S 42ND IP INSTITUTE
Newport Beach, CA – November 3, 2017 – Greenspoon Marder partner Lance Rogers was a featured speaker at the State Bar of California Intellectual Property Law Section’s 42nd IP Institute . The section’s annual meeting took place on November 1 – 3, 2017 in Newport Beach, CA. Mr. Rogers spoke on the “Growing Like a Weed: Everything You Want To Know About Cannabis & IP Law” panel.
In 2018, California will begin to allow the sale of cannabis to adults over the age of 21 and to tax and regulate it–like tobacco and alcohol. The commercialization of this sector is projected to cause a jump in annual revenue from $6.7 billion in 2016 to $20 billion by 2021. As this sector grows, so do the questions about what role trademarks, patents, copyrights, and trade secrets can and should play in spurring the industry along– especially since cannabis is still illegal under federal law. Mr. Rogers and panelist discussed how IP is and isn’t able to be deployed in this green rush.
Mr. Rogers currently represents many of the leading cannabis companies in California, including retailers, manufacturers, and agriculture ventures. As a litigator, he has handled a wide array of matters related to cannabis including criminal defense, regulatory violations, land use/zoning, complex business litigation and partnership, and dispute matters. In 2011, Mr. Rogers attained the first dispensary license in Southern California through the County of San Diego.
