Aug 17, 2023

Best Lawyers® Recognizes 18 Attorneys From Cannabis and Psychedelics Law Firm Vicente LLP

BOSTON, DENVER, JACKSONVILLE, LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK — Eighteen attorneys from national cannabis and psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP were recognized in the 30th edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2024 lists are categorized by geographic region and practice areas and reviewed by their peers based on professional expertise.

The firm is proud to have several attorneys selected for inclusion in the prestigious lists for multiple years in a row, as well as a growing number of new additions to the lists each year.

Multiple partners in Denver were named to the 2024 Best Lawyers list, including partner Francis (FL) Gorman, who reached a milestone year for being recognized in the field of Real Estate Law, with his 2024 inclusion making the fifth year in a row. Founding partner Brian Vicente was selected for inclusion for his work in the fields of Cannabis Law, Corporate Law, and Government Relations Practice for the fourth year in a row. Founding partner Joshua Kappel and partner Shawn Hauser were both named to the list for the second year in a row in the field of Cannabis Law.

We are also proud to announce that special counsel Christian Sederberg was named the Best Lawyers® 2024 Government Relations Practice "Lawyer of the Year" in Denver. This award is an exceptional distinction, as it is presented to only one lawyer per practice area in each region with extremely high overall feedback from their peers.

Boston-based partner Phil Silverman was selected for the third year in a row in the field of Land Use and Zoning Law, while partners Jennifer Cabrera and Sally Kent Peebles were selected for the second year in a row for their work in Cannabis Law in New York and Real Estate Law in Jacksonville, Florida, respectively.  

Notably, two Vicente LPP attorneys were recognized for the first time in The Best Lawyers in America list, including partner Adam Fine for his work in Administrative / Regulatory Law in Boston and partner Brandon Kurtzman, for the field of Cannabis Law in New York.

Eight additional Vicente attorneys were included in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America©, which recognizes lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice.

For the fourth year in a row, Boston-based partner David Ullian was recognized for his work in Land Use and Zoning Law and Administrative/Regulatory Law, and Denver-based partner Jerrico Perez was recognized for her work in Administrative/Regulatory Law and Corporate Governance and Compliance Law. Los Angeles-based partner Sahar Ayinehsazian and of counsel Jeffrey Welsh were recognized once again for their Corporate Law and Entertainment and Sports Law practices, respectively. For the second year in a row, senior associate Yolanda Clarke was selected in the field of Administrative / Regulatory Law.

First-time Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch selectees included Boston-based partner Michelle Bodian for her work in Administrative / Regulatory Law; partner Jeremy Shaw for his Corporate Governance and Compliance Law and Corporate Law practice in Boston; and Missouri-based partner Carl Werner for Corporate Law.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers recognitions are compiled based on an exhaustive Purely Peer Review® evaluation. More than 123,000 industry-leading lawyers are eligible to vote (from around the world), and they have received more than 20 million evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world. Inclusion is considered a singular honor because attorneys are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed. For more information on the Best Law Firms rankings, please visit the Best Law Firms website.

“With eighteen lawyers selected for this prestigious honor, Vicente LLP has once again maintained its role as ‘the lawyers other lawyers call with questions about cannabis law,’” said founding partner Brian Vicente. “As the cannabis industry and psychedelics and emerging therapies sector continue to expand, there is a growing need for counsel who specialize in these areas and have the ability to integrate them with other fields of law. We are extremely proud to see a growing number of our attorneys recognized by Best Lawyers across several different practice areas and are grateful to be included in this prestigious publication. We thank the many legal professionals who nominated, voted, and supported us throughout this process.”

About Vicente LLP

Vicente LLP is the premier cannabis and psychedelics law firm. For over a decade, the firm has been helping clients navigate laws and regulations, build and grow businesses, and shape public policy to advance the legal marijuana, hemp, and psychedelics industries across the globe. Vicente LLP has been ranked a Nationwide Band 1 law firm by Chambers and Partners since 2019, and it received the inaugural Chambers USA Award for “Cannabis Law – Law Firm of the Year” in 2021 and was recognized again in 2022. Learn more at VicenteLLP.com.