Dec 4, 2019

Founders of Preeminent California Cannabis Law Firm Frontera Join Top-ranked National Cannabis Law and Policy Firm Vicente Sederberg LLP

VS significantly expands California operations with addition of partners Luke Stanton and Jeffrey Welsh in Los Angeles and associate attorney Christina Sava in Oakland

LOS ANGELES — The founders of preeminent California cannabis business firm Frontera Law Group have joined top-ranked national cannabis law and policy firm Vicente Sederberg LLP. Luke K. Stanton and Jeffrey D. Welsh are now partners at VS and will be based in the firm’s Los Angeles office. The move, along with VS’s recent hiring of associate attorney Christina Sava in San Francisco, marks a significant expansion of the firm’s flourishing California operations.
 
“We are pleased to welcome these exceptionally talented attorneys to Vicente Sederberg,” said VS Founding Partner Josh Kappel. “This expansion of the firm’s partnership, as well as the addition of a highly qualified attorney in the Bay Area, will create a host of new opportunities for our clients and further establish VS as a global leader on cannabis law and policy.”

Stanton and Welsh are accomplished business attorneys who founded Frontera in 2015 to help entrepreneurs and businesses navigate the complex legal and regulatory landscape of the emerging cannabis industry in California. Leveraging the deep domain knowledge Stanton developed over his five years with one of California’s leading cannabis criminal defense firms, and Welsh’s experience as an attorney in the business affairs department of entertainment powerhouse William Morris Endeavor, Frontera quickly grew to become one of California’s leading specialty cannabis business firms. It helped develop an array of best-in-class cannabis companies, brands, producers and ancillary service providers across the state of California, assisting them in all stages of growth, from start-up to exit, and its client roster boasts a number of companies that have grown into nine- and 10-figure businesses. Frontera was recognized as one of the “Top 100 Cannabis Leaders” by Entrepreneur Magazine and one of the “50 Best Companies to Work for in Cannabis” by MG Magazine.

“Luke and Jeffrey built Frontera from the ground up into a premier cannabis law practice and leader in the California cannabis business community,” Kappel said. “Their  diversity of experience and deep understanding of the state’s legal and regulatory landscapes will play a critical role in VS’s continued growth in California and beyond.”

Stanton and Welsh also own and operate several other businesses focused on the cannabis industry. Stanton is a founding partner at Skyfront Holdings Ltd., an international insurance platform that specializes in emerging markets, including cannabis and hemp. He is also managing partner of Skytree Capital Partners, a Nevada-based private equity firm. Welsh is a co-founder of Composite, a full-service creative agency that has grown brands and helped legitimize perceptions of the cannabis industry through branding, advertising, marketing, and content services.
 
“We are proud and excited to join a firm with such a strong national presence and rich history of leadership in the field of cannabis law and policy,” Stanton said. “Vicente Sederberg is known for its unparalleled knowledge, experience, and influence in the marijuana and hemp industries. Pairing Frontera’s existing capabilities with everything VS has built over the past 10 years will give our clients access to an incredible wealth of resources that goes far above and beyond what we were previously capable of offering. We could not be more thrilled with this transition and what it means for our clients and the cannabis industry as a whole.”

About the Attorneys:

Luke K. Stanton

Jeffrey D. Welsh
 
Christina Sava

About Vicente Sederberg LLP:

Vicente Sederberg LLP is a national cannabis law firm that has been on the leading edge of marijuana and hemp law and policy for nearly a decade. It has approximately 100 employees, including more than 40 attorneys, working out of offices in Denver, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and Jacksonville.

VS offers a full suite of corporate, legal, policy, regulatory, and research services for all types of cannabis businesses, ancillary businesses, trade associations, nonprofits, and governmental bodies. Since its founding in 2010, VS has helped shape marijuana and hemp policies across the nation and around the globe. It has also assisted clients in obtaining cannabis business licenses in 21 states and dozens of localities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Chambers and Partners USA ranked VS a Band 1 law firm in its inaugural "Cannabis Law" practice category, and National Law Journal recognized six of the firm's partners as "Cannabis Law Trailblazers" in its first two years of publishing the list.