Nicholas F. Pellitta, a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., will moderate the free webinar, “Recreational Cannabis Is Legal in New Jersey: What Employers Need to Know,” hosted by the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce.

Recreational Cannabis in New Jersey

This one-hour webinar will offer in-depth conclusions regarding recreation cannabis legislation concerning employers and labor laws. Discussion topics will include:

• Three key provisions of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (CREAMMA) that impact the workplace
• New rules for drug testing and the interplay with the Jake Honig Medical Cannabis Industry
• What employers should be doing now
• What is left unanswered by CREAMMA

When: Tuesday, April 13, 2021

8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

About Nicholas Pellitta

Nick has substantial experience in a variety of legal areas in both federal and state courts. It is his goal to maximize efficiency for his clients by promptly analyzing their objectives, identifying necessary strategies, and implementing an appropriate course of action. Nick provides a wide variety of litigation strategies and assistance for business clients in commercial matters, including contract review, insurance-related issues, and real property tax appeals.

In the area of higher education, Nick has represented colleges and universities for more than 25 years in areas such as tort claim defense, campus security, alcohol policies, police litigation, civil rights, and student discipline. Representative clients include Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Seton Hall University. Nick has represented the Rutgers Police Department and has provided in-house training and advice on police-related matters. On the individual level, Nick assists clients in matters involving personal injury, criminal charges, juvenile delinquency, and other similar offenses, both in municipal and superior courts.

Nick has served as Second Vice President in the C. Willard Heckel Inn of Court, an organization designed for the continuing education of newly-admitted attorneys. He has also lectured at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and on behalf of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office in the area of trial practice. Nick has served as Chairman of the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce and is currently Legal Counsel to the Chamber, aiding in contract review, lease and vendor agreements, and general legal advice. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees and a Past President for Prevention Resources, an organization dedicated to promoting health and wellness and preventing substance abuse and violence in the community, and as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Raritan Valley Community College Foundation.

Posted in: Cannabis Law, Events, Labor & Employment, Nicholas F. Pellitta | Tags: cannabis law, Labor & Employment, Nicholas F. Pellitta

Richard B. Somach, a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., along with the firm’s Associate David C. Berger, will present the livestream webinar, “Liquor License Laws, Medical Marijuana & Service Animals: Impact on Real Estate,” for Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS®, a trade association that represents nearly 3,000 real estate professionals.

About the Impact on Real Estate

Discussion topics will include:

• What landlords must consider when renting a property to a tenant with a liquor license
• The implications of leasing a property to a manufacturer of medical marijuana
• The eviction process and the restrictions on property use
• The legal vs. illegal uses of marijuana
• The rights and responsibilities of landlords, tenants, and property buyers
• The difference between a service animal and an emotional support animal
• The responsibilities and liability of having an animal on their premises

When: Monday, August 17, 2020

1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Where: Greater Lehigh Valley Real Estate Academy

10 S. Commerce Way, Bethlehem, PA 18017

Registration: glvreacademy.com

• Members: $45.00
• Non-Members: $65.00

About Your Attorneys

Rich Somach

Rich focuses his practice on real estate, commercial law, and creditors’ remedies, representing real estate development companies, shopping centers, and local banks. He has represented real estate owners, developers, and investors in a broad range of real estate transactions, including zoning matters,  subdivisions, and shopping center development.

As a licensed title insurance agent, Rich is the founder of the title insurance and settlement company ABE Settlement Services, creatively serving client needs. He currently serves as legal counsel to the Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS®.

As a former Assistant Lehigh County Solicitor, Rich advised the Sheriff’s Office, the Tax Assessment Office, and the Tax Claim Bureau, and frequently writes and lectures on real estate matters, including sheriff’s sales, real estate tax sales, and lien priority issues for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He has also presented numerous lectures at the annual Real Estate Institute program.

David Berger

David concentrates his practice on business, real estate, and liquor law. He actively counsels clients on general business topics including organization and formation, corporate governance, lease negotiations, restructurings, and finance.

A licensed title agent, David works closely with lenders, real estate developers, and homebuilding companies. He handles both residential and commercial real estate development including acquisitions, land use and zoning matters, title review, and other due diligence requirements.

In his liquor law practice, David handles sale and purchase of liquor licenses and provides transactional counseling, including defending licenses who have received citations from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement.

Posted in: Cannabis Law, David C. Berger, Events, Liquor Law, Licensing, Manufacturing and Distribution, Real Estate & Finance, Richard B. Somach | Tags: cannabis law, David C. Berger, liquor law, real estate & finance, Richard B. Somach

Richard B. Somach, a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., along with the firm’s Associate David C. Berger, will present the livestream webinar, “Liquor License Laws, Medical Marijuana & Service Animals: Impact on Real Estate,” for Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS®, a trade association that represents nearly 3,000 real estate professionals.

About the Impact on Real Estate

Discussion topics will include:

• What landlords must consider when renting a property to a tenant with a liquor license
• The implications of leasing a property to a manufacturer of medical marijuana
• The eviction process and the restrictions on property use
• The legal vs. illegal uses of marijuana
• The rights and responsibilities of landlords, tenants, and property buyers
• The difference between a service animal and an emotional support animal
• The responsibilities and liability of having an animal on their premises

When: Monday, June 15, 2020

• 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Registration: glvreacademy.com

• Members: $45.00
• Non-Members: $65.00

About Your Attorneys

Rich Somach

Rich focuses his practice on real estate, commercial law, and creditors’ remedies, representing real estate development companies, shopping centers, and local banks. He has represented real estate owners, developers, and investors in a broad range of real estate transactions, including zoning matters,  subdivisions, and shopping center development.

As a licensed title insurance agent, Rich is the founder of the title insurance and settlement company ABE Settlement Services, creatively serving client needs. He currently serves as legal counsel to the Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS®.

As a former Assistant Lehigh County Solicitor, Rich advised the Sheriff’s Office, the Tax Assessment Office, and the Tax Claim Bureau, and frequently writes and lectures on real estate matters, including sheriff’s sales, real estate tax sales, and lien priority issues for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He has also presented numerous lectures at the annual Real Estate Institute program.

David Berger

David concentrates his practice on business, real estate, and liquor law. He actively counsels clients on general business topics including organization and formation, corporate governance, lease negotiations, restructurings, and finance.

A licensed title agent, David works closely with lenders, real estate developers, and homebuilding companies. He handles both residential and commercial real estate development including acquisitions, land use and zoning matters, title review, and other due diligence requirements.

In his liquor law practice, David handles sale and purchase of liquor licenses and provides transactional counseling, including defending licenses who have received citations from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement.

Posted in: Cannabis Law, David C. Berger, Events, Liquor Law, Licensing, Manufacturing and Distribution, Real Estate & Finance, Richard B. Somach | Tags: cannabis law, David C. Berger, liquor law, real estate & finance, Richard B. Somach

Danielle M. DeFilippis, a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., will be panelists for a cannabis breakout session on Wednesday, October 16, at the ROI-NJ Food & Beverage Innovation Summit. The event will be at the Birchwood Manor in Whippany, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

About the Presentation

DeFilippis will be joined by Linda Gilbert, CEO of EcoFocus, for an industry frame of reference. She will moderate the discussion and include her trademark perspective in the food and beverage industry. For more information and to register, visit the Eventbrite page.

“We are excited to help food and beverage businesses understand the legal hurdles when it comes to the confusing world of cannabis,” said DeFilippis.

About Danielle DeFilippis

DeFilippis, Co-Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Law Practice Group, focuses her practice on intellectual property, contracts, and litigation. Her passion for food and beverage brands began at a young age, as she watched her father service various food brands through his work for a sales and marketing company. As the products came through her household, DeFilippis learned about marketing and branding from a retail and manufacturing perspective. Her appetite grew, and she now enjoys working with emerging and established food and beverage companies on brand development, clearance, counseling through the various stages of growth, and when the need arises, prosecuting and defending litigation. DeFilippis is an author for Norris McLaughlin’s trademark, copyright, and unfair competition blog, More Than Your MaⓇk™. She has been named to New Jersey Law Journal’s 2019 list of “New Jersey Trailblazers” for her efforts in the food and beverage industry in New Jersey and for expanding those efforts on a global scale. DeFilippis received her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2004 and her B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University in 2001.

About Norris McLaughlin

Norris McLaughlin’s food, beverage, and hospitality attorneys tackle the wide array of legal issues facing the food manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers; food and beverage trade groups; breweries, distilleries, and wineries; restaurants, bars, hotels, conference centers, stadiums, and other public venues, including business planning, construction, corporate law, environmental concerns, immigration, intellectual property, labor and employment law, litigation, liquor law, real estate and finance, and tax counseling.

The cannabis law attorneys at Norris McLaughlin provide a full range of legal and consultation services in all areas of cannabis law for employers, health care professionals, entrepreneurs, suppliers, growers, retailers, and investors. This diverse group of attorneys navigates the complex and ever-changing laws and regulations governing the medical and recreational use of marijuana.

Norris McLaughlin is a full service, mid-sized regional law firm of 130+ attorneys with main offices located in Bridgewater, NJ; New York, NY; and Allentown, PA. For more information, including a full practice area listing and attorney biographies, please visit www.old.norrismclaughlin.com.

Posted in: Cannabis Law, Danielle M. DeFilippis, Food, Beverage & Hospitality, News | Tags: cannabis law, Danielle M. DeFilippis, Food & Beverage Law

Norris McLaughlin, P.A., is pleased to have Danielle DeFillipis, Co-Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Law Practice Group, be part of a cannabis panel at the Inaugural Food & Beverage Innovation Summit, presented by ROI-NJ.

This event will provide a space to participate in engaging discussions concerning hot topics in the industry today, hear from industry leaders in keynote addresses and network with both established and up-and-coming names in the local Food & Beverage Industry.

Agenda

8:00 a.m. Registration, breakfast, and networking

9:15 a.m. Welcome and opening remarks

9:30 a.m. Keynote Address: Stew Leonard, Jr.

Growing in a changing retail food business environment

10:15 a.m. Panel discussion #1: Food & Technology

11:15 a.m. Panel discussion #2: Financing in the Food Industry

12:00 p.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Recognition of ROI-NJ’s Top 10 Food & Beverage Influencers list attendees

1:30 p.m. Panel discussion #3: Food Industry Innovations

2:15 p.m. Cocktail reception and breakout

3:15 p.m. Conference concludes

When: Wednesday, October 16, 2019

9:00 a.m. – 3:oo p.m.

Where: Birchwood Manor

111 North Jefferson Road
Whippany, NJ 07981

For more information and to register, click here!

Posted in: Cannabis Law, Danielle M. DeFilippis, Events, Food, Beverage & Hospitality, Liquor Law, Licensing, Manufacturing and Distribution, Litigation | Tags: cannabis law, Food & Beverage

Danielle M. DeFilippis, a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., and Co-Chair of its Intellectual Property Law Practice Group, will co-present “IP Issues in the Liquor and Cannabis Industries” with Max Bookman, Attorney at Pesetsky & Bookman, and Stephen Konigsberg, General Counsel of Tikun Olam.

About the Presentation

The presentation, hosted by the Cardozo Intellectual Property Law Society, will be held Monday, September 16, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., at Reservoir Bar in New York City. The panel discussions will be followed by a happy hour networking opportunity. One professional practice CLE credit is available to participants. For more information and to register, visit the Eventbrite page.

“This is a really important, and often confusing, topic for many in this industry. We are excited to join this panel and contribute our thoughts on the changing legal landscape,” said DeFilippis.

About Danielle M. DeFilippis

DeFilippis focuses her practice on intellectual property, contracts, and litigation. She regularly serves as lead counsel in cases before federal and state courts, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and alternative resolution forums. She has handled cases involving trademark and copyright infringement, false advertising, commercial disparagement, business torts, deceptive trade practices, Lanham Act claims, state and federal unfair competition laws, and other business disputes. DeFilippis is an author for Norris McLaughlin’s trademark, copyright, and unfair competition blog, More Than Your Ma®k^TM. 

DeFilippis has represented clients in a variety of industries, most notably, food and beverage, liquor, jewelry, cosmetics, sports, and entertainment. She enjoys working with both emerging and established food and beverage companies on brand development, clearance, counseling through the various stages of growth, and when the need arises, prosecuting and defending litigation. DeFilippis has been named to New Jersey Law Journal’s 2019 list of “New Jersey Trailblazers” for her efforts in the food and beverage industry in New Jersey and for expanding those efforts on a global scale.

DeFilippis received her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2004 and her B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University in 2001.

Posted in: Cannabis Law, Danielle M. DeFilippis, Food, Beverage & Hospitality, Intellectual Property, News | Tags: cannabis law, Danielle M. DeFilippis, Food & Beverage Law, Intellectual Property

Theodore J. Zeller III, and Danielle M. DeFilippis, Attorneys of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., will discuss Brewery and Distillery Law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey at a training seminar hosted by the National Business Institute on Thursday, June 6, 9 a.m.– 4:30 p.m. at Homewood Suites by Hilton in Valley Forge.

The speakers will present ways to help clients build a solid business; minimize liability; and navigate the licensing, labeling and tax reporting challenges along the way. They will discuss how to effectively protect client’s intellectual property, and avoid legal landmines in advertising, and give valuable tips for negotiating distribution agreements.

Topics include:

• brewery and distillery business entity selection, formation, finance, and insurance
• licensing, labeling, and regulatory compliance
• federal and state tax reporting requirements
• negotiating/drafting brewery and distillery contracts
• intellectual property and advertising
• ethics

When: Thursday, June 6, 2019

9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where: Homewood Suites by Hilton

681 Shannondell Boulevard
Audubon, PA 19403

For more information and to register, please click here!  

Posted in: Business Law, Cannabis Law, Danielle M. DeFilippis, Events, Food, Beverage & Hospitality, Intellectual Property, Liquor Law, Licensing, Manufacturing and Distribution, Theodore J. Zeller III | Tags: brewery, Business Entity, Danielle DeFilippis, distillery, Federal Tax, Intellectual Property, labeling, licensing, liquor law, National Business Institute, NBI, New Jersey, pennsylvania, Regulatory Compliance, State Tax, Ted Zeller

The law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., will participate in the Cannabis Labyrinth Workshop, the first-ever educational workshop hosted by Upper Rung Center, a nonprofit community development corporation, in collaboration with the New Jersey Cannabis Business & Technology Institute. Norris McLaughlin is a proud sponsor of the event.

Topics to be discussed include:

• Review of Regulatory and Legal Issues
  • Hemp
  • Not All CBD Oils are Treated Equally
  • State and Federal Status
• Labeling Considerations
  • Hemp
  • CBD Oils
  • FDA
  • FTC
• Setup
  • Growers
  • Distributors
  • Contract Manufacturers
  • Testing
  • Equipment
  • Business Plans
  • Locations – Opportunity Zones
  • OSHA, FTC, USDA, NJDEP, and EPA
• Vigilance
  • Training
  • Compliance
• And More!

When: Friday, May 3, 2019

8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Where: The Imperia

1714 Easton Avenue, Somerset, NJ 08873

For more information and to register, please click here.

Posted in: Cannabis Law, Events | Tags: cannabis law

Jeanne M. Hamburg, a Member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., will be featured speakers on Tuesday, March 5, at the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.  She will present a panel discussion titled “Exploring the Legal Haze of Cannabis for Restaurants.” The show, which takes place March 3-5, also features over 40 education sessions and over 500 of the leading vendors serving the restaurant and foodservice industry.

The panel discussion will also be presented on Tuesday, March 26, at the firm’s WeWork office, 222 Broadway, in New York in two sessions: 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.  The discussion explores the myriad of legal issues and risks of incorporating cannabis into your restaurant business, answering questions about the legal risks and ramifications of providing food and beverages with cannabis; the legal issues related to selling alcoholic beverages infused with or containing cannabis; the state of federal, state, and local laws and regulations impacting restaurants that wish to serve cannabis foods and beverages; and the requirements and hurdles for obtaining federal trademark registration for cannabis-related goods and services.  For more information and to register, please click here.

Hamburg is experienced in all aspects of copyright and trademark law, both in litigation and in the transactional area, assisting clients in the food, beverage, and restaurant industries with their IP needs.  She has litigated in federal courts across the country, acting as national counsel to bring and defend infringement claims for clients both foreign and domestic.  Most recently, Hamburg litigated through appeal to the Federal Circuit a food trademark case that has been described as generating one of the most important trademark decisions in 2018. She was also recently ranked in the 2019 World Trademark Review 1000 – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals (WTR 1000). Among a group of fewer than 90 trademark professionals in New York, Hamburg was named a top trademark attorney in the areas of enforcement and litigation. Hamburg frequently speaks and writes about intellectual property topics before trade food, beverage and restaurant groups, and is a member of the New York State Restaurant Association as well as the Specialty Food Association.  Hamburg attended Wellesley College, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and received her B.A., magna cum laude, in English and Psychology, with Honors in English, in 1987.  In 1990, she received her J.D. at Columbia University School of Law, where she was editor of the Columbia Law Review.

Posted in: Cannabis Law, Food, Beverage & Hospitality, Jeanne Hamburg, News | Tags: cannabis law, food and beverage, Jeanne Hamburg

The law firm of Norris McLaughlin, P.A., will be hosting “Now You Know –  Marijuana Legalization Youth Workshop,” Thursday, February 28, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., for Visions and Pathways youth. Visions and Pathways was the first nonprofit, privately run youth shelter in New Jersey, whose mission is to “provide abused, neglected and homeless youth with housing, a stable environment, and supportive services that guide them in becoming self sufficient.”

“We truly appreciate that Norris McLaughlin agreed to host this important workshop. Working with NM, PG Health, and our other partners has been fantastic! Visions and Pathways’ goal is to prevent drug misuse by educating our youth. There is a lot of interest in the possible legalization of adult recreational use of marijuana – it is a provocative topic. But, if legalization occurs, it is important for youth to learn how the new laws impact them and to know that underage use is still unlawful. Bottom-line, we want to keep our kids drug free and we don’t want our kids in juvenile detention or jail,” said David Walker, CEO and Executive Director of Visions and Pathways.

The first of four workshops to take place in Northern and Central New Jersey, the event will feature four 20-minute sessions addressing the cannabis industry, medicinal benefits of cannabis, potential career paths, and the consequences of misuse. The discussion will be led by Faye Coleman, CEO of PG Health, and feature eight panelists including; Leo Bridgewater, Co-founder of NJ Cannabis Commission; Cherron Perry Thomas, Director of Social Impact for Daco; Hope Wiseman, Dispensary Owner; Sgt. John Walker United States Air Force; Dasheeda Dawson, Founder, CEO, and President of MJM Strategy; and Former Deputy Commissioner Cathy Starghill of the NJ Department of Labor.

Posted in: Cannabis Law, News | Tags: Cannabis Attorney, cannabis law, Cannabis Workshop, Cathy Starghill, Cherron Perry Thomas, Daco, Dasheeda Dawson, David Walker, Faye Coleman, Hope Wiseman, Leo Bridgewater, Marijuana Legalization, New Jersey, New Jersey Lawyers, NJ Cannabis Commission, NJ Department of Labor, Visions and Pathways