Distressed Buyouts - How to Facilitate a Win-Win in a Losing Situation
Hilary St. Jean

Distressed Buyouts- How to Facilitate a Win-Win in a Losing Situation

Many businesses are suffering through the current pandemic as well as the related and unrelated unstable economic conditions. At Rogoway Law we are witness to many companies tightening belts, reducing their workforce, and coming up with ways to continue through these challenging circumstances. For companies, it’s important to know when to cut losses. It’s never an easy decision but it

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Hilary St. Jean

Getting Acquisition Ready

Even if your company is not preparing for an acquisition, the company should always be acquisition ready. What that essentially means is: (1) the company should always be mindful of de-risking and mindful of its corporate affairs: the company should be clean and clear from a corporate legal perspective and risk perspective; and (2) the company should have a business

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Corporate Governance Set Up For Business Ventures
Hilary St. Jean

Employees, Officers and Directors, Oh My!
The Importance of Selecting Proper Governance for Your Business Venture.

Putting together the best team for your business is anything but simple. Starting day one you want to find the right partners, if any, to embark on a long-term journey. This doesn’t stop at seeking the right co-founder(s), if any, to join you in your endeavor. It continues into setting up the governance and control of your business in terms

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A Wage & Hour Primer for HR Managers of California Cannabis Businesses
Rogoway Law Group

AB 1525 Makes Financial Services More Accessible to Cannabis Industry Operators

On Tuesday – September 29, 2020 – Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1525 into law. This bill will remove state penalties against banks that serve cannabis industry clients in California, the world’s largest legal cannabis market. In a signing statement declaring his support, the Governor highlighted the bill’s “potential to increase the provisions of financial services to the legal

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Force Majeure Clauses: Pandemic-Proofing Cannabis & Hemp Industry Contracts in California
Josh Zetlin

Force Majeure Clauses: Pandemic-Proofing Cannabis & Hemp Industry Contracts in California

Due to government-issued shutdowns, quarantines, and employee wellness concerns,  industries worldwide are facing severe declines in productivity. While the world waits for a COVID-19 vaccine, as cannabis and hemp industry operators, you might have a lot of questions about whether or not your business is obligated to perform under its contracts in this time of crisis. Something called a “force

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20 Things to Do in 2020- New Year’s Resolutions for Cannabis Businesses!
Hilary St. Jean

20 Things to Do in 2020- New Year’s Resolutions for Cannabis Businesses!

1. Reconsider Corporate Structure: Is the entity type right for your business? Are investors indicating different preference (e.g. a corporation instead of a limited liability company)? Consider changing things up this New Year, subject to compliance considerations and limitations around permits and licenses, to align with general preferences and limitations on liability for cannabis businesses. 2. Ensure Written Policies and

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How California cannabis companies can earn more money in 2020.
Hilary St. Jean

Clean the Slate: Ways to Make Money in 2020

As we get ready to ring in the New Year, we know cannabis businesses would like to hear their cash registers ringing as well. California cannabis companies have struggled recently with over-valuations, over-promised performance forecasts and under-delivery on revenues and forecasts. Investors have struggled to fully comprehend why their investments have not panned out as expected in the emerging legal

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Fast Funds For Cannabis Companies: Promissory Note Financings
Hilary St. Jean

Fast Funds for Cannabis Companies: Promissory Note Financings

Many cannabis companies are finding themselves strapped for cash and in need of emergency funding or interim financings between larger equity raises. Often these fast funds come in the form of loans from either existing investors or family and friends. These loans, more often than not, tend to take the form of a promissory note. Promissory notes are instruments that

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Ten Tips on Pitching your Cannabis Business & Setting It Up for Success
Hilary St. Jean

Ten Tips on Pitching your Cannabis Business & Setting It Up for Success

Know Your Stuff.  It’s crucial that you come across as competent, professional and knowledgeable.  For sophisticated investors, knowledge about the business doesn’t mean only knowledge about the product and the brand; it’s likely to also encompass knowledge regarding the business plan and vision, the corporate structure and capitalization, as well as financials and forecasts. Be Succinct and Distinguishable.  There’s a

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Hilary St. Jean

Understanding Cannabis Company Valuations: Principles, Challenges and Methodologies

Cannabis Company Valuation Challenges Valuing a company is a complex analysis. Layering on the regulatory and political uncertainty in the cannabis industry adds to the complexity for cannabis companies versus other industries. In Canada, having a public market to compare to can help give some idea perhaps of where the future of cannabis-related valuations in the U.S. may go, but

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