Securities Fraud and D&O Liability in the Cannabis Industry

Meital Manzuri Related Seminars and Products

Managing Partner

Manzuri Law

A leading cannabis attorney and advocate for nearly 15 years, Meital is the Managing Partner for Manzuri Law, leading a diverse team of attorneys and licensing specialists in cannabis and hemp law.  Meital serves as the secretary of the executive committee of INCBA and also the chair of the leading issues committee where they identify cutting edge legal issues for the hemp and cannabis industry and for INCBA members and lawyers serving those industries.

Meital has served as General Counsel for various trade associations responsible for influencing cannabis laws and policies in Los Angeles.  Her other duties include: Vice-Chair of communications for the LA County Bar Association, Cannabis Section, member of the social equity committee to interpret and provide clarity to the industry on LA’s ever evolving cannabis laws and active participation on the pro bono panel for Los Angeles for SEIA.

Meital serves as general counsel for hundreds of cannabis & hemp businesses throughout the country advising on regulatory, corporate and transactional matters and general business law. She has authored hundreds of partnership deals, procured licenses for 200+ different businesses, defended thousands of people accused with cannabis crimes, and her tenure includes some of the most seminal cases in federal and state court.

Meital is the mother of three young children, serves on the board of AYSO and coaches soccer for fun.

Julia Beskin Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan, LLP

Julia Beskin is a partner in the New York office.  Her practice focuses on complex commercial disputes, with an emphasis on securities, contractual disputes, M&A-related litigation, and corporate governance.  Ms. Beskin was recently named a Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyer by Lawdragon 500.   Throughout her career, Ms. Beskin has represented plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving violations of securities registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933 and state blue sky laws; fraud in the sale of public and private securities; insider trading; breach of fiduciary duty by directors and officers; cases alleging market manipulation; and breach of representations and warranties in the sale of stock or corporate assets. Ms. Beskin has also litigated disputes concerning RICO, copyright and patents, trade dress, bankruptcy, and foreclosure under the Uniform Commercial Code.   Additionally, Ms. Beskin has represented clients in regulatory investigations by the SEC, DOJ and various state and foreign agencies, including with regard to OFAC compliance, the FCPA, and accounting fraud.  Ms. Beskin has extensive experience representing clients in the biotech, cannabis, insurance, pharmaceutical, energy, and financial services industries. 

Ms. Beskin is an experienced trial lawyer.  As first chair, she recently secured a total victory in a JAMS arbitration, prevailing entirely on her client’s claim and successfully defending against a $100 million counterclaim.  Among other high profile matters, Ms. Beskin represented the Federal Housing Finance Authority in its landmark securities actions against numerous financial institutions that has resulted in approximately $20 billion in recoveries. 

Stephen Libowski Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Stephen Libowsky is an antitrust and litigation partner focused on helping clients navigate the complexities of antitrust and competition issues in litigation, regulatory, and transactional matters. A trusted business advisor with experience across a variety of industries, Steve’s clients rely on him for a wide range of antitrust and competition issues, including navigating deals through the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, the Federal Trade Commission, and competition agencies globally.

Steve counsels companies across a broad range of critical antitrust-related areas, including joint ventures and operating arrangements, mergers, affiliations, distribution systems, cartels, reimbursement matters, peer review, managed care, and ancillary businesses alleged to involve monopoly leveraging. His antitrust work includes grand jury and internal investigations, relationships with competitors, distribution, pricing, and unfair competition matters. Additionally, Steve has tried antitrust cases to verdict for clients both as a plaintiff and as a defendant.

In addition to handling transactions and resolving disputes, Steve has successfully arbitrated numerous cases to decision before three-member arbitration panels.

Steve has advised clients across an extensive list of industries and sectors, including health care, automobile, agribusiness (including cannabis), energy, entertainment and media, financial services, life sciences, music, pharmaceuticals, sports and technology, among others.

As an active member of his community, Steve maintains a significant pro bono practice, which regularly involves many of today’s most pressing civil rights and liberties issues. He previously served as President of the Public Interest Law Initiative and has been on its Board of Directors for over 25 years. Steve has also earned numerous recognitions for his pro bono work, including the Edward Lewis Award from the Chicago Bar Association and awards from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals; the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois; the Illinois State Bar Association; Access Living; and others.

At the start of his legal career, Steve was a law clerk to the Honorable G. Ernest Tidwell of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia.