Frantz Ward Welcomes Jean E. Smith-Gonnell to Cannabis Practice Group

Frantz Ward is pleased to announce the addition of Jean E. Smith-Gonnell to the firm’s Cannabis Practice Group as Partner.

As the newest addition to the firm’s growing Cannabis Practice group, Jean brings over 15 years of experience in the cannabis industry and focuses her practice on corporate, regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters for dispensaries, growers, receivers, investors, and other industry stakeholders. She started her cannabis practice in Colorado, at one time, representing approximately 15% of all marijuana businesses in the state. Her cannabis law experience spans both pioneering and emerging markets, equipping her to advise clients in states adopting Colorado’s regulatory model.

Licensed in North Carolina and Colorado, Jean assists her clients across different segments of the industry, including retail and medical marijuana, CBD products, and hemp – a component of North Carolina’s industry that is seeing tightened regulations, particularly on intoxicating hemp-derived products.

Jean works with cannabis clients on day-to-day operations, assisting with disputes, maintaining regulatory compliance, cannabis licensing, mitigating legal risks, and establishing and reorganizing their companies. Whether through settlement or litigation, she helps clients craft solutions that serve their best interests. She also supports business growth, having guided a rural marijuana dispensary transition into a successful, multiregional cannabis enterprise with nearly 20 operational sites spanning dispensaries, cultivation, and manufacturing.

Before joining Frantz Ward, Jean led an AmLaw 100 firm’s cannabis practice and also founded her own cannabis-focused firm in Denver.

She earned her J.D. from University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law in 2011 after receiving her B.A., with honors, from University of Colorado Denver in 2009.