PRESS RELEASE
DENVER (January 12, 2021) – Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Andrew J. Kline has joined the firm in Denver as a senior counsel in the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice and Cannabis Law Industry Group.
Kline brings a rare combination of public policy, cannabis law, coalition building and prosecutorial expertise to the firm, following decades of service in the highest levels of government and in the private and non-profit sectors. Drawing on his fourteen years of experience as a federal prosecutor, and public service working as policy advisor to then-Vice President Biden and counsel to then-Senator Biden, Kline will represent clients in some of most sensitive areas of law and policy.
“The cannabis industry continues to rapidly evolve and is now a 15 billion-dollar industry that includes startups, emerging private companies, and publicly traded corporations and we’re truly excited to welcome Andrew to our growing team,” said Barak Cohen, Firmwide Chair of Perkins Coie’s Cannabis Industry Group. “Andrew has a deep understanding of the cannabis marketplace – legally, politically, scientifically and business-wise – which we know will greatly benefit our industry practice for clients across the country.”
Most recently, Andrew had been leading public policy for the cannabis industry at the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), the industry’s preeminent trade organization for the state-legal cannabis industry, and was previously president of the National Association of Cannabis Business. Prior to joining the cannabis industry, Andrew held a variety of high-profile positions in government and the private sector. Andrew’s experience as a federal prosecutor includes six years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia. He also served as a federal prosecutor for six years in the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, with the DOJ’s Criminal Division, and in the Enforcement Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission. Kline has first-chaired over forty criminal jury trials, twelve bench trials, and argued numerous criminal appeals.
“We’re pleased to welcome an attorney of Andrew’s experience to the firm and our Denver office as we continue to invest in Denver and the wider region,” said Sonny Allison, Managing Partner of Perkins Coie’s Denver office. “Andrew’s depth of experience serving the cannabis industry will be a great resource and asset for clients looking to further grow and develop their businesses, or who are facing legal and regulatory challenges.”
At NCIA, Andrew led public policy development and created and led its Policy Council – the “think tank” for the cannabis industry. Under Kline’s leadership, the Council developed public policies to promote, grow, and protect state-legal cannabis businesses. The Council’s work served to inform and influence members of Congress, Executive Branch officials, state legislators and regulators, the media, and industry stakeholders on matters critical to the future of the burgeoning industry.
Andrew earned his J.D. from the Pepperdine University School of Law and his B.S. from Emerson College. He also has an M.P.A. from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Kline is admitted to the Bar in Colorado, California, and Washington, DC.
Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,100 attorneys in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.
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