CALIFORNIA STATE BAR - Key Persons
Andrew Kingsdale has experience working with us as an Associate Transactional Attorney and now holds an Of Counsel position. Andrew is passionate about the medical benefits of cannabinoids and helping cannabis, hemp, and psychedelics businesses thrive in California and New York.
Andrew has over a decade of legal experience, including representing cannabis and hemp cultivators, distributors, and retailers in various business transactions such as mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property registration, brand and trade secret licensing, commercial leases, as well as obtaining and maintaining local permits and state licenses. Before joining the Law Offices of Omar Figueroa, Andrew also litigated scores of cases in both federal and state courts, successfully advocating on behalf of businesses, consumers, and environmental non-profit organizations.
Andrew has been selected to Northern California Super Lawyers® for 2021, and before that was a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers® from 2015 to 2017. He is an active member of the New York State Bar Association Committee on Cannabis Law, as well as the New York City and Hudson Valley Cannabis Industry Associations.
Andrew graduated from Dartmouth College with a focus on Asian Studies. After working in China for five years, he earned his law degree with honors from Temple University School of Law. Andrew developed legal expertise while clerking for the Honorable Anita B. Brody, federal district court judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Internships at the United States Attorney's Office and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also provided insight for future advocacy. Mr. Kingsdale is licensed to practice law in California, New York and Massachusetts.
Barbara Marland, our Executive Manager, oversees management of the firm behind the scenes, and supervises operations, accounting, taxes, and human resources. Barbara graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She and Omar are happy to be raising their two wonderful boys in Sebastopol.
Senior Associate Lauren Mendelsohn is an activist at heart who enjoys helping individuals and businesses navigate regulatory regimes and the justice system. An East Coast native with roots in New York and New Jersey, Lauren was named a Northern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers® in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and a "Lawyer of Distinction" in the area of Intellectual Property by Sonoma Magazine in 2021.
Lauren focuses on cannabis permitting and licensing, regulatory compliance, business transactions, intellectual property, government affairs (including drafting local ordinances and citizen initiatives, lobbying decision-making bodies, and appearing for clients at administrative hearings), and post-conviction relief. She has spoken at numerous cannabis industry conferences and events, and has also taught several continuing legal education seminars in both live and virtual formats. She was selected as a judge for the 2022 Emerald Cup competition.
For several years, Lauren has been involved in drug policy reform as well as other social justice efforts. She formerly chaired the Board of Directors of Students for Sensible Drug Policy, an international non-profit aimed at ending the counterproductive "War on Drugs." She also served a term on the Board of the International Cannabis Bar Association. Currently, Lauren sits on the Board of Directors of California NORML, the Sonoma County Growers Alliance, and Círculos Inc. (a nonprofit organization that supports female entrepreneurs in rural areas through work exchanges and educational events focusing on agritourism). She also volunteers as a chapter leader the Sonoma County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, and is a member of Americans for Safe Access' California Advisory Committee.
Lauren earned her JD from the University of California, Irvine School of Law and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Maryland. She is a proud member and supporter of the California State Bar, the Sonoma County Bar Association, the International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA), Sonoma County Growers Alliance (SCGA), the Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) Alumni Association, California NORML, the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Sonoma County Regional Parks.