PRESS RELEASE

Renamed, Expanded Practice Adds Prominent Litigator at the Forefront of Cannabis & Psychedelics Law in NJ and NY to Lead Practice Growth

Roseland, NJ  (October 4, 2023) – Joshua S. Bauchner joined Mandelbaum Barrett PC as Chair of its expanded Cannabis & Psychedelics Practice Group and a Partner in its Litigation Practice Group.  The firm also announced that it has renamed its Cannabis Practice as the Cannabis & Psychedelics Practice Group to reflect this growing, multifaceted and complex area of law that includes cannabis and psychedelics.

As Chair, Bauchner will counsel investors, entrepreneurs, growers, distributors, and retailers on the growing body of legal, regulatory, and business issues impacting the production, sale and use of controlled substances such as cannabis and psychedelics. He will be based in the firm’s Roseland, NJ, office and also will maintain an office in its New York City offices.

Bauchner established an industry-leading reputation for being on the vanguard of controlled substances law. For example, he was instrumental in co-hosting the first-ever and highly successful Cannabis Symposium in New Jersey and currently serves on the New Jersey State Bar Association Cannabis Law Committee, were he is the immediate past co-chair, the New York State Bar Association Cannabis Law Committee, and on the NORML Legal and Amicus Committees. In 2022, he received the New Jersey Law Journal’s “Innovator of the Year Award” for his legal work and advocacy in the controlled substance space.

On joining the firm, Bauchner said, “Mandelbaum Barrett PCs full-service practice allows me to bring a greater range of resources to bear on behalf of my large institutional clients, including banking, corporate transaction support, litigation support, land use, healthcare regulatory, and litigation support.”  Bauchner represents a diverse client base from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, as well as cannabis operators and applicants.

He also brings extensive complex commercial and securities litigation, class actions and bankruptcy experience to Mandelbaum Barrett PC having handled matters ranging from construction and design defect claims to defending corporate clients against securities fraud claims presented by the SEC and DOJ. Bauchner previously co-chaired the Litigation Department, headed up the Controlled Substances and Regulatory Law Department, and was a member of the Community Association and Bankruptcy departments at Ansell Grimm & Aaron, PC.

A licensed real estate instructor in New York State, Bauchner also has extensive real estate industry experience having represented condominium and cooperative boards of management. He serves as an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School.

Prior experience also includes clerking for the Honorable Ursula Ungaro in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and serving as the Deputy Director of the Legal Division at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. Committed to serving his community (he resides in New York City), he was appointed by the Manhattan Borough President to Manhattan Community Board 10, where he has served as the Board’s treasurer and co-chaired the Committee on Land Use.

He is admitted to practice in both New York and New Jersey, as well as in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, the United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, as well as the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuit.

Additionally, Bauchner has served on the Board of Trustees for Wheaton College, the New York Theater Ballet, Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance, and the Harlem Wellness Center.

He earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, and a B.A., cum laude, from Wheaton College.

“Josh brings a wealth of experience and a genuine commitment to supporting and advancing the complex controlled substance industry which is quickly evolving and promises tremendous business growth,” noted William S. Barrett, CEO of Mandelbaum Barrett PC. “His reputation in this space precedes him, and I know our clients will be well represented with his addition to the practice.”

A New Look at Cannabis & Psychedelics

Mandelbaum Barrett PC’s move to rename its Cannabis Law Practice and bring in a well-known force in this area underscores the evolving nature of this area of law.  The practice represents investors entrepreneurs, growers, distributors, and retailers and features steep legal expertise in such areas as real estate, regulatory matters, corporate, tax, employment law and strategic planning ”to help these clients not only adapt to the rapidly changing environment but succeed in this burgeoning industry,” Barrett added.

For more information, contact:

Joshua S. Bauchner
(973) 607-1269 | [email protected]