April 4, 2022
The National Law Journal has named McGuireWoods counsel Katherine “Kae” Gruner as a Cannabis Law Trailblazer, honoring her work advising businesses at the cutting edge of the emerging cannabis industry.
Based in Atlanta, Gruner represents companies in the cannabis, pharmaceutical, medical device, dietary supplement, food and beverage, and healthcare technology industries. She counsels clients on intellectual property, data privacy, corporate and transactional matters, as well as interactions with federal and state regulatory agencies. She also contributes to the firm’s “Edible Bites” podcast and its biweekly “In the Weeds” newsletter focusing on cannabis, hemp and CBD issues.
Before joining McGuireWoods, Gruner was associate counsel for a pharmaceutical company and its subsidiaries. In that role, she handled patent and trademark matters and had significant responsibility for drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts for company affiliates, as well as policies relating to data privacy, licensing and regulatory compliance. That experience informs her work with cannabis industry clients, she told The National Law Journal.
“At this point in history, cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds have exciting, untapped potential for commercialization from a drug perspective, as well as from a dietary supplement and food perspective,” Gruner said. “As a lawyer in the space, it’s been really fun to see just how rapidly the changing laws around the country are allowing new businesses to grow and flourish.”
McGuireWoods has a full-service interdisciplinary team of lawyers and government affairs consultants dedicated to assisting cannabis clients on emerging issues across the regulatory landscape. The National Law Journal previously honored McGuireWoods partner Kate Hardey and associate Royce DuBiner as Cannabis Law Trailblazers.
“I am honored to be recognized by The National Law Journal and to be part of a McGuireWoods team doing important work to help clients innovate and compete in a rapidly evolving market,” Gruner said.