PORTLAND — Verrill is pleased to welcome Jill G. Cohen to the firm as partner residing in the firm’s Portland office.
“As my clients’ businesses have grown, so has their need to have access to an exceptional full-service law firm. I am proud and grateful to have joined Verrill to assure that my clients have the support they need as we continue to grow together in Maine’s cannabis industry,” said Cohen.
Cohen began her legal career in Georgia as a public defender. She later served as a felony prosecutor, then entered private criminal defense practice, before transitioning to cannabis law. She served as a visiting professional in the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Cohen co-founded a criminal justice non-profit, The Georgia Innocence Project, which over the past 20 years has worked to exonerate the wrongfully convicted. Throughout her career Cohen has been a keen advocate for cannabis descheduling and legalization. In 2016, she became licensed in Maine with the goal of counseling and representing cannabis businesses as they grow their businesses and navigate complex statutory and regulatory requirements.
Cohen is a member of the International Cannabis Bar Association, Maine Municipal Association, Cumberland Bar Association and serves as the vice chair of the State of Georgia Cannabis & Hemp Law section. She provides pro bono counsel to several cannabis industry organizations in Maine. Cohen works diligently to stay current on the ever-evolving changes in federal and state cannabis law. She strives to be a resource for her clients, understanding that they must operate at all times in a compliance-first environment. She partners with her clients to assure compliance in a complex uncertain regulatory environment.
“Verrill has worked with a number of cannabis businesses in the community on a variety of issues such as formation and regulatory compliance, and through the firm’s government relations subsidiary, Maine Street Solutions, on advocacy,” explained Scott Anderson, Verrill managing partner. “Jill complements our team, bringing in-depth knowledge and experience on the evolving regulatory landscape and unique challenges that face our clients in this rapidly growing sector.”
Cohen received her law degree from Georgia State University College of Law and her undergraduate degree from Ithaca College.
Verrill is a full-service law firm with more than 160 attorneys and seven offices throughout the Northeast. The firm’s attorneys provide award-winning client service to businesses and individuals across the country and around the globe in a variety of areas and industries, including construction, energy, food and beverage, health care, higher education, manufacturing, technology, and telecommunications, among others. For more information about the firm and its values, visit www.verrill-law.com.
