Berger Singerman's Leonard K. Samuels to Serve on Florida Hemp Advisory Committee

July 25, 2019

New committee under Commissioner Nikki Fried aims to make Florida
a national leader in hemp industry

Berger Singerman, Florida’s business law firm, is pleased to announce that partner Leonard K. Samuels has been appointed by Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Nikki Fried, to serve on the Florida Hemp Advisory Committee.

The newly-formed committee was created to advise on hemp related issues and opportunities with a goal of making Florida a national leader in hemp production, following the passage of Senate Bill 1020. “Hemp's reclassification provides an enormous opportunity for Florida agriculture to drive job growth and revenue in a potential multi-billion-dollar industry,” Fried previously stated in her remarks for 2019 Associated Press Day.

As a partner at Berger Singerman and member of the firm’s Dispute Resolution Team, Samuels represents companies and individuals in the cannabis industry.  His extensive business litigation experience will benefit the committee as it advises the state on how to become the gold standard for hemp production.

“I am honored by Commissioner Fried’s appointment and the opportunity to serve, and I look forward to helping move hemp and cannabis forward in Florida through the advisory committee’s work,” said Samuels.

Samuels is consistently recognized on leading lists of top lawyers, such as The Best Lawyers in America®, most recently being named the Labor and Employment Litigation Lawyer of the Year (Fort Lauderdale) in 2019. Committed to his community, Samuels is a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Board for the Jewish Federation of Broward County, a member of the Board of Directors of Federal Bar Association of Broward County, a member of the Board for Broward Business for the Arts and more.