Kelsey Middleton

Kelsey Middleton is an associate in the firm’s Litigation department and Cannabis practice. She joined Goodwin in 2021.

Kelsey has assisted cannabis and hemp industry businesses with obtaining the requisite licenses, permits and approvals to lawfully participate in state-sanctioned regulated markets and maintaining regulatory compliance. Additionally, Kelsey has drafted memoranda on novel cannabis and hemp related issues, including the feasibility of introducing new cannabis and hemp products and mechanisms to market, contributed to successful merit licensing applications, and conducted regulatory due diligence for proposed joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions.

Kelsey’s recent experience includes :

• Providing advice and counseling related to compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations applicable to cannabis, hemp and cannabinoid businesses to a range of entities, including Bespoke Financial, Dutchie, Hassie Holdings, TRPC, Waitr and a Fortune 500 multinational company
• Performing regulatory and licensing due diligence in connection with financings, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures for a range of entities, including private equity funds
• Providing advice and counsel concerning the defense and enforcement of intellectual property rights for a variety of software and consumer products companies
• Representing a large, well known digital assets exchange in defense of litigation asserting civil conspiracy and money laundering
• Representing BrowserStack in defense of patent litigation
• Representing Company X in pre-litigation counseling

Kelsey also maintains an active pro bono practice. Recent experience includes:

• Preparing a clemency petition for an individual sentenced to a decade in prison for a crime involving cannabis through the Cannabis Justice Initiative
• Interviewing and preparing citizenship applications through Project Citizenship
• Corresponding with incarcerated people who identify as transgender regarding legal advocacy and issues impacting the incarcerated transgender community through the Transgender Law Center Prison Mail Response Program

Prior to joining Goodwin, Kelsey was a regulatory specialist and associate attorney at Vicente Sederberg LLP. During law school, Kelsey completed internships at Emerge Law Group and the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation.

Prior to joining Goodwin, Kelsey was a regulatory specialist and associate attorney at Vicente Sederberg LLP. During law school, Kelsey completed internships at Emerge Law Group and the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation.

• Member/ BYA Liaison, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Cannabis Section Executive Committee
• Member, Minority Cannabis Business Association

While attending law school, Kelsey received a CALI award for earning the highest grade in Legal Analysis, Research, and Communications.

• Co-Author, "Lingering Questions After 9th Circ.’s Delta-8 TM Ruling," Law360, June 2022
• Co-Author, “Ninth Circuit Rules Delta-8 THC Is Legal,” Goodwin Client Alert, May 24, 2022
• Co-Author, “Mississippi Becomes 37th State to Legalize Medical Cannabis,” Goodwin Client Alert, February 4, 2022
• Co-Author, “California Finally Breaks From FDA on CBD: Governor Newsom Signs AB-45,” Goodwin Client Alert, October 9, 2021
• Contributor, The Cannabis Business: Understanding Law, Finance, and Governance in America’s Newest Industry
• Co-Author, “Cannabis and COVID-19 – A Legal Perspective,” NCIA Banking & Financial Services Committee Blog, May 21, 2020