Profile
Matt is a partner and chair of both the Cannabis Law and Franchise Law Groups. He is also an accomplished trial and appellate lawyer in the Litigation Group with over a decade of experience advocating on behalf of his business clients.
Matt provides business and regulatory advice to a wide range of cannabis industry stakeholders, including licensed producers, producer applicants, owners of businesses that provide ancillary services to the cannabis industry, entrepreneurs with start-up aspirations and foreign businesses who are looking to enter the Canadian market or enter into partnerships with established Canadian cannabis businesses.
Matt has developed considerable knowledge and expertise under the Cannabis Act and its predecessor legislation, including the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations. Matt prides himself on staying abreast of developing cannabis-related legislation at the federal, provincial and municipal levels across the entire country which allows him to service clients throughout Canada and internationally.
He is frequently sought out by clients to assist in developing promotional strategies and navigating the complexities surrounding the promotional provisions of the Cannabis Act. Matt has acted for a number of American and international celebrities in advising them in their relationships with Canadian cannabis companies.
Matt has helped clients obtain retail sales licenses across the entire country, including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland.
Within his litigation practice, Matt acts for his business clients on a wide range of commercial disputes. He has had numerous successful attendances before the Court of Appeal for Ontario and regularly litigates his clients’ cases in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on trials, applications and motions. Matt has also successfully appeared before the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta.
Matt also acts for franchisors and franchisees both in respect of advising them with regards to their corporate affairs but also in franchise litigation matters. His franchise law experience includes, but is not limited to, advising franchisors and franchisees with respect to their rights and obligations and assisting in the preparation of franchise disclosure documents and other related franchise agreements.
Matt is a regular contributor to print and online media publications on issues pertaining to legal developments within the cannabis industry as well as corporate litigation. Matt is frequently sought out by Canadian media outlets to comment on issues pertaining to the cannabis industry and regularly speaks at industry conferences across the continent. Matt is also an editor of the Torkin Manes Cannabis Law Group blog.