We are very excited to welcome industry-leading experts to speak on these topics.

Jennifer D. Newton, Corporate Attorney with Greenberg Traurig, P.A.,

Jennifer leads a team of consultants who provide risk advisory services on banking regulatory and consumer financial service compliance matters. Before joining Greenberg, Jennifer served as an enforcement attorney at the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington, DC. With her combined experience in the federal government, law firm, and in-house compliance positions, Jennifer offers an uncommonly broad range and depth of consumer compliance expertise in banking and financial service matters.

She regularly advises clients on a variety of banking and compliance matters across established and emerging business lines. Her background in navigating challenging regulatory pathways in new financial markets serves her well as she assists banks and fintech clients with matters related to consumer protection issues, emerging payments systems issues, ecommerce, cannabis banking, data breach and federal and state privacy law.Well-respected by her peers, Jennifer has been featured in several publications such as the Daily Business Review, American Banker, Bankrate, Techtarget and JDSupra and she frequently speaks at prominent industry conferences. Jennifer was named by Legacy Magazine as one of South Florida’s Most Powerful and Influential Black Leaders and selected for inclusion in the National Black Lawyers’ “Top 40 under 40” in Banking and Finance in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Jennifer is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a graduate of Leadership Florida and the Florida Bar William Reece Smith Jr. Leadership Academy.

Justin M. L. Stern is an Associate with Duane Morris LLP in the firm’s Miami office

Justin is a member of the firm’s Trial Practice Group and its Cannabis Industry Group. Focused primarily on commercial litigation and compliance matters, he routinely provides regulatory advice to businesses in the cannabis industry, from “plant-touching” companies to ancillary businesses. Justin is well-versed in the developing state and federal legislative and regulatory landscapes governing the manufacture and sale of cannabis products (both marijuana and hemp) and counsels cannabis businesses on issues related to the cultivation, processing, packaging, distribution and retail sale of cannabis-derived products.

Ari H. Gerstin is a Partner with Akerman LLP in the firm’s Miami office.

Ari is member of Akerman’s Cannabis Practice, which provides counsel to clients on the legal and business issues impacting companies with interests in the legal cannabis sector. Recognized in 2018 by the National Law Journal as one of the country’s “Cannabis Law Trailblazers” and in 2019 by the Daily Business Review as a “Florida Trailblazer,” Ari counsels clients seeking to apply for, purchase, and sell cannabis cultivation, processing, and dispensing licenses and advises investors and industry participants regarding diligence and compliance matters. In addition, Ari has significant experience litigating issues arising under to state cannabis laws. Notably, Ari currently represents a prospective medical marijuana treatment center in high-profile litigation challenging the State of Florida’s implementation of the Medical Marijuana Amendment (a/k/a Amendment 2), which has resulted in a determination that the implementing statute is unconstitutional. Ari also currently represents a medical marijuana patient diagnosed with stage IV cancer that is challenging the constitutionality of the State of Florida’s ban on the medical use of fresh raw marijuana plant material.