The key to any association is the people who make up the network. From lawyers and banking professionals, to commercial cannabis business owners and all who fall in between, we are proud of the diverse and expanding network of professionals and experts who are our members. To show our appreciation for the exceptional individuals in our community, we are highlighting Alice Denenberg this week. Please reach out and connect with her on LinkedIn!
Alice is an attorney at Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman, P.C. (GRR) with a focus on U.S. and international trademark protection where she helps clients investigate and secure trademark protection for their cannabis brands. GRR is a full-service intellectual property law firm assisting clients all over the world with patents, trademarks and copyrights, namely counseling, protection, enforcement, transactional, and litigation. Alice completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, with a joint major in computer science and new media, and her law degree at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. Alice is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.
Alice always knew she wanted to work as an attorney. In law school, she fell in love with intellectual property (IP) law, specifically trademark law. Cannabis trademarks have emerged as the new trademark gold rush, Alice says, so assisting cannabis businesses was a natural expansion of her current practice. In the US today, cannabis trademarks require a thoughtful approach due to the limitations on federal trademark protection. The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill only incrementally increased the possibility of protection, so businesses rely on Alice and her Firms’ guidance to formulate sound strategies for risk assessment in their cannabis brands. Alice’s firm also assists cannabis companies in risk assessment by securing and protecting cannabis-related copyrights and patents. She believes that as legalization expands across the US and worldwide, ACCCE’s resources and webinars will assist them in providing services that adhere to best practices both in the legal and cannabis industries. Alice plans to use ACCCE best practices to supplement her current risk management practices in IP law, which will help her provide the best services and guidance to cannabis businesses looking to secure IP protection. To say the least, GRR is fortunate to have Alice as a part of the team.
Alice first heard about the Association of Certified Commercial Cannabis Experts through a mutual friend and is an ACCCE member. “ACCCE membership provides credibility to cannabis businesses and businesses that serve the cannabis industry and signals to others that our organization is serious about its participation in the cannabis industry.” Because many businesses rely on attorneys to manage the risk of their ventures, Alice is looking into certification to provide her with the legitimacy associated with the completion of the certification process, and an in-depth commercial cannabis knowledge so she can better guide businesses by managing their risk in acquiring and defending their intellectual property.
Alice has been married for over 10 years, and has three young kids ages 9, 6, and 1. She grew up in Ottawa, Canada, (known as the second coldest capital city in the world after Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia), and has lived in Toronto, Boston, and NYC. Today, she resides with her family in North New Jersey. In her free time, Alice loves collecting and growing plants and enjoying her garden in the spring and summer. She also loves to listen to books on Audible, her favorite being the Harry Potter series.
We are proud to have an esteemed member like Alice in our network. As our community continues to grow, we find it important to thank our members for their commitment to professionalizing the commercial cannabis industry. Thank you, Alice, for being such an important part of the cannabis community. Together, we are a part of something great.
