Joshua Bauchner is joining Mandelbaum Barrett PC as chair of the Roseland-based law firm’s newly expanded Cannabis & Psychedelics Practice Group and partner in its litigation practice group.

As chair, Bauchner will counsel investors, entrepreneurs, growers, distributors and retailers on the growing body of legal, regulatory and business issues affecting the production, sale and use of controlled substances such as cannabis and psychedelics.

Considered an expert in controlled substances law, Bauchner’s background includes serving on the New Jersey State Bar Association Cannabis Law Committee – where he is immediate past co-chair, the New York State Bar Association Cannabis Law Committee and the NORML Legal and Amicus committees.

Bauchner was also instrumental in co-hosting the first-ever Cannabis Symposium in New Jersey and received New Jersey Law Journal’s “Innovator of the Year Award” for his legal work and advocacy in the controlled substance space.

In addition to bringing in a well-known force in the sector, Mandelbaum Barrett unveiled it is renaming its cannabis law practice as the Cannabis & Psychedelics Practice Group to better reflect a changing, complex area of law.

Offering legal expertise in matters such as real estate, regulatory issues, corporate tax, employment law and strategic planning, the practice’s clients range from investors and entrepreneurs to growers and retailers.

“Cannabis is now legal in 38 states and psychedelics are already starting to be legalized in several states,” Bauchner explained. “The value of substances such as psilocybin (colloquially known as ‘hallucinogenic mushrooms’) for medical, recreational, and scientific purposes has been advancing rapidly and is finally being studied.”

“Today, much needed, affordable access to these treatments, for medicinal purposes, in particular, is under consideration, and Mandelbaum Barrett PC is ideally positioned to help guide its clients who are part of this long-overdue development,” he said.

Bauchner also brings extensive experience in complex commercial and securities litigation, class actions and bankruptcy experience to Mandelbaum Barrett, having handled matters ranging from construction and design defect claims to defending corporate clients against securities fraud claims presented by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

He previously co-chaired the Litigation Department, headed up the Controlled Substances and Regulatory Law Department, and was a member of the Community Association and Bankruptcy departments at Ansell Grimm & Aaron PC.

A licensed real estate instructor in New York State, Bauchner also has real estate industry experience having represented condominium and cooperative boards of management. He serves as an adjunct professor at Brooklyn Law School.

He is admitted to practice in both New York and New Jersey, as well as in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan; the United States District Courts for the Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York; the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, as well as the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuit.

A graduate of Wheaton College and Brooklyn Law School, Bauchner will be based in Mandelbaum Barrett’s Roseland headquarters but will also maintain at office at the firm’s New York City location.

On joining the firm, Bauchner stated, “Mandelbaum Barrett PCs full-service practice allows me to bring a greater range of resources to bear on behalf of my large institutional clients, including banking, corporate transaction support, litigation support, land use, healthcare regulatory, and litigation support.”

In commenting on Bauchner’s arrival, the firm’s CEO, William Barrett, said, “Josh brings a wealth of experience and a genuine commitment to supporting and advancing the complex controlled substance industry which is quickly evolving and promises tremendous business growth. His reputation in this space precedes him, and I know our clients will be well represented with his addition to the practice.”