Alex Leonowicz

Chair- Cannabis Industry Group

Howard & Howard

See Alex speak on this panel

Most lawyers who advise cannabis and other heavily regulated businesses learned the industry from the outside. Alex learned it from inside the operating company — first as counsel, then as General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer, and ultimately as the executive who helped scale a cannabis business from four employees to more than 250 across four states. By the time he returned to private practice, he had negotiated leases and supply agreements, hired and managed teams, worked directly with regulators, raised capital, and navigated audits, license transfers, and inspections firsthand — experiences many cannabis attorneys only encounter secondhand.

That operational background shapes every client engagement, panel discussion, and presentation he participates in today.

Alex is currently a partner at Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC, where he chairs the Cannabis Practice Group. He leads a multidisciplinary team of attorneys across five states, advising clients in highly regulated industries including cannabis, hemp, gaming, and peptides. The group’s work also includes receiverships and restructuring, distressed asset strategy, and fractional general counsel services.

Having built and led the type of in-house legal and operational infrastructure many of his clients are now developing, Alex brings a practical perspective grounded in execution, not theory. That experience allows him to identify the risks that truly matter, anticipate operational and regulatory challenges before they escalate, and help businesses focus on strategies that support sustainable growth.