Jonathan Havens

Chair, Regulatory & Compliance Practice Group

Saul Ewing LLp

See Jonathan speak on this panel

Jonathan Havens is the managing partner of the Baltimore office and chair of the Regulatory & Compliance Practice at Saul Ewing LLP.  He counsels state cannabis license applicants and awardees, ancillary service and product providers, investors, management companies, and various other entities that are affected by federal and state cannabis laws.  In addition to his cannabis law practice, Jonathan maintains an active food and beverage practice, particularly with regard to cannabinoid products, in which he counsels manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of conventional foods, dietary supplements, and beverages on product development, claim substantiation, labeling, promotion, registration, reporting, and recall issues to ensure compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and state and local requirements.

Since 2019, Chambers USA has recognized Jonathan as one of America’s leading lawyers in cannabis law.  In 2021, Law360 selected Jonathan as a cannabis law rising star, making him one of only five attorneys nationwide to receive that honor.  He is regularly interviewed by mainstream and trade press outlets, alike, and has been quoted by or authored pieces for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Reuters, CNBC, WIRED, MarketWatch, Engadget, Law360, High Times Magazine, Cannabis Business Times, and Marijuana Business Daily, among others.  Jonathan currently serves on the Food and Drug Law Institute’s Board of Directors, CSP’s C-Store Cannabis Board, and previously served multiple terms on Law360’s Cannabis Editorial Advisory Board.

Before entering private practice, Jonathan served as a regulatory counsel with FDA, where he focused on compliance and enforcement related to promotion, advertising, and labeling.  Prior to law school, Jonathan served as a legislative aide in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.