General Counsel

Emerald Lane Recruitment; Boca Raton (FL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Part time

Job summary

Emerald Lane Recruitment seeks a General Counsel for a cannabis-focused MSO. This part-time executive role is onsite three days weekly in Boca Raton and serves as a strategic partner to ownership on governance, risk, and growth strategy.

The candidate should have 10+ years of senior leadership, a JD, and deep cannabis compliance experience to operate in highly regulated environments and support enterprise licensing and expansion efforts.

Qualifications

• Cannabis industry experience with compliance.
• 10+ years senior leadership experience.
• JD or equivalent in business law, governance and regulatory affairs.
• Experience in multi-state or highly regulated environments.
• Operational mindset rather than purely advisory orientation.
• Located in or willing to relocate to South Florida; onsite three days per week in Boca Raton.
• Eligible to work in the United States; visa sponsorship not offered.

Responsibilities

• Participate in enterprise-level strategic planning as a core executive leader.
• Advise ownership on governance, risk, regulatory exposure and business strategy.
• Support licensing, corporate development and expansion initiatives.
• Lead governance cadence and board reporting.
• Oversee governance, contracts and negotiations across the enterprise.
• Coordinate with regulators, counsel and key stakeholders.

Skills

Executive leadership

Governance

Regulatory affairs

Contract management

Enterprise risk

Lender relations

Education

JD degree

Job description

Part-Time Executive | Onsite, Three Days Per Week

Our client is an established multi-state operator (MSO) with vertically integrated cannabis operations across several states.

They are seeking a General Counsel with prior cannabis industry experience, 10 or more years of senior leadership or executive experience, and a Juris Doctor (JD) degree or extensive equivalent experience across business law, corporate governance, regulatory affairs, contracts, and enterprise risk management.

This is a part-time executive role operating as a core member of executive leadership and a strategic partner to ownership. It is not a purely advisory legal position. The successful candidate will be expected to weigh in on growth, organizational structure, risk exposure, and long-term enterprise strategy.

Must-Have Requirements

• Must have prior cannabis industry experience, including cannabis compliance experience.
• Must have 10 or more years of senior leadership or executive experience.
• Must have a Juris Doctor (JD) degree or extensive equivalent experience across business law, corporate governance, regulatory affairs, contracts, and enterprise risk management.
• Must have experience operating within multi-state or highly regulated business environments.
• Must bring a practical, operational mindset rather than a purely advisory orientation.
• Must be located in, or willing to relocate to, the South Florida area and work onsite three days per week in Boca Raton. Relocation assistance is not offered.
• Must be available for quarterly travel to operating locations in Ohio and Maryland.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership & Enterprise Strategy

• Participate in enterprise-level strategic planning and organizational decision-making as a core member of executive leadership.
• Advise ownership and executive leadership on governance, operational risk, regulatory exposure, and business strategy.
• Support growth initiatives, expansion strategy, licensing matters, and corporate development activities.
• Partner with operational leadership to evaluate complex business decisions and priorities.
• Assist in developing scalable operational infrastructure, leadership systems and decision-making processes.
• Lead board meetings and support board-level reporting and governance cadence.

Governance, Contracts & Negotiations

• Oversee and coordinate governance structures, executive policies and contractual matters.
• Lead or support strategic business negotiations across commercial, corporate and operational matters.
• Review vendor contracts and manage contractual risk across the enterprise.
• Apply a strong working understanding of HR policies to employment and workplace matters.
• Serve as a senior liaison between executive leadership, ownership, regulators, external counsel and key business stakeholders.

Regulatory & Compliance Oversight

• Provide compliance oversight across cannabis operations in each operating state.
• Conduct quarterly onsite compliance and operational audits at operating locations.
• Monitor regulatory developments in each operating state and assess their impact on business strategy and licensing.
• Support license applications, renewals, regulatory filings and regulator engagement.
• Liaise with outside counsel, including regulatory attorneys, tax advisors and corporate lawyers.
• Evaluate enterprise risk across operational, financial, legal, reputational and regulatory dimensions.
• Provide leadership during organizational change, operational complexity, crisis management or strategic transition.
• Balance business growth objectives against regulatory and operational realities.
• Escalate material risks to ownership and executive leadership with practical mitigation options.
• Contribute financial acumen to enterprise decision-making, including reviewing credit agreements.
• Work directly with lenders and support financing, capital and banking relationships.
• Evaluate the financial implications of contracts, transactions and expansion opportunities.

Experience & Skill Requirements

• Prior cannabis industry experience, including cannabis compliance experience.
• 10 or more years of senior leadership or executive experience.
• A Juris Doctor (JD) degree or extensive equivalent business and legal leadership experience.
• Experience operating within multi-state or highly regulated business environments.
• Sophisticated understanding of governance, contracts, negotiations and enterprise risk.
• Demonstrated ability to influence executive decision-making and organizational strategy.
• Strong executive judgment and leadership presence, with political judgment, discretion and high emotional intelligence.
• Senior leadership experience within other highly regulated sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, financial services, gaming or alcohol.
• Experience reviewing credit agreements and working directly with lenders.
• Board-level experience, including leading or chairing board meetings.
• Working knowledge of HR policies and employment practices.

Location & Travel

Onsite three days per week in Boca Raton, Florida, approximately 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with quarterly travel to operating locations in Ohio and Maryland. Compensation will be discussed during the interview process.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Emerald Lane Recruitment is committed to advancing equity and inclusion across the global cannabis industry. We proudly support our clients in building teams that reflect the full diversity of the communities they serve. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic, in accordance with applicable human rights legislation.