Sarah Blitz is special counsel in the Business Trial Practice Group in the firm's Los Angeles office. She is the Co-Leader of the firm's Cannabis Industry Team and a member of the firm's Food and Beverage industry and Product Liability teams.
Cannabis
Sarah is a co-founder and leader of Sheppard's Cannabis Team, which has been recognized as a "Cannabis Practice Group of the Year" by Law360 and ranked by Chambers USA. She is also the Vice Chair of the California Lawyers Association's Cannabis Practitioners Group. Sarah has been individually recognized as a "Top Cannabis Attorney" in California by the Daily Journal and was named to the Global Top 200 Cannabis Attorneys list in 2022. Sarah's cannabis practice spans the legal-cannabis industry value chain. She represents cannabis, hemp, and ancillary businesses in litigation and before regulatory agencies and she also provides counsel on regulatory compliance, business strategy, and risk management. A commercial litigator by training, Sarah is valued by her clients for her strategic insights and ability to anticipate and account for issues before they arise.
Litigation
Sarah is a trial lawyer who serves as litigation counsel on a wide array of complex commercial cases, handling matters from inception through appeal for insurers, manufacturers, sellers, financial institutions, and other businesses. She focuses on products liability, insurance law, commercial contract disputes, professional liability, unfair competition, fraud, and other business torts. She handles all stages of litigation from case filing through dispositive motions, mediation, arbitration, trial, and judgment enforcement. She also has significant appellate and writ experience before the California Court of Appeal.
Product Liability
In addition to her broad cannabis and commercial litigation practice, Sarah also regularly advises consumer products manufacturers and distributors on products liability and regulatory compliance. Sarah regularly works with clients to anticipate, respond to, and address a wide range of product issues - - including liaising with regulatory agencies such as the CPSC, FDA, DEA, and DCC. She also provides due diligence counseling on litigation and product liability issues in connection with investments, mergers, and acquisitions in an array of industries, including cannabis, industrial materials, manufacturing, and consumer packaged goods.
Activities
Outside the firm, Sarah is involved with the Alliance of Moms. She formerly served on the Advisory Council for City Scholars Foundation. Sarah is also active with the Anti-Defamation League and a participant in the Glass Leadership Institute. She was selected to participate on Law360's 2020 Cannabis Editorial Advisory Board.