Paul P. Josephson

serves as a team lead for the Duane Morris Cannabis industry group. Mr. Josephson is a constitutional and regulatory litigator focused on achieving clients’ business and policy objectives. He advises CEOs, elected officials, and agency heads on a broad spectrum of matters involving significant public interests or highly regulated by government agencies.

He presently represents the Gateway Program Development Corporation on the $13 billion Hudson Rail Tunnel project, and serves as Policy Counsel for the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association.

Mr. Josephson's areas of practice include the following:

•government contracting and administration;
•business permitting and licensing;
•economic incentives;
•infrastructure and real estate development/redevelopment;
•environmental and land use regulation, including condemnation and regulatory takings;
•health, energy, banking, insurance and professional regulation;
•corporate compliance and government ethics and transparency;
•political advocacy, including all aspects of election and campaign finance, nonprofit and trade association activity, and media law;
•gaming, including casino, Internet and sports betting, lottery, horse racing, and sweepstakes;
•cannabis licensing, finance, real estate, advocacy and business strategy.

Mr. Josephson’s practice includes legislative and regulatory drafting and extensive appellate court practice and advocacy. He also advises clients in transactional and litigation matters and manages public affairs, media relations and crisis communications.

Mr. Josephson has represented or advised three Presidents, six New Jersey governors, two United States senators, and numerous congressmen, state legislators, mayors and county executives on matters of law and policy. Most recently, he served as counsel to Governor Phil Murphy’s campaign and as senior counsel to his Transition.

Mr. Josephson has served as Chief Counsel to the Governor, and as Director, Division of Law, for the New Jersey Office of Attorney General, where he oversaw the State’s appellate and trial dockets. As Chief of Authorities for the New Jersey Governor, he oversaw more than 50 bi-state and state authorities, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New Jersey Transit and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

During his State service, Mr. Josephson merged the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, fixed New Jersey's broken electronic tolls and vehicle inspection systems, and implemented electronic voting and registration technologies.

Since his state service, Mr. Josephson has been designated to serve as Special Counsel to the State in complex litigation and other matters. In that role he has represented the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and NJ Transit in major cases. He was also selected by the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to co-author the Atlantic City Master Plan blueprint for revitalizing that city in 2012.

He has a special interest in charter school law, having served as the Board President of the top performing charter and public school in New Jersey. He is a trustee of the New Jersey Charter School Association, and advises charter schools on state policy and their unique legal needs.

Mr. Josephson is a 1990 graduate, with honors, of The George Washington University Law School, and a graduate of the University of Michigan.

Cannabis

Paul Josephson is an active member of Duane Morris’ Cannabis Industry Practice Group who counsels a wide range of highly regulated industries. Mr. Josephson advises industry leading multistate operators active in New York and across the country, investors and non-cannabis businesses concerning investments, licensing, regulations, and public policy. As Policy Counsel for the NJ Cannabis Industry Association, he has been a key advocate reforming New Jersey’s medical cannabis program, establishing a comprehensive framework for adult use regulation, educating public officials on cannabis regulation, and advising industry associations in other states.

Resume

Experience

•Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2013-present
•Hill Wallack LLP
- Partner, 2004-2013
•State of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General
- Director, Division of Law/Assistant Attorney General, 2003-2004
•State of New Jersey Office of the Governor
- Chief Counsel to the Governor, Chief of Authorities, 2002-2003
•Sills Cummis
- Partner, 2000-2002
- Associate, 1990-2000

Board Memberships

•Co-Chair and Executive Committee Member of the Regional Plan Association
•Trustee, New Jersey Charter School Association Board

Honors and Awards

•Named to The ROI New Jersey Influencers Power List: Lawyers, 2018 and 2020

•Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Gaming Law Category, 2016-2020

•Named a New Jersey Trailblazer by New Jersey Law Journal, 2019

•Named to The Insider 100: Policymakers List by Insider NJ, 2017-2019

•Named to The Insider 100: Cannabis Power List by Insider NJ, 2019

•Named a Top Rated Lawyer in Appellate Law by The American Lawyer, 2018

•Named to New Jersey Super Lawyers, 2018 and 2019

•Named to NJBiz The Power 100 list, 2017
•Listed in Best Lawyers Greater Philadelphia, 2016
•Recipient, New Jersey State Bar Association Distinguished Legislative Service Award, 2005 and 2011
•Named to PolitickerNJ.com's Power List of Most Influential People, 2002-present
•AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Civic and Charitable Activities

•President, Princeton Charter School Board of Trustees

Publications and Speaking Engagements

Selected Publications

•Contributor, Duane Morris Cannabis Industry Blog
•Quoted, Reopening The Economy, Business Resiliency And Change, Forbes, April 13, 2020
•Co-author, New Guidelines for New Jersey Construction, Retail, Warehouse and Manufacturing Sectors, Duane Morris Alert, April 9, 2020
•Co-author, New Jersey Governor Authorizes State Police to Commandeer Supplies, Property and Services from Private Entities, Duane Morris Alerts, April 6, 2020
•Co-author, New Jersey Economic Development Authority Announces $5,000 Grants for Small Businesses, $100,000 No Interest Loans for Mid-Size Businesses, Duane Morris Alert, March 27, 2020
•Author, Emergency Powers Law in New Jersey, New Jersey Law Journal, March 19, 2020

•Quoted, Why 3rd-Party Testing Labs are Essential to Cannabis Expansion, NJ Cannabis Insider, August 1, 2019

•Quoted, CBD in NJ: Magical Cure for Aches and Anxieties or Just Marijuana Hype? app. (part of USA Today), June 6, 2019

•Quoted, Marijuana Legalization: Cannabis Expo Tells NJ, NY What Comes Next, Ashbury Park Press NJ, June 1, 2019

•Co-Author, President Unveils Plan to Rebuild America's Infrastructure, Duane Morris Alert, February 13, 2018

•Quoted, Off to a Good Start: Insiders are Optimistic about Murphy, ROI, January 16, 2018

•Quoted in “ How Legal Marijuana in New Jersey Will Disrupt Pennsylvania's Medical Program: A Q&A with Duane Morris Lawyers, ” The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 17, 2017

•Co-author, Taking the Leap from Public Service to Private Sector, New Jersey Lawyer, February 2015
•Author, Good Faith No Bar to Attorney Fees Under NJCRA, New Jersey Law Journal, November 6, 2014
•Co-author, New York Voters Approved Casino Expansion - Now What? Law360, November 8, 2013

Selected Speaking Engagements

•Presenter, Cannabis 301: Cannabis Crisis Communications, Duane Morris Cannabis Webinar Series, February 20, 2020

•Speaker, Fall Cannabis Meetup, NJ Cannabis Insider and the New Jersey Cannabis Industry Association, September 18, 2019

•Presenter, Cannabis 204: The Roundup of State Cannabis Legislation, Duane Morris Cannabis Webinar Series, August 20, 2019

•Speaker, Emerging Issues in Cannabis, Medical Office and Green Office Building Leasing, ALI/ABA, Webinar, May 31, 2018

•Panelist, Growing a Sustainable Industry in the Empire State, Crain’s Presents The Business of Cannabis, New York City, April 18, 2019

•Moderator and Panelist, Getting Into the Weeds of Legal Marijuana/Cannabis, NJICLE, New Brunswick, New Jersey, March 26, 2018

•Speaker, Legalizing Marijuana in New Jersey-What It Means to Your Business, Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey, New Jersey, March 7, 2018

•Speaker, Public Private Partnership Option, National Institute for Coastal and Harbor Infrastructure, February 28, 2018

•Speaker, What's Next for Atlantic City?, NJSBA 2017 Annual Conference and Convention, Atlantic City, May 17, 2017
•Moderator, Crossing the Hudson, Regional Plan Association General Assembly,April 21, 2017
•Moderator, What Every New Jersey Attorney Needs to Know About Administrative Law, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education Program, New Brunswick, New Jersey, December 6, 2016
•Speaker, Thought Leadership from the City's Most Active Developers & Investors, Newark Commercial Real Estate Summit, June 21, 2016
•Speaker, Lawyer-lobbying: Advocating Your Client's Interests to Move the Bill and Mobilize Support, New Jersey State Bar Association Town Hall Advocacy Program, Trenton, New Jersey, March 7, 2016
•Moderator, Ethics in State Government, New Jersey State Bar Association 2015 Advocacy Town Hall Program, Trenton, New Jersey, March 2, 2016
•Panelist, Developments in Public Private Partnerships, 2015 30th Construction Superconference, San Diego, December 8, 2015
•Speaker, African Fellowship Program 2015: Liberia, Widener University Delaware Law School, August 25-27, 2015
•Speaker, The Newark CRE Summit, CRE, July 16, 2015
•Co-Presenter, Strategies for Ensuring Open Enrollment for Charter Schools and Hot Topics in Regulation and Innovation; Lead Presenter, Funding Equity, Seventh Annual New Jersey Charter Schools Conference, Atlantic City, New Jersey, March 30-31, 2015
•Moderator, Ethics in State Government, New Jersey State Bar Association 2015 Advocacy Town Hall Program, Trenton, New Jersey, March 9, 2015
•Panelist, Legal Issues: Hot Topics in Charter School Law, 2014 New Jersey Charter Schools Annual Conference, Atlantic City, April 7-8, 2014
•Speaker, The Politics of Public Education, New Jersey Arts and Science Charter Schools Quality In Education Summit, Garfield, New Jersey, January 29, 2014
•Speaker, The First National Conference on State and Local Coastal Adaptation Plans: The Triple Threat of Rising Sea Levels, Extreme Storms and Aging Infrastructure: Coastal Community Reponses and The Federal Role, Boston, MA, November 12, 2013

•Speaker, NJICLE Seminar on Election Law and Political Campaigns, New Brunswick, New Jersey, October 8, 2013

•Moderator, Exploding the Myths of Special Education in Charter Schools, Regulatory Update and Hot Legal Topics, New Jersey Charter School Association Annual Meeting, Atlantic City, April 15-16, 2013
•Lecture Annually for NJICLE on Administrative Law, Election/Campaign Finance Law, Government Ethics, Advocacy Programs
•Moderator and Speaker, New Jersey Future Redevelopment Conferences on Transit-Oriented Redevelopment and Med Redevelopment, 2010 and 2011
•New Jersey Alliance for Action, Moderator on Atlantic City Infrastructure Issues, 2010