Reed Smith has brought on Marc Hauser, who recently chaired Napa Valley boutique GVM Law's cannabis law department, to help grow its cannabis law practice.

Hauser moved from Chicago to California's Napa Valley during the winter of 2017, drawn by the Golden State's better weather and thriving wine industry. However, as more states legalize the use of cannabis, the self-proclaimed “wine nerd” has also found himself getting more involved in deals relating to the cannabis industry.

“The legal cannabis industry is still relatively new in this country and quickly changing,” Hauser said. “As more investment capital comes in, as competition from the legal Canadian companies comes in, as companies are quickly trying to gain a national presence, as a result, there is a lot of consolidation.”