GINA AUSTIN, FOUNDER
Gina Austin is the founder and managing attorney of Austin Legal Group and is the head of the company’s Cannabis, Securities, and Corporate and Land Use Departments. Austin Legal Group currently represents cannabis companies of all types in dozens of jurisdictions throughout California as well as Colorado, Washington, Oregon, New York and Nevada. Since focusing on the cannabis industry in 2013, Gina has worked with over 150 cannabis companies in all areas of the supply chain. Gina has been a featured speaker in dozens of cannabis conferences, providing insight on a wide variety of topics such as land use, zoning, regulatory compliance and environmental issues. Gina’s experience in land use entitlement has provided a foundation for great success obtaining permits from local municipalities. As a seasoned securities attorney, Gina also advises cannabis companies on funding strategies and the public markets.
Prior to working in the cannabis industry, Gina spent six years in the legal profession representing private citizens, businesses, military and government entities on land use, zoning and planning, litigation, environmental regulation and permitting as a private attorney and at the specialty law firm Worely Schwartz Garfield and Prairie.
Gina is also the founder of ALG Strategies, a cannabis consulting firm that assists prospective and existing cannabis license holders through the complex application, licensing, and permitting process both at state and local levels.
Prior to obtaining her law degree, Gina provided strategic and business planning advice and consulting services to early-stage technology companies. As Managing Director of Knowledge Transfer from 1996 to 2003, Gina worked with companies to define technology and product development strategies, evaluate and develop business and operational plans, create funding roadmaps, and prepare executives for public speaking engagements. During this time, she was also a business plan and panel reviewer for the Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology and the City of San Diego Emtek Program. She was a Board Member for the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (now WITI), Navajo Community Planners, Inc., and The Foundation of Gage Elementary School. As an attorney, Gina’s clients have included several large materials construction companies with revenues in excess of $3 billion, master planned communities with 1,500 to 3,000 private homes, and the City of San Diego.
Memberships
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, member of the Public Policy Committee and Cannabis working group
National Cannabis Industry Association, member
California Cannabis Industry Association, member
International Cannabis Bar Association, member
San Diego County Bar Association, member Land Use Law and Business & Corporate Law Sections
Education
J.D., Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Cum Laude
M.A., San Diego State University
B.A., San Diego State University