Office Location: Norfolk, VA.

Jonathan is a member of the firm’s Hemp & Medical Cannabis Group, the Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Group, and the Government Contracts Practice Group. Jonathan advises business in the emerging hemp and medical cannabis industries as well as businesses in various technology related fields, advising clients on a range of matters related to hemp and cannabis regulations, contract negotiations, data privacy and security, data breach planning and response, cyber risk liability and compliance, software development and licensing, and other technology related matters.  Jonathan has also advised businesses and individuals concerning federal firearms laws.

SKILLED IN CANNABIS LAW FOR BUSINESSES
Before joining Vandeventer Black, Jonathan was an attorney in state government at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Jonathan was a member of the Department’s team responsible for the development and implementation of the State of New Hampshire’s first therapeutic cannabis program which continues to this day. That three-year effort included the development of the program model, program regulations, the dispensary applications process, selection of dispensaries, and the eventual licensing of four therapeutic cannabis dispensaries that are the first of their kind in the state.  Presently, Jonathan assists businesses in the emerging hemp and cannabis related industries, including advising clients on state and federal laws concerning these industries, contract negotiations, and licensing issues.

PREVENTIVE APPROACH TO DATA PRIVACY AND SECURITY
Before joining the Firm, Jonathan also helped develop and implement New Hampshire’s strategic plan to address cybercrime. He currently assists his clients in resolving issues related to cybersecurity, data privacy, and information management and cyber breach response. He provides clients with guidance on all aspects of data privacy and security including compliance with laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), as well as state data privacy and security laws and unlawful computer use statutes.

Jonathan also negotiates contracts for clients involving software development and implementation, Software as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Infrastructure as a Service and represents clients in legal disputes involving all types of technology-related contracts. Utilizing his unique background and experience both in the government and private sectors, Jonathan helps clients navigate the complexities of data privacy and security, information technology and software development contracts, health care law, state and federal contracting, and grant compliance issues.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS LEGAL COUNSEL
Jonathan also managed the procurement bureau of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services where he was responsible for overseeing the contracting processes of New Hampshire’s largest state agency. Jonathan advises clients on a wide variety of government contracting issues at both the state and federal level, including contract disputes and issues related to cybersecurity, data rights and intellectual property.

EXPERIENCED LITIGATOR
Jonathan spent years as a criminal trial attorney, both as a prosecutor and a defense attorney. He was an adjunct instructor at the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Academy, where he trained law enforcement officers on various subjects including expert testimony regarding computer forensics, criminal law, motor vehicle law, and constitutional issues involving search and seizure. He was also a strategic planning consultant for the national network of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces. Jonathan has significant courtroom experience, including conducting trials both before the bench and juries, and has argued appellate cases before the New Hampshire Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston.

COMMITTED TO EDUCATION
Jonathan presently teaches business law online for Southern New Hampshire University and has taught college level courses on constitutional law, criminal law, criminal procedure, white collar crime, and critical thinking, and has presented on such topics as, cannabis and hemp law, identity theft, cybersecurity, cyber liability insurance, ethics, the Electronic Communications and Privacy Act (ECPA), computer forensics and other technology-related topics.

Jonathan is originally from New Jersey and attended Rutgers University, where he received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and was a George H. Cook Scholar. He attended the University of New Hampshire Law School and lived in New Hampshire for over 25 years before moving to Virginia.