Sahar Ayinehsazian is a partner in the Corporate and Cannabis groups at A.Y. Strauss, where she focuses on corporate law, banking, and the cannabis industry. She represents businesses, investors, and financial institutions in complex corporate transactions, including formations, financings, mergers and acquisitions, licensing agreements, and creative restructuring solutions for cannabis-related businesses that lack access to traditional bankruptcy protections.

Sahar serves as a steadfast advisor, confidant, and protector to clients, maintaining enduring partnerships that rely on her judgment and care. Recognized as a leading corporate attorney in the highly regulated industries, Sahar has guided multi-state operators and emerging companies through intricate regulatory frameworks and national expansion. Her work is informed by her prior role as Director of Regulatory and Governmental Affairs at a multi-state money transmitter serving the cannabis industry, where she gained deep expertise in banking, credit flow, and compliance at the intersection of finance and cannabis law.

Prior to joining A.Y. Strauss, Sahar was a partner at one of the nation’s top-ranked cannabis law firms, where she chaired the Banking and Financial Services Access practice and advised major operators on complex transactions. She also served on the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Banking & Financial Services Committee, advancing strategies to expand financial access for state-licensed businesses.

Sahar has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® (2023–2025) for Corporate Law, the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women of Influence: Attorneys (2024), and the Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers list (2024–2025). She frequently writes and speaks on topics related to cannabis finance, corporate structuring, and compliance.

Representative Matters

• Acted as corporate and regulatory counsel to one of the ten New York Registered Organizations, playing a key role in the company’s structuring, financial raise and ultimate licensure.
• Acted as corporate counsel for both equity and debt raises for a 6,000 square foot dispensary located in the heart of Times Square.
• Acted as cannabis regulatory and corporate counsel to Cookies, one of the largest multi-state operators in the United States, in connection with various intellectual property licensing, merger and acquisition, and joint venture transactions.
• Acted as cannabis regulatory counsel to one of the largest multi-state operators in the United States, in connection with their signing of a definitive agreement to acquire one of the largest privately held multi-state, vertically integrated licensed operators of cannabis facilities with an extensive portfolio of premium branded products, in an $850 million all-stock deal.
• Acted as cannabis regulatory counsel to one of the most prominent multi-state operators on the east coast. in connection with its acquisition of a vertically integrated cannabis operator, with the majority of its operations in Pennsylvania, for US$5M cash and US$45M in securities.
• Acted as cannabis regulatory counsel to a large east-coast multi-state operator in connection with its acquisition of a distribution company providing logistics operations and software solutions for each touchpoint in the cannabis supply chain, for approximately US$40 million, consisting of US$12M cash and 11,090,453 shares of the acquirer.
• Acted as regulatory counsel to a global financial services firm on numerous transactions.
• Acted as cannabis banking counsel to numerous mid-sized financial institutions in their provision of services to cannabis-related businesses.
• Acted as cannabis regulatory counsel to a national payment platform for highly regulated businesses.
• Represented a device manufacturer on plans to enter the cannabis market and national expansion, including advertising parameters, banking matters, and the status of state legislation.
• Represented an entertainment company on a potential expansion into the cannabis industry.
• Represented a leading e-commerce company on its plans to expand into the cannabis sector.
• Represented numerous cannabis brands and manufacturers in intellectual property licensing and contract manufacturing agreements.
• Represented numerous cannabis and ancillary operators in obtaining depository accounts with financial institutions.
• Acted as cannabis regulatory counsel to numerous California cannabis businesses seeking to obtain state licensing.

Publications/Presentations

• Co-author, “Raising Private Capital in the Cannabis Industry,” Bloomberg Law, September 2022
• Co-author, “Committee Blog: Cannabis and Covid-19 – a Legal Perspective,” National Cannabis Industry Association, May 21, 2020
• Co-author, “8 Things Investors Should Know Before Investing in Cannabis,” Green Market Report, November 1, 2018
• Co-author, “Cannabis Compliance for Non-Cannabis Companies,” MG Magazine, July 9, 2018
• Author, “Curbing Cannabis Cash in a Post-Cole-Memo Climate, MG Magazine, February 1, 2018
• Author, “California’s Continuing Mission to Curb Cannabis Cash,” MG Magazine, December 1, 2017
• Author, “Could a Public Bank Solve California’s Cash Conundrum,” MG Magazine, October 1, 2017
• Author, “Giving the Green Light; Federal Cannabis Banking Bills,” Community Bankers of Washington Newsletter,  June 1, 2017
• Author, “Marijuana’s March on Capitol Hill,” MG Magazine, May 10, 2017
• Co-author, “Compliance Considerations in the Cannabis Industry,” Direct Cannabis Network, March 1, 2017
• Author, “The New Administration Won’t Trump Marijuana’s Momentum,” MG Magazine, March 1, 2017
• Author, “Cryptocurrency: A Cannabis Banking Blight,” Community Bankers of Washington Newsletter, December 2016

Speaking Events & Engagements

• Los Angeles Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition, 2017-2018
• National Cannabis Industry Association Business Summit & Expo, 2021
• NAPABA (National Asian Pacific American Bar Association) Convention, 2021
• PBC (Payments, Banking + Compliance) Conference, 2022-2023
• NORML Denver Legal Seminar, 2023
• Minnesota Cannabis Law Conference, 2023
• Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, 2023-2024

Honors, Awards & Recognitions

• Women of Influence: Attorneys, Los Angeles Business Journal (2024)
• Global Top 200 Cannabis Lawyers, Cannabis Law Report, (2024-2025)
• Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® –  (2023-2025)
• Best Lawyers in America® – Cannabis Law & Corporate Law (2027)