As a Legal Counsel at Spaceport America, my role encompasses a broad spectrum of legal responsibilities including:• Regulatory and Administrative Law: Interpreting complex federal and state statutes and regulations as they pertain to Spaceport operations, and negotiating with stakeholders on regulatory matters.• Contract Law: Drafting, reviewing, and interpreting contracts between Spaceport America and its aerospace tenants.• Litigation and Environmental Law: Addressing litigation concerns and ensuring adherence to environmental and cultural requirements.• Corporate Governance: Developing and amending corporate policies and governance standards to align with legal and regulatory changes.Additionally, my work involves:1. Evaluating potential legal issues within the space industry's regulatory environment.2. Identifying and managing insurance liabilities to safeguard the agency and the state.3. Conducting thorough legal research on diverse topics, including real estate, insurance, intellectual property, and constitutional law.4. Overseeing the legal aspects of Request for Proposal (RFP) processes.5. Providing legal support for New Mexico Financial Authority’s financing and bond obligations.6. Assisting the executive director in legislative affairs.My role is integral to ensuring Spaceport America's legal compliance and strategic objectives, leveraging my expertise to navigate the intricate legal landscape of the space industry.

- Provided strategic decision-making recommendations to the newly created Division while ensuring compliance with all relevant statutes, including, but not limited to, the Cannabis Regulation Act, New Mexico State Ethics Act, and the Inspection of Public Records Act.- Collaborated with other government agencies to ensure effective cross-compliance across all cannabis-related businesses, with private partners to draft and implement reasonable regulations, and with teams internal to the division to implement an effective licensing and compliance system.- Responded to rapidly changing market conditions by drafting and implementing regulatory changes across all cannabis-related businesses.- Served as the primary defense counsel for the Division against lawsuits contesting the implementation of regulations or contesting disciplinary action.

- Drafted and implemented adult-use cannabis regulations in the state of New Mexico across different sectors including agricultural, manufacturing, and retail all within a year of the passage of the authorizing statute.- Served as the subject matter expert for all cannabis-related legislation in New Mexico by providing feedback on bill language and testifying to the proposed changes.

- Drafted and filed nonimmigrant visas petitions for small to medium sized companies, with a particular focus on start-ups.- Drafted and filed requests for evidence issued by the USCIS to clarify details of the company, the individual seeking the visa, and/or the relationship between the two.- Conducted research to determine how and to what extent the nonimmigrant visa process would be affected by a client’s individual circumstances.

- Researched and drafted a memorandum exploring the appeal merits and procedure for health insurance plans, determining whether federal law preempted state law under the Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).- Researched and drafted internal documents covering state and federal gender-based anti-discrimination protections within employment and health insurance.- Organized and participated in several bilingual legal clinics.

- Provided bilingual technical assistance to entrepreneurs who needed support to start or formalize their businesses, which often included support in creating business plans, corporate formation, securing requisite licenses, and applying for financing.- Created programming responsive to the needs of clients and members of the community including, but not limited to financial literacy, building credit, and securing municipal grants.

- Reviewed contracts, flagging provisions to be negotiated that typically covered shifting liability during transportation and payment schedules.- Researched and conducted site-visits of Chinese manufacturers on behalf of clients based in Brazil and the United States who were seeking to produce their products by reputable manufacturers in China.