Thomas Goldstein
Founder & Managing Partner
Email: tgoldstein@cogentlaw.com
Tom is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cogent Law Group. His legal career includes representing major clients at Skadden, Arps in Washington, DC, legislative work on Capitol Hill, and serving as Managing Partner of the Washington, DC office of Perry, Krumsiek & Jack LLP. Tom is an experienced start-up executive and angel investor, and was the founder and president of GroupMagellan Legal Search.
Tom had thousands of candid, confidential conversations with clients and legal professionals in his varied roles as an attorney, law firm manager, and independent recruiter. He developed a unique understanding of the problems and pitfalls of traditional legal business models and an innovative vision for a new way of delivering legal services. Cogent Law Group is the realization of that vision.
Under Tom's leadership, Cogent has built a world-class team of entrepreneurial lawyers, each with broad experience and capabilities. Cogent organizes its services to provide core value to clients using a lean-overhead model. Cogent delivers the results clients expect from top-tier competitors without costs and frills that don't contribute to the outcome. Tom left the marbled offices behind so Cogent can offer clients exactly what they want: business-minded lawyers providing fast, efficient, and best-in-class legal advice that generates quantifiable business results at a fraction of typical industry rates. Tom is not a practicing attorney. His focus is on firm management and business development.
John S. (Jack) Baumann
Partner
Email: jbaumann@cogentlaw.com
Jack Baumann is a corporate attorney with more than 35 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions, private equity, complex corporate transactional work, public and private securities offerings, as well as joint ventures, investment advisory registration and all types of strategic business development initiatives at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom L.L.P., as well as Cogent Law Group. Jack was also Chief Legal Officer of Public Storage (NYSE:PSA) and Syncor International Corporation (NASDAQ: SCOR), in addition to numerous public and private companies. While at Public Storage, Jack orchestrated Public Storage’s $5 billion hostile acquisition of rival self-storage operator, Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc., which was the first hostile and first all-stock acquisition of a Real Estate Investment Trust.
Recent Representations
- Lead counsel to Ibanera LLC and affiliates Gattaca Genomics LLC and Ovalife LLC (egg bank) in connection with a series of planned strategic acquisitions in excess of $100 million, and the establishment of genetics testing, as well as IVF and egg bank conglomerates. (2025)
- Lead counsel to Orano USA LLC in connection with strategic divestitures and reorganization of U.S. subsidiaries. (2025)
- Lead counsel to Alpha Watt LLC in connection with its bitcoin mining operations and legal challenges in Michigan. (2025)
- Lead mergers and acquisitions counsel in connection with the acquisition of a U.S. bank holding company and its underlying bank. (2025)
- Lead counsel to Watch Communications, Inc. in connection with tax-free reorganization of 122-year-old telecommunications and broadband company (formerly Benton Ridge Telephone Company) from Ohio into a new Delaware holding company, and subsequent private placements of securities and planned initial public offering of shares in Watch on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. (2024–2025)
- U.S. counsel to Eckert & Ziegler AG (Deutsche Börse: EZAG) in connection with U.S. securities law compliance and ESSOP design and implementation. (2023)
Evan Smith
Partner
Email: esmith@cogentlaw.com
Evan Smith is a licensed patent attorney, electrical engineer, M.B.A., and serial entrepreneur who founded tech start-ups serving international markets. He gained broad corporate experience as an adviser to start-up companies, C.E.O. of Eye Controls L.L.C., C.O.O. and General Counsel at EyeTicket Corporation, and general counsel of a well-established fintech company. As a partner at Greenberg Traurig, he led the intellectual property department at the firm's main technology office.
Evan's strategic advice on corporate and I.P. issues draws on decades of experience in forming companies, raising funds, and protecting, enforcing, and licensing patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. He has been an advisor to hundreds of fast-growing companies that built valuable portfolios in the medical, electronic, internet, computer, and mechanical fields.
Evan has represented patent holders and accused infringers in federal courts nationwide. His extensive litigation experience includes:
- Successful enforcement of a key power-over-ethernet patent (ultimately generating $38 million in royalties).
- Similarly successful enforcement and licensing of a fintech patent portfolio across the U.S. financial industry.
- Resolution of numerous trademark cases.
Evan received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Kettering University, his M.B.A. from Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. He is a member of the DC and Virginia bars and admitted to practice in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Joshua Radbod
Partner
Email: jradbod@cogentlaw.com
Joshua Radbod is a Partner at Cogent Law Group L.L.P., where he leads and manages the firm's Fintech and cannabis practice groups. Josh and his team assist clients with regulatory compliance concerns at both the federal and state levels and thereafter work with clients to grow their businesses through debt and equity financings, securities offerings, M+A, B2B, and B2C contracts, and more.
Josh is also Co-Founder and C.E.O. of the P.B.C. Conference, which is the B2B conference for payments, banking, and compliance in the cannabis industry. Josh's clients, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and companies in all stages of development value his dynamic approach to business strategy due to Josh's unique position as someone who both advises businesses and runs a business himself. Josh is a zealous advocate for his clients and has spoken on Capitol Hill, conferences, and other public forums on issues related to financial services in the cannabis and virtual currency industries.
Josh's clients are innovative and courageous and launch/operate their businesses in emerging industries like virtual currency or cannabis. These emerging industries are highly regulated environments, and strong client relationships are necessary. Josh prides himself on having a solid relationship with every one of his clients.
Due to Josh's extensive network and connections he has built throughout the years, Josh can help solve any business problem a client may have, from finding a bank to the right C.P.A.; his Rolodex is full.
Adrienne Dean
Partner
Email: adean@cogentlaw.com
Adrienne Dean is a Partner at Cogent Law Group in its Cannabis Law Practice Group. She advises prospective licensed cannabis businesses on state and local regulatory requirements. Adrienne represents cannabis businesses from initial application all the way through exit. A committed advocate of social equity, Adrienne works to support the participation of smaller, locally-owned businesses in the industry.
Additionally, Adrienne provides guidance on corporate law and fundraising. She forms various business entities including corporations and LLCs and explains corporate governance issues. She also executes various fundraising options such as debt and equity financing, convertible notes, SAFEs, and crowdfunding. Adrienne counsels businesses on planning for significant corporate events such as structuring equity awards to partners and early hires, and disposing of and acquiring key assets including real estate.
Adrienne is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and Wesleyan University in Connecticut. She is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association Cannabis and Hemp Chapter.
Chris Van Dyck
Partner
Email: cvandyck@cogentlaw.com
Chris Van Dyck, a partner at the Cogent Law Group, has been involved in the cannabis banking space for close to ten years, first as a financial regulatory attorney and then as general counsel and BSA officer at a financial institution. During his time as a regulatory attorney, he worked closely with financial institutions regulated by his office on compliance issues, including cannabis banking when the FinCEN guidance was issued in 2014. For the last nine years, he has focused his attention on developing a cannabis banking program, ensuring that it meets all regulatory expectations. During his tenure, the cannabis banking program at his financial institution grew extensively and became a significant revenue source.
Because of his extensive experience in this area, both as a regulator and BSA officer, Chris is uniquely qualified to advise your financial institution on starting its own successful cannabis banking program, ensuring that it adequately manages the risks associated with these accounts, developing policies and procedures that adequately reflect adherence to the 2014 FinCEN guidance, and advising on ways in which to effectively implement these policies and procedures. Chris is also able to advise on practical ways your financial institution will be able to gain traction in this sector, maintaining and growing your customer base, while generating significant revenue.
Jordan Denning
Attorney
Email: jdenning@cogentlaw.com
For over 20 years, Jordan Denning has carved a formidable reputation in the realm of corporate law. His legal prowess extends across various domains, encompassing areas such as business formation and restructuring, sports and entertainment, intellectual property, employment, and a range of other commercial affairs.
Mr. Denning’s holistic practice of law is underscored by his entrepreneurial mindset, an asset that has led him to craft innovative and strategic legal solutions for his clients. His comprehensive insight and understanding of both the in-house and external counsel roles are drawn from his significant experience serving public and private corporations, burgeoning start-up ventures, and esteemed national law firms.
His versatile legal acumen and proactive approach not only make him a trusted advisor in complex corporate matters but also an invaluable asset in steering organizations through the dynamic landscapes of today’s business world. His leadership, strategic thinking, and commitment to excellence are key factors in his sustained success and professional growth. B.A. Hobart College, JD/Master in IP UNH School of Law
Mark Ghatan
Partner
Email: mghatan@cogentlaw.com
Mark brings a unique perspective to his legal practice, shaped by a lifelong entrepreneurial spirit and a robust background in advising high-risk businesses and their founders. Mark began his career gaining early experience working in his family’s business before transitioning to helping clients manage risks through conducting thousands of complex fraud, cybersecurity, and diligence investigations for major institutions after law school.
After co-founding an educational media startup, Mark continued his focus on innovation and creative problem-solving by advising startups and established businesses on a wide range of legal matters, including corporate formation, contracts, intellectual property, employment law, and compliance, particularly in high-risk industries like blockchain, cannabis, and international trade financing.
Today, Mark’s legal practice is increasingly centered on estate planning and asset protection, with a focus on ensuring privacy and personal security for founders and their families. As a trusted attorney with a multidisciplinary approach, he works closely with individuals, families, and business owners to build sophisticated estate plans that go beyond basic wealth transfer and are tailored to support wealth preservation and legacy building, tax-efficient strategies for appreciated assets like cryptocurrency and venture investments, asset protection from creditors, charitable giving and planned philanthropy, Heir preparedness and legacy stewardship, and privacy and confidentiality in estate matters.
In addition to his work at Cogent, Mark serves as Senior Advisor for Family Office Services at a corporate security firm, where he counsels high-net-worth individuals on personal privacy, cybersecurity, due diligence, and crisis management.
Thomas Gross
Partner
Email: tgross@cogentlaw.com
B.S., M.S., J.D.
Thomas is an attorney in Washington, DC, with over 30 years of experience that emphasizes complex transactions and regulations, both domestic and international. His transactional experience includes project-financing deals ranging from $250-$500 million and working with financial institutions to obtain loan approvals and ratings from S&P and other institutions. He has extensive international experience working with foreign governments on legal and regulatory reform to promote investment capital, e.g., analyzing and drafting new energy laws for Indonesia, Bulgaria, Dominican Republic. He has extensive experience with blockchain and cryptocurrencies, including review of ICO/STO documentation and regulatory approvals. He was trained as a physicist and holds a graduate M.S. from Stanford University, where he worked at the Stanford Linear Accelerator, Livermore Labs, Los Alamos Labs, and Silicon Valley in quantum physics.
He has worked with a number of companies, including General Counsel for an international company, counseling on corporate governance and structure, security of distributed ledgers, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), intellectual property rights regarding blockchain, and licensing and contract issues. He has represented Standard & Poors and private developers in several deals, and his experience includes complex transactions involving energy construction projects in the $500 million range. In the Healthcare Sector, he has been a frequent speaker in Boston, Hartford, and Washington DC, among other places, on issues related to securities offerings/I.C.O.s/S.T.O.s, mergers and acquisitions, privacy/HIPAA issues, and patient data ownership.
He has been a member of the Adjunct Faculty at George Washington University for more than 15 years, where he teaches graduate-level courses that cover corporate governance, securities, and international transactions, including contract formation, applicable laws and treaties, letters of credit, and blockchain and cryptocurrencies. He holds advanced degrees from both Stanford University and Case Western Reserve University. He is a member of the DC Bar and has been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court. He also holds a commercial pilot license, instrument rated.
Andrew Hirsch
Partner
Email: ahirsch@cogentlaw.com
Andrew Hirsch is both an attorney and entrepreneur. He is a licensed intellectual property lawyer with more than 25 years of experience in international commercial trade and business development advocacy. Andrew has represented private sector companies, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Patent and Trademark Office with foreign businesses, governments, and international organizations.
In addition to practicing with Cogent, Andrew is currently the Director General of IIPI, where he provides education and guidance about intellectual property rights to leaders and innovators in developing countries with a strong focus on China. He has acted in various capacities as a co-founder, board member, advisor, in-house and outside General Counsel, and C-Suite business member for start-ups. Andrew's interests are in the interconnectedness of technology innovation, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, knowledge, and intangible asset management, as well as the strategy and the roles that they play in establishing knowledge-based economies,
Andrew's combined experience includes more than 25 years of advising corporate and senior government leaders in complex and multidisciplinary situations. This has cultivated extensive experience in international commercial trade and business development advocacy representing private sector companies and the U.S. Department of Commerce and Patent and Trademark Office with foreign businesses, governments, and international organizations.
Allison Maffitt
Partner
Email: amaffitt@cogentlaw.com
Allison is an attorney with regulatory, litigation, real estate, and contracts experience who is interested in utilizing this experience with clients using blockchain technology. Clients include startups, entrepreneurs, and companies in every development stage.
Allison has a national practice where she works with clients in the FinTech and blockchain spaces, guiding them through all stages of development and the regulatory hurdles each company faces in an ever-changing environment. Through her practice, Allison supports clients in a wide range of areas, including business formation, employment, contract formation, compliance, and regulatory matters.
Prior to her legal career, she was an analyst in the oil and gas industry. She researched and wrote for a forecasting firm that provided detailed reports to clients. She later worked for an independent oil and gas production company as an attorney, and she has a deep understanding of the energy industry, including the regulatory issues companies face.
Allison is active with the Government Blockchain Association, where she is co-leading the Digital Asset Management course design. She received her JD from Tulane Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Louisville, where she was also a member of the Division-I field hockey team for four years.
Jacqueline Cooper
Partner
Email: jcooper@cogentlaw.com
Jacqueline Cooper, Esq, MA LDT, NBCT, CCI, BMM, is an entrepreneur as well as a Web3 business consultant. She is the CEO of the Blockchain Legal Institute, an educational portal designed to provide diverse resources to those exploring the applications of innovative technologies (AI, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Blockchain protocols) to include the implications involved with compliance updates. She spearheads a centralized library for the decentralized community and provides diverse educational projects focusing on innovative technologies. Her expertise spans various blockchain platforms and applications, including cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, and decentralized finance (DeFi). She is a Media Ambassador for the Global Business Blockchain Council, Co-Chair of the Government Blockchain Association’s Legal Working Group, and GBA Talk Show Host.
In addition to the Blockchain Legal Institute, Jacqueline brings her experience and knowledge to the Maryland Blockchain Association as the CEO. She holds a Master’s degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University (MA LDT) and is a National Board Certified Teacher in Exceptional Needs Specialist/Early Childhood Through Young Adult. Her dedication to inclusion and the development of work skills and career opportunities for youth, young adults, and career switchers is unparalleled. Certified in cryptocurrency investigations and an Assessor for the Blockchain Maturity Model (GBA Global), Jacqueline is licensed as an attorney in the District of Columbia. With over a decade of experience in leadership roles, she now focuses on supporting the next generation of leaders within the blockchain community. She is the author of the "Bitcoin Cinderella" blockchain adventure series and the "Essential Digital Asset Organizer for Attorneys & Consumers," along with other reference books available on Amazon. Her multi-disciplinary major in Science, Technology & Society at Vassar College laid the foundation for her blockchain journey. Jacqueline’s strategic vision focuses on education, policy advocacy, and fostering innovation.
Jim Markwood
Partner
Email: jmarkwood@cogentlaw.com
Jim has a wealth of experience working with corporations, partnerships, entrepreneurs, and private equity clients to solve their tax issues. He provides tax and structuring advice on corporate, partnership, and cross-border transactions. In addition to advising on tax issues raised in transactions, Jim reviews and assists in drafting transaction documents. He has worked with a wide range of clients and has extensive experience working with start up businesses, government contractors and aerospace and defense companies, and cryptocurrency businesses.
Jim has deep expertise regarding the taxation of cryptocurrency transactions. He has contributed articles to CoinBase magazine addressing tax aspects of cryptocurrency transactions (including hard forks and crypto-to-crypto "like-kind" exchanges), and. regularly counsels Cogent clients regarding tax aspects of I.C.O. transactions, and structuring crypto businesses to achieve favorable tax treatment.
Prior to joining Cogent, Jim worked for two large Washington DC law firms and a Big-Four accounting firm. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law. Prior to attending law school, Jim served for several years as a Legislative Assistant at the U.S. House of Representatives.
Kevin Martin
ATTORNEY
Email: kmartin@cogentlaw.com
With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, Kevin C. Martin is a seasoned professional in estate planning, international development and diplomacy, and investment banking.
Kevin brings a wealth of expertise in estate and special needs planning, seamlessly integrating his deep legal and financial acumen to navigate the complexities of wealth management and asset protection. He expertly crafts comprehensive estate plans, ensuring the preservation and intentional disposition of assets in accordance with his clients’ wishes. His multidisciplinary approach, bridging finance and law, enables him to provide nuanced guidance on tax implications, wealth transfer strategies, and fiduciary responsibilities—ensuring a legacy that is both financially sound and legally secure. With a strategic mindset, Kevin develops risk-mitigation frameworks, safeguards assets, and facilitates seamless wealth transitions across generations, embracing a holistic vision of financial stewardship and legacy planning.
Before practicing law, Kevin served as a Foreign Service Officer, where he played a pivotal role in driving economic growth initiatives and strengthening private sector participation in some of the world’s most complex and challenging environments. Leading large-scale development portfolios, he was instrumental in designing and implementing strategic, high-impact interventions that promoted economic resilience and stability. His innovative strategies and policy insights influenced key international partnerships, particularly in conflict-affected regions.
Prior to his Foreign Service tenure, Kevin managed negotiations for business acquisitions and sales at IDP Group, LLC, and optimized fixed-income derivative portfolios at Bank of America’s Global Investment Banking Division. Whether advising clients on sophisticated estate planning strategies, collaborating with senior government officials on private capital mobilization, or designing tools to mitigate risk in financial markets, Kevin combines analytical expertise with strategic foresight to deliver exceptional results.
Kevin holds a JD and LLM from Loyola University Chicago and an MBA from The University of Chicago.
Anessa Allen Santos
Partner
Email: asantos@cogentlaw.com
Anessa is nationally recognized for her legal innovation in crypto regulation. She has secured a definitive FinCEN administrative ruling on money transmitter obligations and developed proprietary compliance tools, including a token scoring algorithm aligned with the SEC’s investment contract analysis. Her frameworks have guided numerous companies in assessing regulatory risk and aligning digital assets with U.S. securities laws.
Her litigation work includes serving as defense counsel in landmark federal matters involving cryptocurrency and financial crimes. In each, she secured favorable outcomes by leveraging constitutional defenses and strategic advocacy.
In addition to her legal practice, Anessa serves as a Special Magistrate and qualified expert witness in matters involving blockchain technology and digital asset regulation. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences, a contributor to legal and financial publications, and has been featured on Forbes, Daily Flash, and at the National Press Club in Washington DC.
Anessa provides clients with forward-thinking legal counsel across blockchain integration, digital asset structuring, securities compliance, intellectual property protection, and high-stakes white collar defense.
Evgenia Sorokina
OF Counsel
Email: esorokina@cogentlaw.com
Evgenia Sorokina is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia. She is also qualified to practice law in Russia. She has significant corporate and transactional experience across various industries, including energy, financial services, and real estate, which she gained working in AM100 law firms: Baker & Hostetler, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, and Pepper Hamilton. Evgenia counsels businesses and entrepreneurs on corporate, commercial, and financial regulatory matters. She represents individuals and businesses in employment-based and investment-based immigration matters. She also handles family-based immigration and humanitarian relief cases. Evgenia speaks Spanish, Russian and French and is proficient in Italian and Portuguese.
Eric Guthrie
Partner
Email: eguthrie@cogentlaw.com
Eric Guthrie is an experienced attorney and author with a multifaceted legal practice. He focuses on labor and employment law and business law, while also maintaining an active cryptocurrency and blockchain legal practice.
Eric serves as the Director of Training Programs for the Government Blockchain Association and is a certified trainer for TRTCLE, leading a DC Bar–accredited course on blockchain law. His course, Blockchain Legal Specialist, provides 7.5 MCLE credits for attorneys seeking to deepen their knowledge of blockchain regulation and practice.
Eric is the author of Blockchain or Die: Learn to Profit from Cryptocurrencies and Blockchains (2019), which became an Amazon #1 New Release and reached #1 Best Seller status seven times. The book received multiple accolades, including the 2020 NYC Big Book Award, 2020 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite, 2020 Indie Book Awards Finalist, and 2020 American BookFest Finalist.
He is also the author of
Diversify or Die: Diversity. Inclusion. Evolution. Success., which was recognized as a finalist for the 2017 American BookFest Best Business Book and the 2018 Readers Choice Awards.
Jared Schwass
Partner
Email: jschwass@cogentlaw.com
Jared Schwass is a corporate and regulatory attorney with a focus on emerging industries such as cannabis and hemp. With nine years of experience advising cannabis clients, he has represented companies of all sizes and stages: From startups to established national operators including Trulieve, PharmaCann, and Curaleaf.
Jared brings a practical, business-minded approach to helping clients navigate complex regulatory frameworks in a rapidly evolving industry. In addition to advising private companies, he has worked with government agencies to support the preparation and implementation of cannabis regulatory programs.
He is known for providing strategic, solution-oriented counsel that aligns legal guidance with operational goals.
Suehiko Ono
Partner
Email: sono@cogentlaw.com
Suehiko Ono is a business-focused attorney and executive advisor with deep expertise in the cannabis industry and other highly regulated sectors. As the Founder and former CEO of EOS Farms, Massachusetts’ fifth licensed outdoor cultivation facility, he built the company from inception, raised six million dollars in equity financing, and led its operations with a focus on governance, licensing, and risk management in a shifting regulatory landscape.
He most recently served as General Manager and Legal Director for one of New York’s largest adult-use cultivators and processors, overseeing day-to-day operations, strategic growth, and commercial negotiations with more than 30 partner brands. His work spanned contract drafting, compliance with state and federal regulations, and enterprise-level ERP implementation, all aimed at positioning the business for scale and long-term sustainability.
Suehiko began his legal career at Winston & Strawn LLP in New York, where he advised on complex tax, partnership, and private equity transactions. Drawing on his experience as both attorney and operator, he provides strategic legal guidance across entity formation, financing, investor relations, brand licensing, product distribution, real estate, and compliance. His counsel is tailored to meet the needs of cannabis founders, investors, and operators navigating conflicting regulatory regimes and commercial risk.
Known for his values-driven leadership, Suehiko prioritizes clarity, efficiency, and sustainable business outcomes. He brings a practical, solution-oriented perspective to clients seeking to enter or expand within highly regulated industries.