Zie assists clients in developing effective strategies to help deter or mitigate the risk of enforcement actions and litigation. He primarily focuses on highly regulated industries, including tobacco and cannabis. As a member of the firm’s Tobacco + Nicotine team, Zie contributes to analyses of various compliance issues, including state excise taxation, state licensing, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, and the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA).

Zie regularly provides ongoing commentary and analysis on developments in the state and federal regulatory landscape through the firm’s Regulatory Oversight Blog and newsletter, Tobacco Law Blog, and Cannabis Communications Newsletter. Frequent topics include FDA enforcement, state tobacco/nicotine regulatory trends, and the ever-developing U.S. cannabis regulatory environment.

• Advising an international tobacco company on state legislation regarding tobacco excise taxes, including analysis of related Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement issues.
• Performing regulatory due diligence in connection with the negotiation of joint venture agreements regarding the acquisition and development of a casino and hotel mixed-use development.
• Advising an online tobacco retailer regarding state and local tobacco regulatory issues presented by the delivery of products to consumers.
• Advising an international tobacco company on compliance with state laws regarding licensing, excise taxes, age verification obligations, and delivery sale requirements.
• Assisted in the filing of Freedom of Information Act requests for relevant information from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to inform future pro bono representation of veterans.