Shay Aaron Gilmore

Practice areas

Cannabis Law, Business/Corporate

Focus areas

Business Formation and Planning, Business Organizations, Contracts, Limited Liability Companies, Partnership, Sub-chapter S Corporations

Attorney Shay Aaron Gilmore is the founder of The Law Office of Shay Aaron Gilmore, situated in San Francisco, California. His firm specializes in aiding operators, investors, and various businesses as they navigate the intricate legal landscape of California’s regulated cannabis industry. His expertise spans a range of areas including advising on entity establishment, financing, mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions, permits, licenses, and ensuring regulatory compliance across all stages of the cannabis supply chain. Additionally, he actively engages in legislative and regulatory affairs related to cannabis at all levels of government, both domestically and internationally. Notably, Mr. Gilmore is proficient in Spanish.Mr. Gilmore boasts a substantial involvement in numerous professional associations, holding membership and leadership roles. He has notably served on the Board of Directors for the International Cannabis Bar Association and held the position of Chair within the Cannabis Law Section of The Bar Association of San Francisco. He co-founded the Cannabis Industry Practitioners Group under the California Lawyers Association and is a member of both the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Risk Management & Insurance Committee and the California Cannabis Industry Association’s Diversity, Inclusion & Social Equity Committee. Within the California Lawyers Association Business Law Section, he participates in the Corporations Committee. In a significant appointment, the City and County of San Francisco Board of Supervisors designated Shay a seat on the San Francisco Cannabis Oversight Committee in 2023.Educationally, Mr. Gilmore earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, Spanish, and Policy Studies from Rice University. Subsequently, he pursued his Juris Doctor degree at The University of Texas at Austin School of Law, graduating in 2001. Throughout his career, Mr. Gilmore has garnered numerous accolades for his dedication to professional excellence. The Los Angeles/San Francisco Daily Journal, a prominent legal news periodical in California, has acknowledged Shay as a Top 20 California Cannabis Lawyer. He has received the Professional of the Year Award from the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, as well as the Rising Star Award from the Minority Bar Coalition of Northern California. Noteworthy is his receipt of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Legal Service from the State Bar of California in 2004, recognizing his contributions to aiding transgender clients in their applications for U.S. political asylum.