Erik Halverson
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Managing Attorney
Halverson Law
Erik Halverson has proven he’s not afraid to work hard in order to be successful.
When Halverson founded his first law firm in 2010, he took side jobs to make some extra money, waiting tables and working a graveyard shift delivering luggage to the Denver Airport. He even sold his truck and bought a used station wagon for $800 to help pay the office rent.
“I basically was doing whatever I could to get by so the firm could succeed,” he says.
Halverson has been active in the cannabis industry since Colorado and Washington launched their respective adult-use markets. Today, he’s the managing attorney at Halverson Law, PLLC, having become a staple in Washington’s cannabis industry while being recognized for his pro bono legal services in both Washington and Colorado.
In 2014, he received the Rebekah A. McBride Award for “Pro Bono Attorney of the Year” by the Northwest Colorado Legal Services Project. He also earned spots on the 2019 Washington Rising Stars and 2020 Super Lawyers lists which recognize not more than 2.5% of attorneys in Washington.
“Working in cannabis has opened a lot of doors for the firm and for myself,” Halverson says. “I have a talented staff, and we have emerged as a niche group of professionals who provide strong, ethical counsel to our clients.”
Q&A
I read in your bio that in 2010, you sold your station wagon for $800 to fund your firm’s first few months of rent – what were those early months like and how long did it take to find your footing?
So I actually sold my truck and bought a 1990 Chevy Celebrity station-wagon for $800. The early months were an interesting time in my life. The learning curve was immense and there was a lot of hustling to make ends meet. I had to learn the law relating to the deliverable I was preparing; I had to learn how to run a small business, which came with a lot of lessons in the school of hard knocks. I had to balance the perceptions around my age of 25 and perceived competence, the everpresent imposter syndrome, and the desire to bring value to clients. My first client gave me a $500 initial retainer and I billed at $30 per hour. I was delighted by this because it was a client that trusted me to do legal work for them. But, I had to remain aware that I couldn’t bill even a fraction of my time, since I didn’t want to charge any client for my learning curve on things I should know if I was, for example, a 3rd year associate attorney at a firm. This reflected my commitment to providing value to clients, which is a core tenet of the firm today. When the firm began, I was doing graveyard luggage deliver for Denver International Airport; then switched to a more favorable job waiting tables at a belgian beer restaurant. I basically was doing whatever I could to get by so the firm could succeed. I will also note that my success has always been overwhelmingly attributable to amazing mentors I’ve found along the way – people, some being attorneys and some being clients, who believed in me and for whatever reason truly wanted to see me succeed. Perhaps the most impactful in my life was Jawn Ross of Jawn Ross PC in Colorado – she is one of the most tenacious attorney’s I’ve ever known, and helped me out in immeasurable ways.
When did cannabis become part of your practice and why has it become a focus?
Cannabis was legalized in Colorado while I was practicing there. There was a lot of excitement down there around the new industry, and I snagged some engagements early on. Upon my return to my home state of Washington in 2014, I found myself representing a growing number of retail and grow operations. I had some substantial wins early on, and I believe that caused my name to be passed around in the i502 circles quickly. I was also very much still hungry to learn areas of law, which dovetailed with cannabis being a new industry, with new and exciting legal issues. It was a good fit.
What prompted the move from Colorado to Washington?
Don’t get me wrong- Colorado is beautiful and full of great people. But can anything really beat the Pacific NW? I also grew up here and was excited to get back up here and really plant roots. The firm in Colorado was growing quickly, and I felt if I delayed my return any longer it would never happen. So, I sold most of what I had, packed up the rest into a trailer and drove back up here.
What is/are the most challenging/rewarding part(s) of working in cannabis?
Working in cannabis has opened a lot of doors for the firm and for myself. I have a talented staff, and we have emerged as a niche group of professionals who provide strong, ethical counsel to our clients. There are a lot of silly gooses in this industry, and we have the privilege of counseling them to do things on the up and up. If people want to cut corners, this just isn’t the right firm for them. Over the years, I think this has been beyond helpful to the longevity of our clients. It’s also allowed us to become speakers on the topic of cannabis and business counsel on national levels, which has provided opportunities for myself and our staff professionals. As far as challenges, I don’t think there are any notable challenges that aren’t inherent with running a small business or providing counsel to businesses. While cannabis clients tend to be a bit more on the cowboy side of things, the overwhelming majority of them get who we are and listen to our guidance. I would also say that some of these client matters require that we get out from behind the desk and jump into the trenches with our clients. Many attorneys aren’t interested in doing that, but we think it’s a privilege. I’ve always enjoyed the shock I still get when I visit farms and retail operations; the operations are very complex and require a lot of attention and passion from our clients. That type of energy is contagious.