Victoria Cvitanovic

Of Counsel
Email
vcvitanovic@rudicklawgroup.com
Region
New Mexico • Louisiana
Biography
A Trial-Tested Litigator turned Healthcare and Business Strategist: Victoria’s legal expertise empowers clients to comply with complex regulations while offering patients and consumers superior and impactful experiences. A former prosecutor and litigator on behalf of healthcare providers, insurance companies, and large corporate clients in the technology industry, Victoria’s extensive litigation background empowers Cannabis and Psychedelic Medicine businesses to avoid common pitfalls and grow strategically in a complex regulatory environment. Likewise, Victoria’s expertise as a negotiator, litigation portfolio manager, and contract builder ensures that her clients maintain an upward trajectory in these growth-edge industries.

Victoria Cvitanovic is a psychedelic medicine and cannabis attorney at Rudick Law Group, PLLC specializing in matters such as commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, state licensing, insurance, supply chain logistics, medical malpractice defense, medical board defense, and corporate law. Victoria leverages her diverse experience across criminal law, healthcare regulatory law, logistics, and litigation portfolio management to act as a strategic partner to her clients, mitigating risk in multiple interdisciplinary aspects of their growing businesses.

Victoria first witnessed the need for sophisticated representation in the cannabis and psychedelic medicine spaces as a prosecutor for the State of Louisiana, Parish of Orleans, where she handled a substantial felony docket, made charging decisions in violent criminal cases, managed and obtained indictments before grand juries, tried numerous cases to verdict, and rose to become the Chief of the Juvenile Division, making her the youngest person to obtain a “Chief” rank in that office at that time. As a prosecutor, Victoria advocated for diversion, addiction treatment options, and hybrid sentencing options. After transitioning out of prosecution, Victoria defended doctors and hospital networks on behalf of both the state of Louisiana and private insurance companies, securing verdicts on behalf of healthcare providers at both the pre-panel and post-panel levels and before various professional regulatory bodies. These successes led Victoria to become a contract drafter, a regulatory advisor, a tactical ally in structuring, securing, and enforcing complex settlement agreements, and a strategic partner to her healthcare clients. During this time, Victoria’s lifelong interest in technology, data privacy, and supply-chain logistics led her to litigate on behalf of several large corporate technology companies. Once again, Victoria’s courtroom success led clients to seek out her strategic advice, leading her to perform litigation portfolio management, contract development, and technological/trade secret discovery management to ensure consistent success across business lines and jurisdictions.

Victoria’s personal experiences drive strategic growth for her clients.  After a life-altering injury, Victoria experienced the transformative power of psychedelic medicine and cannabis therapy as a patient. Chronic pain drove her to set a goal of bringing together her litigation, healthcare, and strategic business experience to ensure patients and others in need of access to these modalities. Now, Victoria provides high quality legal services to a variety of psychedelic medicine and cannabis businesses and healthcare providers, with an emphasis on Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAT/KAP) providers, Cannabis medical markets, Cannabis recreational markets, emerging Psilocybin medical and therapeutic programs, Cannabis supply chain logistics, and Psychedelic supply chain logistics.

Victoria is a frequent speaker and guest on psychedelics podcasts. She is a prolific psychedelic policy commentator on LinkedIn, where she provides updates on breaking news, litigation, and legislation affecting the Louisiana and New Mexico markets. She is also a dedicated Zen Buddhist and meditation and yoga instructor, focusing on making these practices accessible to other chronic pain patients.  

Expertise
Practice Areas

Psychedelic Medicine Law  

Cannabis Law  

Regulatory Compliance  

Healthcare Law  

Commercial Transactions  

Contracts

Supply Chain Logistics  

Medical Malpractice  

Litigation Portfolio Management  

Data Privacy  

Insurance  

Education

Mississippi State University, BA Political Science

Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, JD/M.C.L., 2015

Bar Admissions

Louisiana  

Eastern, Middle, and Western Federal Districts of Louisiana  

New Mexico

Honors & Awards

President, Kinship Center Board of Directors  

Young Lawyers Liaison, New Mexico Bar Cannabis Section  

Secretary, New Mexico Bar Cannabis Section  

Committee Member, New Mexico Lawyers Assistance Program  

Associate, Louisiana Law Review

Wex Malone Inns of Court, Recipient Excellence in Trial Advocacy

Experience
Career Highlights

Litigation Experience: Tried numerous cases in front of both judges and juries to successful verdicts, won summary judgment and other dispositive motions in multiple jurisdictions, and gained a reputation for successfully deposing medical experts.  

Appellate Advocacy Experience: Successfully argued before the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Louisiana Fourth Circuit. Clerked for the Honorable Judge Lobrano of the Louisiana Fourth Circuit and acted as a staff attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  

Strategic Partnering: Drafted and modified contracts to address litigation and insurance risks, developed strategy to address issues arising from nationwide discovery of proprietary technology across business lines, negotiated with professional licensing boards and insurance companies to retain licensing, address complaints, and ensure coverage, and assisted companies in building a contracts and policies library to prepare for growth.

Ketamine-Assisted Therapy/ Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Representation: Assisted early-adopters of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy/Psychotherapy protocols to develop patient agreements, co-treatment agreements, employment contracts, compliance plans, and protocol protections.  

Speaker and Educator: Shares her personal story of recovery through Psychedelic and Cannabis-Assisted therapy to advocate for patients. Frequent CLE presenter and podcast guest on topics including psychedelic medicine, cannabis, the intersection of psychedelics, cannabis, and data privacy, meditation, mindfulness, and the professional obligation to develop and maintain non-emotion dependent empathy.  

Industry Recognition: Young Lawyers Division Liaison and Secretary of the Cannabis Section of the New Mexico State Bar.  

Philanthropy: President of the Board for Kinship Center, a non-profit senior center in New Orleans, LA, offering holistic programming to seniors in Orleans Parish. Former board member of Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response, Emergency Legal Responders, and Mid City Zen. Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans alumni. Frequently offers free or donation-based yoga and meditation classes to others living with chronic pain. 

Get Started

Join the 100+ Industry Leaders Who Choose Rudick Law Group 

Ready to shape your future? Let RLG guide you. Contact us to explore how our strategic partnership can propel your success.
Latest News
24
Mar
Business

Victoria Cvitanovic To Bring Psychedelics Law to Rudick Law Group

Rudick Law Group Welcomes Victoria Cvitanovic as Counsel
Read Article
26
Feb
Insights

Diversity in the Cannabis Industry: The State of Social Equity in the (Still Mostly White) Cannabis Industry

The cannabis industry still struggles with racial disparities in ownership and opportunity. Learn how social equity programs, DEI initiatives, and legal reforms are shaping a more diverse and inclusive market.
Read Article
31
Jan
Insights

Downsizing With Dignity: How To Lay People Off Legally and Respectfully

Learn how to handle layoffs legally and respectfully in the cannabis industry. Discover best practices for compliance, communication, and ethical workforce reductions.
Read Article
31
Jan
Insights

Reputation is Everything: Drafting A Code of Conduct For Your Cannabis Company

Learn how to draft a comprehensive Code of Conduct for your cannabis company to protect your reputation, ensure compliance, and foster trust. Discover key components, including workplace conduct, compliance policies, social media guidelines, and more to navigate the unique challenges of the cannabis industry effectively.
Read Article