About

Jessica Starns is a founding Partner at Starns Kenny & Easterling, LLC, where she maintains a niche practice providing governmental affairs (lobbying), business formation and licensing, regulatory compliance, and legal services to breweries, distilleries, CBD producers, wholesalers, e-commerce platforms, hotels, special event organizers, and alcohol, tobacco, CBD, and vape retailers. Jessica’s clients enjoy the benefit of her expertise in navigating state and local legislative processes, and federal, state, and local regulatory processes. She is an active member of the Louisiana State Bar Association and numerous industry organizations including, the National Association of State Liquor Administrators, the National Association of Licensing and Compliance Professionals, and the Association of Louisiana Lobbyists. She is a member of the board of directors for Ellevate Louisiana.

Jessica served as the managing partner of Jessica Starns Attorney at Law, LLC, a boutique governmental affairs and law firm, for six years prior to forming Starns Kenny & Easterling, LLC. She has also previously served as the executive counsel for the Louisiana Office of Alcohol & Tobacco Control, special counsel to the commissioner of the Louisiana Division of Administration, and special counsel to the governor of Louisiana on budget, tax, commerce, and alcoholic beverage legislation. Jessica frequently speaks on alcohol and tobacco policy at national industry association conferences and has drafted and played an instrumental role in the passage of numerous legislative instruments.

During her time of government service, Jessica played a vital role in converting a $500,000 agency deficit to over a $1.2M surplus by developing and implementing solutions to increase productivity and initiating technological advancements. She also successfully developed and implemented methods to enhance customer service and maximize resources by establishing sound policies and training programs, simplifying bureaucratic processes, eliminating wasteful practices, and leading initiatives to work with various state and local departments to combine duplicative regulatory procedures. She was honored as "Division Star" out of hundreds of employees for demonstrating exceptional personal performance standards.

Jessica is obtained her Juris Doctorate from Chapman University, Dale E. Fowler School of Law where she was appointed to the Honor Council, was a research assistant in the area of administrative law and was a member of the Tax Law Society and Public Interest Law Foundation. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Tulane University with a double major in sociology and mass communications. Jessica resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her husband Brian, a firefighter, and their son Dax.