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Raymond recently announced he’s joining the Californian firm, Antithesis.
I catch up with him to discuss what that means and what sort of practice he’s looking to develop.
Raymond Allen is a seasoned nonprofit attorney and former in-house general counsel with two decades of experience guiding purpose-driven nonprofits and other organizations on the cutting edge of law, culture, and policy in complex and highly regulated environments. At Burning Man Project, Raymond helped lead the organization through its transformation from a limited liability company into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a constellation of affiliated entities. He built the legal department from the ground up and served as General Counsel during a period of significant growth, as the annual 8-day event expanded from approximately 35,000 participants in 2004 to 80,000 by 2022. His work included nonprofit, corporate governance, risk management, compliance, IP protection, contracts, employment, insurance, government affairs and just about every other area of the law imaginable.
At the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (“MAPS”), Raymond was the first in-house General Counsel during one of the most pivotal periods in the organization’s 30-year history. He oversaw legal, risk, and compliance matters for MAPS and its affiliates—including Lykos Therapeutics (formerly MAPS Public Benefit Corporation)—as Lykos conducted late-stage clinical trials for MDMA-assisted therapy. Raymond played a central role in Lykos’s restructuring from a wholly owned subsidiary of MAPS into a partially investor-owned entity with its own governance framework.
Raymond joined Antithesis Law as Of Counsel in Spring 2025. He is known for building legal departments and legal and compliance processes from the ground up, and for finding creative, compliant and cost-efficient ways for organizations to achieve their goals and manage risk. His practice spans outside/fractional general counsel, nonprofit and exempt entities, business formation and structure, corporate governance, ethics, fiscal sponsorship, compliance, donor stewardship, risk mitigation, contracts, employment and labor, insurance, indemnification, consent and privacy.
EXPERIENCE
Oversaw the legal separation and governance restructuring of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (“MAPS”) and Lykos (formerly MAPS Public Benefit Corporation), establishing distinct corporate governance frameworks and delineating operational independence between the two entities.
Oversaw the legal work of two major financing rounds totaling over $100M for Lykos Therapeutics, supporting Phase 3 clinical trials for MDMA-assisted therapy.
Collaborated with Baldwin/AHT Insurance to develop the first-ever malpractice insurance specifically for psychedelic therapy practitioners.
Led the legal and structural separation of the Zendo Project from MAPS, forming Zendo Project, Inc. as an independent 501(c)(3) harm reduction nonprofit.
Oversaw legal and risk management for the creation and launch of Psychedelic Science 2023, a multi-day 12,000+ participant conference held in Denver, Colorado.
Oversaw the formation, structuring, and spin-out of multiple affiliated entities—both domestic and international—for MAPS and Burning Man Project. Led efforts to ensure tax compliance, inter-entity governance, liability limitation, and operational efficiency in support of each organization’s evolving programmatic and strategic goals.
Established and led the first in-house legal departments at both the MAPS and Burning Man Project, building legal infrastructure, policies, and teams to support each organization’s growth, compliance, and mission.
Conducted and/or supervised numerous complex investigations involving workplace misconduct, discrimination, harassment, and incidents at large-scale special events, ensuring legal compliance, risk mitigation, and actionable reporting for employers and event organizers.
Oversaw the initial phase of litigation by Burning Man Project against the Bureau of Land Management, contesting unjustified and undocumented Special Recreation Permit fees for the event held in the Black Rock Desert–High Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Oversaw a multi-year Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and several Environmental Assessments (EAs) for the Burning Man event in compliance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Burning Man event held on federally managed land.
Led and/or participated in multiple high-level delegations to Washington, D.C., engaging with members of Congress, federal agency officials, and national advocacy groups to advance the long-term success, safety, and regulatory framework for the Burning Man event on federal lands in Nevada.
Led several government affairs efforts in the Nevada State Legislature, successfully advocating for multiple legislative reforms that advanced Burning Man Project’s operational and strategic goals, including event permitting, environmental stewardship and public safety.
Partnered with the ACLU and National Lawyers Guild to deliver numerous “Know Your Rights” trainings to Burning Man participants on navigating law enforcement interactions at the event.
Oversaw complex constitutional, contract breach and federal preemption litigation against Pershing County, Nevada on behalf of Burning Man Project, challenging local attempts to restrict participants’ freedom of expression, impose excessive fees, and attempts to regulate in areas of the law that the federal government already regulates. Played a key role in architecting and negotiating a landmark 10-year settlement protecting expressive conduct and fee limits, and a 50-year agreement preventing the county from regulating areas of the law that the federal government already regulates for the event.
Helped lead the transition of the Burning Man organization from a closely held LLC into a global 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a network of regional affiliates.
Helped defend Burning Man Project in the Beninati v. Black Rock City, LLC lawsuit, resulting in a landmark decision expanding the Assumption of Risk doctrine and setting favorable precedent for special event producers.
Negotiated and renewed multiple long-term agreements between Burning Man Project and Pershing County, Nevada, securing multi-year operational stability, reducing regulatory friction, and establishing enduring public-private partnerships that supported the continued public safety and success of the event.
Collaborated with the Pershing County District Attorney’s Office in the successful prosecution of State v. Daveshwar, a high-profile sexual assault case stemming from the 2005 Burning Man event, resulting in a criminal conviction and improved interagency coordination for future event safety and law enforcement engagement.
Co-founded the Lawyers for Burners initiative to provide legal support and defense for Burning Man participants, who receive citations or are arrested at the event, coordinating a network of volunteer attorneys and developing resources to protect civil liberties in Black Rock City.
Publications
Contributing Author, “Collaborative Law vs. Contentious Law,” Lawyers as Changemakers, J. Kim Wright (2016).
Speaking Engagements
Speaker, “Burning Man Legal Issues: Protecting Intellectual Property; & Understanding Personal Injury Liability in Black Rock City,” Bruce R. Thompson Inns of Court (April 2025). – Won Best Inns of Court Program of the Year for the Reno Chapter.
Speaker, “Will the Lightning in A Bottle Lawsuit Impact the Future of Harm Reduction,” Chacruna Institute (October 2023).
Speaker, “Decommodifying Burning Man’s Intellectual Property,” Bar Association of San Francisco (November 2015).
Speaker, “Law Enforcement Issues at Burning Man,” Live Broadcast in Black Rock City on Burning Man Information Radio (August 2013).
Speaker, “What Burning Man Does for Nevada,” Nevada Senate Committee on Government Affairs, NV BDR 20-252 Federal Lands Bill (March 2013).
Speaker, “A History of Burning Man Legal Issues,” Washoe County Bar Association (April 2007).
Sean Hocking
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