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Six practice groups · two lead partners

Where the firm actually works.

Each practice group below carries a description of scope, a brief on representative work, and the lead partner. Engagements are staffed by the lead partner and one or two associates. The matters listed are representative; specific client names are withheld as a matter of firm policy.

A Precedent Counsel brief cover

01 · Practice groups in detail

Practice 01

M&A and Capital Markets

Public and private transactions, debt and equity financings, restructurings, multi-state operator combinations, SPAC and reverse-merger structures.

Lead: Sarah Chen, Partner

Scope

  • Stock and asset acquisitions across single-state and multi-state operators
  • Institutional debt facilities (post-SAFER Act syndicated lending)
  • Equity placements (private and Canadian-listed)
  • Restructuring transactions (out-of-court and Chapter 11-adjacent)
  • Joint-venture and licensing structures

Representative matters

Matter 1Lead counsel to a top-five multi-state operator in a $280M institutional credit facility, including security structuring across seven state licenses.
Matter 2Represented a private equity sponsor in a $140M acquisition of a vertically integrated California operator, including 280E-aware deal structuring.
Matter 3Lead counsel to an MSO in a tri-state merger transaction subject to coordinated regulatory approval across NY, NJ, and MA.

Practice 02

Banking & Finance

Institutional credit facilities, post-SAFER Act bank engagements, secured-lending structures, custody arrangements, anti-money-laundering posture.

Lead: Sarah Chen, Partner

Scope

  • Negotiation of credit agreements with newly-cannabis-active institutional lenders
  • Cross-state security structures and intercreditor arrangements
  • Bank engagement onboarding (KYC, BSA, AML postures)
  • Custody and treasury structuring for institutional cannabis capital

Representative matters

Matter 1Advised a top-three operator on first institutional revolver post-SAFER, including drafting bespoke covenants for state-license cross-collateral.
Matter 2Represented a regional bank in onboarding cannabis operator deposit accounts, including drafting the bank’s internal compliance framework.

Practice 03

Regulatory & Licensing

State licensing, multi-state regulatory harmonization, federal-policy advocacy, FDA hemp-derived-cannabinoid pathways.

Lead: Marcus Holloway, Partner

Scope

  • State license applications and renewals across CA, NY, NJ, MA, IL, MI, FL, OH
  • Multi-state operator structural advice (entity formation, vertical integration limits)
  • Federal policy advocacy (DEA, FDA, Congressional)
  • FDA hemp-derived cannabinoid pathways (delta-8, CBD, novel cannabinoids)

Representative matters

Matter 1Lead counsel to a national MSO in coordinated license renewal across nine state programs, including responses to two state regulator inquiries.
Matter 2Filed comment letters on behalf of an industry coalition during USDA hemp rulemaking and DEA rescheduling proceedings.

Practice 04

Government Investigations & Enforcement

State and federal investigations, internal investigations, enforcement defense, voluntary disclosure programs.

Lead: Marcus Holloway, Partner

Scope

  • State cannabis regulator investigations and enforcement matters
  • Federal investigations (DEA, FDA, IRS)
  • Internal investigations on behalf of boards and audit committees
  • Voluntary disclosure preparation and submission

Representative matters

Matter 1Defended an MSO in a state cannabis control board investigation arising from a product-recall incident; matter resolved with a consent decree and no license action.
Matter 2Conducted an internal investigation for an MSO board following allegations of accounting irregularities at a recently acquired subsidiary.

Practice 05

IP & Brand Protection

Trademark portfolios in cannabis-restricted classes, patent strategy for cultivation IP, brand-licensing structures, anti-counterfeiting.

Lead: Sarah Chen, Partner

Scope

  • Trademark portfolio strategy across federal-restricted and state-permissible classes
  • Patent and trade-secret protection for cultivation IP, extraction processes
  • Brand licensing into and out of multi-state operator networks
  • Anti-counterfeiting and gray-market enforcement

Representative matters

Matter 1Built a 40-mark trademark portfolio across cannabis-permissible classes for a national brand, including defensive filings in adjacent CPG classes.
Matter 2Negotiated a multi-state brand-licensing agreement allowing a California brand to manufacture under license in seven additional state markets.

Practice 06

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Commercial litigation, partnership disputes, regulatory appeals, arbitration before AAA and JAMS, appellate matters.

Lead: Marcus Holloway, Partner

Scope

  • Commercial litigation in state and federal courts
  • Partnership and shareholder disputes among cannabis operators
  • Regulatory appeals from state cannabis control boards
  • Arbitration practice before AAA and JAMS
  • Appellate practice, including amicus briefing on cannabis-policy matters

Representative matters

Matter 1Represented a founder-shareholder in a partnership dispute over the post-acquisition allocation of contingent consideration; matter resolved at mediation.
Matter 2Filed amicus brief on behalf of an industry coalition in a federal appellate matter concerning interstate cannabis commerce.

02 · What Precedent will decline

Transparent about our scope.

The firm has a defined scope. We refer the following out, with grace:

In every case where Precedent declines, we offer a referral to a firm we know can do the work well.

If your matter is in scope

Submit a conflicts-check request. We’ll respond within one business day.

intake@precedent.law
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