The attorneys
Every Precedent matter is staffed by one of the founding partners and one or two associates trained directly by them. The partner who pitches the engagement is the partner who works it. This is a deliberate constraint that limits firm capacity and protects the standard of work.
01 · Founding partners
Founding Partner · M&A and Capital Markets
JD · Yale Law School (2012)
AB · Princeton (2009), magna cum laude
sarah.chen@precedent.law · +1 202 555 1014
Sarah practiced for seven years at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York, where she was a senior associate in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group. In 2022 she was appointed Special Counsel to the United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, where she advised on the SAFER Banking Act’s drafting and negotiation. She co-founded Precedent Counsel in 2024.
Cannabis M&A, institutional debt and equity financing, restructurings, capital-markets transactions, intellectual property strategy for multi-state operators.
Chambers USA — Cannabis Law (Up & Coming, 2025). Law360 Rising Stars — Cannabis (2025). American Lawyer 40 Under 40 (2025).
“The Post-SAFER Banking Landscape: Three Years On,” The Banking Law Journal, March 2026 (with M. Holloway). “Vertical Integration Structures Under State Cannabis Programs,” Harvard Business Law Review, October 2024.
Founding Partner · Regulatory & Investigations
JD · Stanford Law School (2010)
BA · Morehouse College (2007), summa cum laude
marcus.holloway@precedent.law · +1 202 555 1015
Marcus served as Deputy Attorney General of California from 2018 to 2021, where he led the Cannabis Enforcement Division and was responsible for the state’s coordinated response to interstate licensing, illicit-market displacement, and federal-state preemption questions. From 2021 to 2024 he served as General Counsel at one of the largest US multi-state operators. He co-founded Precedent Counsel in 2024.
State and federal regulatory matters, government investigations and enforcement defense, multi-state regulatory harmonization, litigation, appellate practice.
Chambers USA — Cannabis Law (Band 1, Government Investigations, 2025). California Lawyer of the Year — Regulatory (2024).
“The Post-SAFER Banking Landscape: Three Years On” (with S. Chen). “State Cannabis Enforcement Frameworks: A Comparative Analysis,” Stanford Law & Policy Review, June 2023.
02 · How the founding partners practice
No engagement is staffed without a founding partner as lead. Associates support; they do not substitute. We keep the matter count deliberately low to make this commitment durable.
The intake function returns conflicts-clearance decisions within one business day. If the matter is in scope and clear, the engaging partner schedules a preliminary call within the same week.
Engagement letters carry estimated budgets at signing. Budgets are updated weekly as the matter progresses. No client receives an unexpected bill.
03 · The associate team
Every Precedent associate has at least three years of practice at a major firm before joining. We do not staff entry-level work product on client matters; first-year associates are not in the engagement model. The associates are listed in the firm directory and may be reached directly via the contact form. Selected senior associates are described below.
Senior Associate · M&A and Banking
Yale Law 2019. Previously at Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Bar admissions in NY, DC.
Senior Associate · Regulatory & Investigations
Berkeley Law 2018. Previously at the California Attorney General’s Office. Bar admissions in CA, DC.
Senior Associate · Litigation & Appellate
Harvard Law 2017. Previously at Williams & Connolly. Bar admissions in DC, NY, US Supreme Court.
04 · The first two years
2024 · Q1
Filed as a Washington DC LLP. Founding partners Sarah Chen and Marcus Holloway. Initial team of four (the founders and two senior associates from Wachtell and the California AG’s office).
2024 · Q3
Engaged as outside general counsel by a top-ten MSO for cross-state regulatory work. Engagement remains active.
2025 · Q1
Tribeca location. Six attorneys staffed. New York Bar admissions completed for all founding-team attorneys.
2025 · Q3
Represented an MSO in a $280M institutional credit facility with a syndicate of regional banks. The transaction was the largest cannabis institutional debt facility closed post-SAFER.
2025 · Q4
Marcus Holloway ranked Band 1 in Cannabis Law — Government Investigations. Sarah Chen ranked Up & Coming.
2026 · Q1
Quarterly briefings on cannabis legal and policy developments published to referring firms, in-house counsel, and selected institutional clients.
Washington · New York
Submit a conflicts-check request or read our latest insights brief.