Since 2015, Pierce Atwood attorneys have worked closely with participants in the cannabis industry, supporting investors, cultivators and lenders across jurisdictions. Our attorneys work tirelessly to stay up to date with developments in this dynamic industry and are thought leaders in the space. We are uniquely positioned to provide strategic advice on a full range of legal issues that may arise.

We routinely represent the spectrum of stakeholders, from helping operators create investor-friendly and industry-compliant business structures, to advising domestic and international investment funds, family offices and angel investors on portfolio company investments, to counseling new entrants into the industry, including from other highly regulated industries, on regulatory risk.

Our cannabis group is an integrated, multi-disciplinary team that leverages deep expertise across practice areas to provide guidance in all the legal needs that our clients may have, including:

  • Corporate
  • Complex Federal Regulatory Compliance
  • Real Estate
  • Zoning & Permitting
  • Debt and Equity Financing
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Intellectual Property
  • Tax
  • Fund Formation
  • Business Litigation

We understand there is no one-size-fits-all approach to succeeding the cannabis industry. What sets Pierce Atwood attorneys apart is our willingness to listen to our clients and to address their specific questions and needs with a focus on best long-term outcomes.

Whether you are an operator, investor, property owner, lender, insurer or new to the industry, Pierce Atwood offers firmwide expertise to help clients navigate this complex regulatory environment.

Areas of Expertise

Attorneys in the firm’s Technology Transactions & Outsourcing group, a team comprised of members of Pierce Atwood’s IP and Business groups, provide strong drafting and negotiation skills with a focus on getting deals done efficiently and effectively. We’ll negotiate and draft contracts related to advertising, promotions, and marketing, as well as agreements related to technology and data privacy and security. Click here for more information.

Members of our Business Group have guided young companies through every stage of their life cycles, from inspiration and formation through seed funding, to venture capital, to growth and exit through acquisition or IPO. We help our emerging company clients keep sight of not only the important issues of the moment, but also what will be important when they reach the next stage – and the ones beyond that. By taking this long-range view, we seek to lay a foundation for our clients' long-term success.

Through our experience on the operator side of the cannabis industry, we’re able to effectively represent investors that focus on opportunities in the cannabis industry. And by representing both cannabis companies and investors in this space, we’re able to provide a complete perspective that paves the way for successful transactions. Pierce Atwood’s work with cannabis industry investors and operators includes:

  • Due diligence on cannabis companies
  • Private placement of cannabis-focused funds
  • Advice to investors on structuring liability and due diligence
  • Advice to operators on corporate strategy in advance of funding round
  • Corporate formation and conversion

Pierce Atwood’s IP, trademark, and patent attorneys help cannabis clients navigate the often conflicting state and federal regulations in order to protect new strains, processes, techniques, and other trade secrets, as well as branding, business name, logos, and domain names that identify and distinguish each product from its competitors.

Each development project presents a unique set of challenges, so we work closely with local planning boards and state and federal regulators to simplify and expedite the zoning and permitting process whenever possible. Whether a project entails real estate acquisition, sale, development, or leasing – even if the lease contains cannabis-restrictive language - our skilled real estate and land use attorneys have the expertise to implement creative and effective solutions to even the most complex commercial lease or purchase and sale agreement.

Our services in this area include:

  • Counseling landlords on legal exposure when renting to cannabis companies
  • Negotiating land leases to support host agreements and medical licenses
  • Advising on co-location of marijuana and regulated land use
Catalyst Program for Startups

Representative Experience

Represented Artemis Growth Partners, a private equity fund investing in the cannabis industry, on the acquisition of Bridge Farm Group, a UK producer of ornamental plants, flowers and herbs, from publicly traded Canadian cannabis producer Sundial Growers, Inc.

Acquisition in the Cannabis Industry