Blank Rome’s corporate and transactional attorneys offer sound legal and business advice, from day-to-day management and strategic planning to paving the way for a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Whether it be securing financing through a bank now accepting cannabis related deposits, identifying the most effective tax structure, or raising capital through a private equity fund, we have the know-how to address your specific needs.

We advise multinational corporations, Fortune 500 companies, emerging businesses, small businesses, and everything in between. Our corporate capabilities are bolstered by nationally recognized litigation, tax, securities, and finance attorneys.

Business transactions and deals are at the core of any business wishing to grow. Blank Rome’s team of experienced Mergers & Acquisitions (“M&A”) attorneys understand that successful transactions take thorough attention to detail, knowledge of the cannabis business and environment, as well as a sound strategy to bring all the pieces together to complete the deal. We can also arrange public and private financing to fund transactions.

Our team works with clients on both the buy side and sell side for cannabis business transactions. Whether it is selling a small business or ushering in multimillion-dollar mergers, Blank Rome is on hand to help close any deal throughout multiple jurisdictions. Given the strength of our firm’s national practice in key markets, we are well positioned to help you expand anywhere across the country.

Effective and innovative responses to this emerging industry are critical to our clients’ ability to remain competitive and plan (as well as execute) on their core strategies. Securing reliable banking services can be one of the most difficult hurdles a new or expanding marijuana-related business will face.

Leveraging our network and experience, we help clients gain access to the growing number of banks presently accepting cannabis-related deposits and/or providing debt financing and guide businesses on how to prepare all documents and due diligence packets that will be required as part of the initial account opening process. Our team helps clients evaluate and secure compliant solutions for all financial service-related needs, including payroll, accounting, point-of-sale systems, merchant processing services, and insurance, among others.

While no business wants to experience a bankruptcy, if it is unavoidable, the ability to restructure a company’s debt and retain its value is of the utmost importance. Blank Rome leverages its unparalleled experience in corporate and financial restructurings and workouts in the non-cannabis sector to enable our clients to achieve the results they need and deserve during challenging financial times. Our team has represented companies in bankruptcies, state court and federal receiverships, judicial and non-judicial assignments for benefit of creditors (“ABC”), Article 9 secured party sales, commercial real estate foreclosures, and creditor litigation, as well as the negotiation and restructuring of debt obligations in some cases totaling billions. They bring this wealth of knowledge and experience to their cannabis clients.

Distressed business environments can also provide tremendous opportunities for strategic transactions. We aim to maximize successful outcomes for our clients by taking a pragmatic approach, combining practical experience and creative strategies that address the nuances of each case.

We represent all stakeholders in insolvency related matters–whether secured creditors, borrowers, acquirers, landlords, investors, equity holders, or vendors. We know that such financial circumstances will provide major opportunities for buyers to take advantage of strategic opportunities and guide them through distressed acquisitions. We understand that different tactics and strategies need to be employed depending upon who is being represented, and we have no learning curve given our unmatched experience and extensive cannabis industry knowledge. We will protect your interests and help you achieve and exceed your goals.

Blank Rome has been advising clients in sophisticated capital-raising transactions for more than 65 years. Our practice combines our attorneys’ experience in corporate, securities, and tax law matters with the crucial business acumen our clients demand. We understand the underlying business transaction as well as the complex regulatory framework that governs the way offerings are made in today’s marketplace.

Our cannabis team has experience representing financial institutions of all kinds, including banks, credit unions, investment bankers and investment companies, as well as merchant processors, in entering the cannabis industry with fully compliant services.

Our firm guides and counsels financial institutions from beginning to end on how to provide compliant financial services to cannabis-related business customers consistent with existing Bank Secrecy Act obligations and the 2014 FinCEN Guidance, including providing boardroom education for directors and executive teams as well as developing compliant cannabis lending programs.

We also assist on a wide spectrum of related issues, including conducting cannabis-related risk assessments, reviewing and customizing operating policies and procedures, and helping with vendor due diligence and contract negotiations. Our team can also provide audit assistance, advanced Bank Secrecy Act training for all levels of employees, and examination support designed to ensure your financial institution is prepared to demonstrate the risk-focused approach it takes when providing financial services to marijuana-related businesses.

The valuable relationships and connections that we have made within these industries, paired with our in-depth knowledge of the cannabis space, allow us to better guide our private equity clients toward the most advantageous opportunities.

Blank Rome’s national team of experienced privacy, security, and data protection attorneys have spent decades at the cutting edge of technology helping clients navigate the patchwork of data privacy laws and myriad of issues posed by digital technologies, IT, outsourcing, marketing, and data rights transactions in a variety of sectors from healthcare, pharmaceutical, and medical devices to the cannabis, food & beverage, e-commerce, consumer goods, financial services, and FinTech industries.

Our multidisciplinary team of leading cybersecurity and data privacy professionals advises clients on the potential consequences of cybersecurity threats and how to implement comprehensive measures for mitigating cyber risks, prepares customized strategy and action plans, and provides ongoing support and maintenance to promote cybersecurity awareness.

With decades of tax planning experience, Blank Rome’s tax attorneys have handled a wide variety of sophisticated transactions working alongside M&A and real estate teams on middle-market deals and those into the billions. We can also help you with federal, state, local, international, and cross-border tax implications as they relate to individuals, closely held companies, and multinational corporations.

Our tax attorneys have a proven track record of delivering value to our clients. We do this by making a few simple promises: (1) to understand your business goals and objectives in light of 280E’s huge impact upon the cannabis industry; (2) to use a common-sense and pragmatic approach—whether in crafting a solution to a complex tax issue, presenting an argument to a tribunal, or structuring a fee arrangement; (3) to deliver potential solutions in a cost-effective manner; and (4) to forge a strong and long-standing relationship through frequent and open communication.

All developing businesses need to have the right litigators in their corner. Strategic litigation is an indispensable tool for businesses of all kinds, and the cannabis industry is no exception. Our team has significant experience helping cannabis clients with shareholder disputes, construction litigation, fiduciary duty claims, as well as various regulatory enforcement actions.

Blank Rome’s litigation team is practical and aggressive, and committed to minimizing any business disruption that litigation can cause, while getting your case to trial or settlement with an efficient approach that maximizes your outcome. At every step, our team is here to help you weigh all of the risks and rewards and protect your interests from start to finish.

Success in the real estate industry depends in large part on outside forces. Economic booms and busts, rising and falling interest rates, and even an atmosphere of optimism or pessimism can mean success or failure for a project. Blank Rome’s real estate attorneys can help you build a strong foundation for your business to take advantage of (or withstand) all market fluctuations.

Our cannabis team has assisted clients with numerous real estate transactions, including real estate acquisitions and leasing, real estate financings, and loans, as well as helping clients with issues impacted by various national and state level cannabis laws and regulations.