Rice

Erica Rice

Partner
Co-Chair, Business Department
Co-Chair, Cannabis & Hemp Group
Boston

I shoulder my clients' burdens of navigating complex legal issues in evolving industries so that they can focus on continuing to build their business.

Erica Rice's practice is focused on representing buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions and other strategic transactions, as well as counseling emerging growth companies regarding entity formation, founder’s arrangements, financings, exit strategies and general corporate governance. She has a particular focus on the cannabis, life sciences and technology industries.

Erica’s clients include both public and private companies as well as venture capital investors. Erica acts as a trusted advisor to her clients, providing the specific legal guidance that they need at each stage of development.

A well-known player in the cannabis space, Erica also advises cannabis companies on transactions as they work through the complexities of a new and growing industry. She influences guidelines in an industry where official rules are often not yet in place. Her work in the space leads to frequent speaking roles on panels organized by groups like Benzinga, the Association for Corporate Growth, The Angel Capital Association, The Cannabis Society, the International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA) and various entrepreneurial groups.

Erica is best in class for her guidance and leadership. Among other accolades, she was recently recognized by The Deal in its 2023 Top "Women in Dealmaking" list (M&A category). She also serves as co-chair of the firm's Cannabis practice.

Education

  • Boston University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2010
  • University of Michigan, B.A., with high distinction, 2004

Bar and Court Admissions

BAR ADMISSIONS
  • Massachusetts

Experience

CANNABIS INDUSTRY

  • Global cannabis operator Columbia Care Inc. (NEO: CCHW) (CSE: CCHW) (OTCQX: CCHWF) (FSE: 3LP) in multiple transactions, including:
    • its proposed acquisition by Cresco Labs for $2 billion
    • its acquisition of  Medicine Man Denver 
    • its acquisition of Green Leaf Medical, LLC, a privately held, fully integrated cannabis multi-state operator based in the mid-Atlantic region
    • its acquisition of Project Cannabis, a leading cannabis cultivator, wholesaler and retailer in California
    • in a $105 million transaction with Verano Holdings Corp.
    • its acquisition of The Green Solution (“TGS”), the largest vertically integrated cannabis operator in Colorado
  • MariMed in multiple transactions, including its acquisition of the assets of Ermont, a Quincy, MA cannabis retailer, out of receivership, the first cannabis receivership in Massachusetts
  • Cultivate Holdings in its sale to Cresco Labs (CSE:CL) (OTCQX:CRLBF)
  • Ascend Wellness Holdings, a multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator, in multiple transactions, including:
    • its proposed acquisition of MedMed’s New York cannabis operations
    • its acquisition of Greenleaf Compassion Center, a New Jersey vertically integrated cannabis company

TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

  • CloudAhoy in its acquisition by Boeing
  • Inlightened in its acquisition by LocumTenens.com, a Jackson Healthcare company 
  • Dimagi, a global social impact organization and leader in frontline technology, in its $25 million impact investment from Steele Foundation for Hope and its acquisition of SureAdhere
  • Engin Sciences, an AI-powered recruitment platform, in its series seed financing
  • Cue Ball Capital as lead investor in multiple financings
  • Dwelling Management d/b/a Topline Pro in its series seed financing
  • ProMerchant LLC, Cape Cod Merchant Services LLC and Flow Payments LLC, three players in the merchant processing solutions space, in their sale to Waitr Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: WTRH)
  • Voatz, a blockchain-powered mobile election voting application, in its Series A-1 financing
  • Shift4 Payments (NYSE: FOUR), in its acquisition of VenueNext, a provider of integrated payment processing and 3dcart, an e-commerce platform
  • Digital financial company BlockFi in its Series B financing

LIFE SCIENCES & HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

  • AOA Dx, a developer of non-invasive ovarian cancer diagnosis technology, in its series seed financing
  • Stealth diagnostic company in its series seed financing
  • AI-powered diagnostic company in its Series B financing
  • Kyruus, the leader in provider search and scheduling solutions for health systems, in its acquisitions of Epion Health and HealthSparq and acquisition by RevSpring
  • OMNI life sciences in its acquisition by Permira-backed Corin Group 
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific in its acquisition of MTI-GlobalStem

Honors & Involvement

HONORS
  • Ranked by Chambers USA Guide for Cannabis Law: Eastern United States (2024-2026)
  • Recognized byThe Deal in its 2023 Top “Women in Dealmaking” list (M&A category)
  • “Top Lawyer – Corporate Law,” Boston Magazine (2021)
  • Named a Law360 Rising Star, Cannabis category (2021)
  • Ranked by Venture Capital Journal as one of venture capital's 40 rising stars (2020) 
  • Ranked by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business as one of Massachusetts' leading Corporate/M&A attorneys (2016, 2017) 
  • Boston University Law Review, Administrative Editor
INVOLVEMENT
  • Boston Bar Association, Member 
  • Women’s Bar Association, Member

Events

Poseidon VC & CEO Mixer  Page
Sponsorship 06/14/2026
Cannabis Capital Conference Page
Sponsorship 06/14/2026
Women’s Spring Gathering Page
Foley Hoag Event 05/13/2026
NECANN Boston  Page
Event 04/23/2026
BBA: Women in Deals Power Dinner Page
Sponsorship 03/11/2026
MJBizCon  Page
Event 12/02/2025
Cannabis Market Spotlight: Ohio Page
Speaking Engagement 11/03/2025
Cannabis Debt Finance & Transactions Page
Foley Hoag Event 09/08/2025
13th Annual MJBizCon Page
Speaking Engagement 12/03/2024
Cocktail Reception at MJBizCon Page
Foley Hoag Event 11/17/2022

Speaking Engagements

  • "Cannabis Debt Finance & Transactions," Foley Hoag Webinar (September 2025)
  • "Buy-Side: Avoiding and Navigating Post-Merger Integration Challenges," L Suite 2024 Growth Summit (November 2024)
  • "Hot Topics in Massachusetts Cannabis," 8th annual Cannabis Law Conference (April 2024)
  • Moderator, "New York Cannabis Applications Take Shape!," Foley Hoag Webinar (October 2023)
  • Panelist, "Building a Successful Cannabis Business While Regulations Catch Up," Benzina Cannabis Capital Conference (October 2023)
  • Moderator, "Preparing for New York Cannabis Applications," Foley Hoag Webinar (September 2023)
  • "Navigating Regulatory Compliance: It's All In the Details," Foley Hoag M&A Forum (June 2023)
  • "Choose Your Own Adventure in 2023: Buy, Sell or Persevere," Benzinga Capital Conference: Cannabis (April 2023)
  • "Corporate Formation and M&A, Tax, Regulatory Considerations, and Litigation," 7th Annual Cannabis Law Conference, MCLE (April 2023)
  • "M&A: Cautionary Tales," International Cannabis Bar Association Cannabis Law Sessions, MJBiz Conference (November 2022) 
  • "Connecticut Adult-Use Cannabis: A Market Ready to Scale," Foley Hoag Webinar (July 2021)
  • “2021: A Foundational Year for New York Cannabis," Foley Hoag Webinar (May 2021)
  • “Who will be the Coca-Cola of Cannabis?," Angel Capital Association Summit (May 2021)
  • “AGC – How Deals Get Done in Cannabis," ACG Webinar (May 2021)
  • "Cannabis Businesses: Essential Tax Planning Considerations," Foley Hoag Webinar (September 2020)
  • “Dealing with Financial Distress for Cannabis Companies," Foley Hoag Webinar (June 2020) 
  • “Cannabis & COVID-19: What Businesses Need to Know," Foley Hoag Webinar (April 2020)
  • “Alternative Entities Top Ten: Liability and Governance Issues for Deal Attorneys and Litigators," American Bar Association Business Law Section Annual Meeting (September 2019)
  • “Fireside Chat: Investing in Cannabis," The Cannabis Society Investor Conference (August 2019)
  • “Regulatory Considerations and Blockchain Technologies: Best Practices for In-House Counsel," Association of Corporate Counsel Northeast Webinar (May 2018)
  • “Understanding ICOs – The Latest in Crowdfunding, Currency and Cons," Boston Blockchain Week (April 2018)
  • “Incorporation for Startups – Why Delaware? Why a C-Corp?," Boston New Technology Showcase (December 2016)