Ryan M. Holz

Partner

Ryan Holz is a partner in the Cannabis Law practice group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. He advises clients on complex legal and business issues impacting cannabis-related businesses. Mr. Holz actively represents cannabis, hemp and CBD clients on topics ranging from licensing issues, regulatory compliance, policies and procedures, and general business concerns. He has a comprehensive understanding of the cannabis laws across the U.S. and provides his clients with timely federal, state, and local level developments.

Mr. Holz’s regulatory and advisory work is designed to steer clients clear of litigation. But if that proves impossible, Mr. Holz actively litigates on his clients’ behalf. Mr. Holz maintains a substantial portfolio of litigation matters for a diverse set of clients. He has been lead counsel defending cannabis companies in class actions in both state and federal court. He has represented dozens of clients in licensing litigation with state regulators. He frequently represents cannabis companies in business-to-business disputes in court and in arbitration.

Mr. Holz also has extensive appellate experience, having represented both appellees and appellants in dozens of appeals in the Illinois and Wisconsin Appellate Courts and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. He handles appeals from start to finish, analyzing the record, drafting the briefs, and arguing the case. Mr. Holz has handled several significant appellate matters that resulted in published opinions with far-reaching implications for Illinois mortgage foreclosure law. See Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. v. Hall-Pilate, 2011 IL App (1st) 102632, U.S. Bank National Association v. Prabhakaran, 2013 IL App (1st) 111224, CitiMortgage, Inc. v. Sharlow, 2014 IL App (3d) 130107, and Nationstar Mortgage LLC v. Missirlian, 2017 IL App (1st) 152730.

Mr. Holz uses his litigation background to guide clients in the increasingly turbulent cannabis industry. The lack of change at the federal level means cannabis companies face significant headwinds; they cannot afford to be careless in their transactions or take false steps. Mr. Holz understands where clients are vulnerable and tailors his advice to mitigate potential issues before they become more significant.

Experience

Representative Experience

Served as lead defense counsel in a putative class action alleging fraud and other misconduct and secured dismissal of the case in its entirety at the pleadings stage.
Successfully represented a cannabis applicant that had been disqualified from participating in the Illinois cannabis dispensary lotteries. The court required the applicant to be admitted into the lottery, which the applicant then won. The applicant now operates a thriving cannabis dispensary.
Served as pro bono legal counsel to a Chicago-area man previously sentenced to life without parole for a crime committed as a juvenile, in a re-sentencing hearing made possible by a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling and a 2014 Illinois Supreme Court ruling regarding life-without-parole sentences for juvenile crime. The man was re-sentenced to 50 years in prison, and required to serve half, resulting in his release in June 2016. The case was covered by the Chicago Tribune.

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, “Delta-8 THC: What is it and Where is it Legal?,” Illinois Women in Cannabis, June 23, 2021
Speaker, “Illinois Women in Cannabis 2020 Conference,” February 22, 2020
Speaker, “HR Legislation in the Stoned Age: Marijuana Legalization,” Sterling Webinar, October 8, 2019
Speaker, “A Budding Industry: Cannabis and Commercial Real Estate,” CREW Dallas September Industry Luncheon, September 18, 2019
Speaker, “Recent Developments in Debt Collection Litigation and Enforcement: Identifying and Avoiding the Latest Risks,” ACI’s 31st National Forum on Consumer Finance, Class Actions and Government Enforcement, July 23, 2019
Speaker, “The Land of Lincoln (and Weed): An Analysis of Illinois’s Recreational Marijuana Law,” Celesq AttorneysEd Center Webinar, July 23, 2019
Speaker, “What’s Next for CBD? FDA Speaks,” Celesq AttorneysEd Center Webinar, June 10, 2019
Speaker, “Examining the Large Uptick in Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Cases, Correlation Between Bankruptcy Filings, and Inaccuracies with Consumers’ Credit Reports.” Rob’s topic is “In-House Roundtable: How Corporate Counsel Are Dealing with Consumer Finance Class Action & Litigation, Costs, Legal Spend, Compliance Cost, and Retaining Outside Counsel.,” ACI’s 29th Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation Conference, July 24-25, 2017

Awards

Recognitions

The American Lawyer, “Midwest Trailblazer,” 2022
Super Lawyers magazine, “Illinois Rising Star,” 2012-2022P

Publications

Co-Author, “Zero-Balance Reporting of Mortgage Debt Post-Bankruptcy,” Journal of Taxation and Regulation of Financial Institutions, December 2018
Co-Author, “Pierre v. Midland Credit: Three Significant Lessons for Debt Collectors,” Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law, April/May 2018
Co-Author, “Zero-Balance Reporting of Mortgage Debt Post-Bankruptcy,” The Review of Banking & Financial Services, October 2017