Jihee Ahn

Jihee is an experienced complex commercial litigator in Harris Sliwoski’s Portland and Los Angeles offices. She represents clients in business, intellectual property, and real estate matters. Having worked extensively in both federal and state courts, Jihee advises her clients from case intake through arbitration and trial.

writ of attachment

Protecting Yourself in Cannabis Litigation: The Writ of Attachment

On the heels of my last post discussing the limited situations under which a lawsuit can be filed against a cannabis business owner, today’s post will kick off a series of other ways you can protect yourself and exert leverage in a lawsuit. This is a key question as so many in the cannabis industry

cannabis company

Can I Sue the Owner of the Cannabis Company Personally?

The cannabis industry is hurting right now, and most everyone is feeling it. As new and old clients consider pursuing breach of contract and other claims against cannabis businesses that are failing, one question seems to come up again and again: can we sue the owner(s) of the cannabis company personally for the company’s failures

attorneys' fees

The Recovery of Attorneys’ Fees in Cannabis Litigation

We got a lot of good follow-up questions last week after our webinar covering cannabis litigation in the current down market. One of them related to the recovery of attorneys’ fees and how likely that is to happen. Potential recovery of attorneys’ fees is an important consideration at the outset of any case, but can

bakked

TTAB Denies Registration of Bakked Trademarks

In a precedential decision, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) affirmed an examining attorney’s refusal to register two “Bakked” trademarks by deeming the goods to be illegal drug paraphernalia under the Controlled Substances Act (the “CSA”) and deciding the two exemptions of the CSA did not apply. The Bakked trademark applications National Concessions Group

default judgment

Cannabis Litigation: Defaults and Default Judgments

One thing to know about litigation is that timing is everything. Many clients that come to us are unaware that the process of litigating is governed by a series of statutorily-defined deadlines and schedules. Failing to abide by those deadlines can have huge effects on a litigant’s position in a lawsuit. One of the worst

subpoena

Cannabis Litigation: A Primer on Subpoenas

A “subpoena” is used in cannabis litigation (or any litigation) when third-party witnesses or documents become necessary for a lawsuit. Over the years, we’ve seen the need for subpoenas come up in a variety of contexts. Below is a primer on what to do as a recipient of one: What is a subpoena? There are

cannabis bankruptcy

New Opinion Confirms Growing Trend Away from “Zero Tolerance” Cannabis Bankruptcy Relief Policy

As those in the cannabis industry are fully aware, the option of bankruptcy has not been available to cannabis or many cannabis-adjacent businesses to date. The courts have consistently indicated debtors who work in the cannabis industry or derive meaningful income from cannabis activity (directly or indirectly) cannot use bankruptcy, a federal mechanism, so long

ada ucra cannabis litigation

California Cannabis Retailer Faces Costly ADA and UCRA Claims

A recent lawsuit filed in California federal court serves as a good reminder to all our readers that it’s so important to be mindful of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (the “ADA”). For the past several years, we’ve seen a steady flow of cases filed against cannabis companies for their alleged failures

cannabis stock promotion scheme

Defendants Move to Dismiss SEC’s Stock Promotion Scheme Lawsuit

Last November, I wrote this post about a recent case filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission naming cannabis industry players for an alleged stock promotion scheme (or, as some call them, anti-touting violations). Last month, the primary individual defendant, Jonathan Mikula, filed a Motion to Dismiss the claims against him. The other individual defendant,

litigation hold

Cannabis Litigation: The Importance of Litigation Holds

We regularly cover litigation on the blog, but today we’re going to cover how to prepare for cannabis litigation that may or may not come. And while it’s always important to have effective systems in place, it becomes even more paramount when our clients realize how involved the discovery process is in the American litigation