We are pleased to welcome Aleece Burgio to the firm! She brings with her considerable experience in advising companies in the rapidly growing and changing cannabis industry.

Aleece joins us having most recently served as general counsel and strategic advisor with MariJade Industries/MJI Solutions. Prior to that, she was the cannabis service team leader for Barclay Damon LLP, where she oversaw 16 cross‐disciplinary attorneys who represented individuals and organizations participating in or impacted by legal cannabis operations. She began her career as an associate attorney with Green Light Law Group in Portland, Ore., assisting businesses entering that state’s recreational and medical cannabis markets.

New York’s adult cannabis market is full of potential – and pitfalls. Those entering without experienced legal and business counsel do so with significant risk. Aleece’s deep knowledge in this space, coupled with the decades of experience our colleagues have serving our region’s start-up and entrepreneurial community, quickly made this collaboration make sense for all involved.

Aleece's knowledge has been called upon many times, with countless media, publication, conference and other appearances to her credit. She currently serves on the Cannabis Advisory Council of Niagara County Community College; as a Policy Committee Member of the Cannabis Association of New York; as Program Executive Chair of the New York State Bar Association Cannabis Section; and as a member of the Buffalo Cannabis Working Group. She also previously served as chair of the New York State Bar Association Cannabis Committee; and treasurer of the Oregon State Bar Cannabis Section.

“I am excited to be joining Colligan Law,” Aleece said. “Their reputation in the legal and business communities is excellent. They have been at the forefront of many of the region’s biggest economic and community resurgence initiatives over the last decade, and having a cannabis practice area makes a lot of sense. I love working with people who want to see small businesses thrive.”

Aleece is a two-time PoliticsNY Cannabis Industry Power Player recipient (2022 & 2023), a 2020 New York Law Journal “Trailblazer,” and a member of Buffalo Business First’s “30 Under 30” (2018). She is an alumna of St. Bonaventure University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree before going on to the University at Buffalo (UB) to earn her J.D. She has also served as an adjunct instructor for UB’s School of Law, teaching the course, “The Green Rush,” to prepare students to practice cannabis law in New York.