Matt Goldberg, Co-Founder of Arb420 – Interview Series

Given the wide range of business law fields that impact cannabis operations, hiring a dedicated attorney with deep experience across these areas has become essential. With recreational legalization and strict regulatory frameworks come numerous potential legal challenges that demand expert counsel. From trademarks and intellectual property to bankruptcy filings and general litigation, the reasons a cannabis company might need an attorney are as varied as the strains on a dispensary shelf. Moreover, working with a business-focused attorney who also brings Fortune 500 experience provides a distinct competitive advantage.

To explore the common legal issues that prompt cannabis businesses to retain counsel—particularly regarding arbitration and mediation—mycannabis.com spoke with Matt Goldberg, Co-Founder of Arb420.

Prior to entering law school, what subjects did you cover as a journalist? Why did you find it meaningful to cover those topics, and how would you say it sparked your interest in studying law?

I wrote mostly about pop culture and the internet, interviewing people as wide-ranging as Howard Stern, Perry Farrell, Phish and the CEOs of Cisco and Yahoo! My decision to go to law school was motivated professionally by work I did in business development for a start-up company, marrying open-source website technology and traditional media brands.

Personally, I went to law school in Oregon because I moved here in 2002 with my spouse and our six-month-old baby in the wake of 9/11, when we lived a mile from Ground Zero.

What were the most frequent fields of law that you studied at Lewis and Clark Law School? What most excited you about studying those fields?

I thought I would pursue IP and technology law and did take some of those courses, but I also became intrigued by bankruptcy, secured transactions, sales and commercial litigation, which is what I ultimately practiced.

That aside, I loved Constitutional Criminal Procedure, though I have never had a single criminal client.

How did working with a major cannabis law firm like Harris Sliwoski LLP give you such in-depth experience across the many facets of cannabis law?

I started practicing cannabis law in 2014 and joined Harris Sliwoski ten years later, but it certainly added to my experience as a law firm general counsel, getting to serve that role for a firm operating in multiple U.S. and international jurisdictions. It was also an opportunity to work with a good friend and excellent lawyer in Portland.

Based on your experience, how is representing a Fortune 500 company in court different from representing much smaller companies? How are their legal issues and needs far more complex than a small business?

Larger clients often have a markedly different approach to risk and tolerance for litigation costs, compared to small business owners, so it sometimes is easier to get the client to follow through on the lawyer’s advice and recommendations.

When exactly did you decide to co-found Arb420? What gaps in access to legal services did you hope to fill for cannabis companies with the founding of the firm?

We conceived of arb420 approximately three years ago and started building it in earnest in the spring and summer of 2026. Most judges and arbitrators know nothing about cannabis law or business, and most court cases and traditional arbitrations take too long and are way too expensive.

We finally launched arb420 this month and are starting to promote it. We look forward to assisting the industry nationally with issues including the “A/R Crisis” affecting so many licensees in so many licensed markets.

From your experience with Arb420, what are the most common reasons that cannabis business owners seek the firm’s expertise to begin with? What are some common scenarios in which situations arise within cannabis companies that require arbitration and mediation?

We have just launched this month; arb420 is designed to handle the commercial disputes that arise among cannabis businesses, their owners, investors and counterparties. These include disagreements over management and distributions, buyouts and business separations, failed purchases, loans and guaranties, brand licenses, commercial leases and supply agreements. The A/R Crisis is a particularly pressing example: unpaid invoices and disagreements over product quality, quantities, credits and offsets.

The reason to use arb420 is that these disputes will be handled by attorneys who already understand cannabis businesses and the regulatory constraints on their transactions. Arbitration produces a binding decision. Mediation allows the parties to negotiate arrangements such as payment schedules, revised supply terms or an ownership transition.

What are some of your regular duties as a member of the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar’s Cannabis & Psychedelics Section?

My work includes organizing CLEs, choosing topics and speakers, organizing networking and social events, and participating in substantive discussions about policy, law and the industry at our monthly meetings.

Why is it so crucial that such a section of the Oregon State Bar exists? How does it provide much more legal legitimacy to the Oregon cannabis industry and its many businesses?

Most lawyers and judges know little about cannabis law or business. Education within the legal profession is one way to address that problem. 

A dedicated Bar section recognizes cannabis and psychedelics as areas of legal practice that require serious professional attention.

What are some notable ways that the legal needs and issues of your clients either with Arb420 or elsewhere change depending on whether they’re located on the West Coast, such as Oregon, or more East Coast-located, such as New York? Do the newer East Coast markets more multi-faceted issues than the West Coast markets or is it vice versa?

I have historically been too busy to really utilize my New York license, but I look forward to it potentially being relevant to parties who may use arb420’s services, by choice or otherwise.

The national reach of arb420 also comes from our roster. Our proceedings are remote, and our arbitrators apply the substantive law governing the particular dispute.

How do you envision the arbitration and mediation-related needs of your cannabis clients changing with large federal reforms such as rescheduling and other reforms possibly on the horizon? How do you envision your own duties as an attorney changing alongside those major reforms?

I think major legal developments in any of these areas will generally result in more work for cannabis lawyers, whether in policy, business, litigation or all three, as well as more operational and other issues for cannabis businesses.

Thank you for joining us, Matt! For more information on Arb420, please visit its website.