Professionals

Stephanie Algarin Santiago

Of Counsel

Stephanie is in the regulatory, real estate, and corporate groups at Emerge Law Group. She is passionate about regulatory issues in the emerging cannabis markets in New York and New Jersey, and assists entrepreneurs in acquiring and maintaining licensure. The intricate nature of cannabis real estate is also an area of interest and expertise for Stephanie, as she helps applicants and licensees lease and buy property that will materialize their operational goals.

Prior to joining Emerge, Stephanie worked at a boutique New York cannabis law firm securing various Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses in the emerging New York regulated market. She assisted CAURD and other conditional licensees with negotiating and drafting contracts, including brand licensing agreements and MSAs, and becoming operational in both the pragmatic and regulatory sense. She worked alongside other regulatory, security, and environmental consultants, as well as cannabis accountants and insurance providers, to provide comprehensive counsel and practical advice.

Stephanie was born and raised in Puerto Rico and left the island to attend Villanova University. She then received her J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law, where she was the Managing Editor of the New York International Law Review (NYILR) and a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. While there, she was published in the NYILR (“Global Equitable Vaccine Access Frameworks and a Proposal for the Future: Analyzing During the Covid-19 Pandemic,” Winter 2021–22), participated in the yearlong Bankruptcy Clinic, and held other leadership roles on campus that showcased her passion for diversity and first-generation excellence. Her commitment to regulatory compliance originated the summer she worked at Rabobank, an international financial services cooperative, drafting operating procedures.

During her free time, Stephanie likes to be in nature, preferably surrounded by animals. She loves the beach and is a retired world-class horseback rider.