Erika Gee is a member of the firm’s Government Relations Practice and a former Chief of Staff and Chief Deputy in the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office. Since returning to Wright Lindsey Jennings in 2015, she has put her years of experience as general counsel for state agencies and licensing boards to work assisting clients in resolving their regulatory and administrative disputes with state government. She also represents clients in government relations matters, including advocacy and policy development with state agency officials, the Attorney General’s Office and the Executive and Legislative branches of government.

While an Assistant Attorney General, Gee spent nearly seven years as general counsel and prosecutor for the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy, where she developed a strong expertise in pharmacy regulatory matters. A large part of her practice is now focused on representing national, regional and local pharmacies, wholesale distributors, pharmaceutical manufacturers and individuals in licensure and disciplinary issues involving the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy. She also represents clients in administrative disciplinary matters before boards of pharmacy in other states, including Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, in enforcement actions by the DEA and in investigations of 503A and 503B compounding pharmacies by state boards and the FDA.

Gee has been actively involved in the implementation and licensure process for medical marijuana businesses since December of 2016, including regulatory and legislative lobbying and drafting of applications for cultivation facilities, dispensaries, licensed transporters and other related businesses. She is a recognized expert and sought-after speaker on the legal and regulatory aspects of medical marijuana in Arkansas, with multiple articles on the topic for Arkansas Business and appearances on Arkansas Week, Talk Business and Arkansas Public Media. She is also representing clients seeking licensure to grow and process industrial hemp in the pilot program that was recently authorized by the Arkansas General Assembly.

Gee also represents clients in a variety of regulatory and compliance matters throughout state government. She frequently represents clients in procurement matters with the Office of State Procurement, including pursuing and defending bid protests. She has also served as legal counsel to numerous state agencies, boards and commissions, including the Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System, Pension Review Board, Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board, Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors, Arkansas Teachers Retirement System, Arkansas Insurance Department, Arkansas Bank Department, State Office of Procurement, State Board of Nursing and Health Services Permit Agency. This experience allows her to simplify and streamline the resolution of her clients’ licensure and regulatory issues with state agencies.

As a state-registered lobbyist, Gee regularly drafts legislation, monitors and tracks pending legislation, and advocates for and against legislation and regulations with the General Assembly and administrative agencies. She has been actively involved in legislative matters for a number of years. Prior to returning to private practice, Gee served as Chief of Staff for the Arkansas Attorney General and was responsible for handling policy issues, legislative strategy and relationships with the members of the General Assembly and other state and federal government officials. She also served on the Attorney General’s Legislative Team as an Assistant Attorney General, where she analyzed, monitored and testified for and against pending legislation.

Gee regularly serves a speaker and author on compliance and legislative topics. She is a frequent contributor on political and regulatory issues for Arkansas Business and other publications and she is a regular columnist for ARRx, published by the Arkansas Pharmacy Association. She has served as editor of several publications from the Wright Lindsey Jennings Government Relations Practice, including the Legislative Seminar handbook, which you can download here, and the 2015 Arkansas Legislation Summary of Selected Acts.

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