DRI Faculty List

2021 Cannabis Law Virtual Seminar

April 28, 2021


Michael B. Cohen
Partner
Edwards Maxson Mago & Macaulay LLP

Michael B. Cohen represents clients in a wide variety of civil and criminal litigation matters, both state and federal at the trial and appellate levels, with particular focus on complex commercial litigation. His litigation practice includes the areas of appellate law, bankruptcy, civil rights, commercial, constitutional, criminal, employment, estates and trusts, insurance coverage, medical malpractice defense, personal injury actions, privacy, professional liability, and real estate. Michael is the Program Chair for the 2021 DRI Cannabis Law Virtual Seminar.


Adam Fayne
Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP

Adam Fayne is co-chair of the Chicago-based, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP firm's Cannabis Law Practice. He has advised marijuana startups on investment and finance issues leading up to their launches and continuing through public and private offerings. Adam also assists established cannabis companies on such matters as general corporate needs, mergers and acquisitions, employment matters, regulatory counseling, fundraising, and litigation concerns. He monitors marijuana policy on a state-by-state basis and federally in an effort to keep clients up to date on trends and regulations.


Evan Gibbs
Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP

Evan Gibbs is an Atlanta-based attorney whose practice is primarily focused on restrictive covenant and trade secret litigation and counseling. As part of his transactional employment practice, he also works with multi-state and national companies in a variety of industries on compliance issues under the wide variations in state and federal marijuana laws.


Darren P. Grady
SmithAmundsen LLC

Darren P. Grady is a partner at SmithAmundsen LLC's in the Chicago office. Darren is a talented litigator, defending clients in all types of matters ranging from personal injury and wrongful death to defamation and discrimination. He serves his clients through open and candid communication and zealous advocacy in and out of the courtroom. Darren serves as co-chair of the firm's cannabis practice. He works with dispensaries, infusers, cultivators, manufacturers, distributors, and entities with connections and business relationships in this exciting and emerging industry with a specialty in CBD. He provides counsel on litigation, corporate, regulatory and employment issues. Darren is the Program Vice-Chair for the 2021 DRI Cannabis Law Virtual Seminar.


William "Bill" Hackney
SmithAmundsen LLC

William "Bill" Hackney is a member of SmithAmundsen LLC's Financial Services Group, concentrating his practice in the area of insolvency, restructuring, and creditors' rights. Bill has significant experience representing debtors, lenders, secured creditors, creditors' committees, trustees, and other parties in chapter 11 and chapter 7 cases as well as out-of-court workouts and restructurings and the related litigation that accompanies the same. He acts as outside bankruptcy counsel to a number of business entities and provides general business counseling in distressed situations. Bill also represents a number of his clients in their FDCPA, FCRA and similar consumer finance defense claims. Recently, Bill was appointed to the panel of Chapter 7 Trustees for the Northern District of Illinois. Bill also advises financial institutions and cannabis-related businesses on the interaction between state cannabis laws and federal banking and bankruptcy laws He counsels financial institutions seeking guidance on regulatory and compliance initiatives and he counsels cannabis-related businesses seeking improved access to financial services.


Arun Kurichety
General Counsel
Petalfast Inc.

Arun Kurichety possesses more than fifteen years of corporate transactional/restructuring experience with a focus on the cannabis/cbd industry. As a cannabis industry "veteran," he has advised numerous cannabis companies – from start-ups to publicly traded companies – in an ever-shifting regulatory landscape. He is highly regarded for his capital markets and debt restructuring knowledge, while regularly advising on corporate governance, compliance/regulatory matters. Currently, Arun serves as COO/General Counsel to Petalfast Inc., the first-of-its-kind full spectrum sales and marketing agency for the cannabis industry.


Matthew Leeth
Jushi Holdings, Inc.

Matthew Leeth is an Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Legal Affairs at Jushi Holdings Inc., a publicly traded multi-state operator with headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida and offices and operations nationwide, where he has advised the company since its inception in 2018. Mr. Leeth has served in a full-time general counsel capacity to state-regulated cannabis companies since 2016. Prior to entering the cannabis industry, Mr. Leeth worked in in-house capacities since 2011 within a wide array of industries and including ecommerce, dietary supplements, insurance, and media distribution. Mr. Leeth received his Juris Doctor degree from the Florida State University College of Law, and his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of South Florida.


Marisa Maleck
Partner
King & Spalding LLP

Marisa Maleck is a partner in King & Spalding's FDA & Life Sciences group. She has represented and advised clients in the cannabis space including on (1) decreasing enforcement risk; (2) complying with state and federal laws; (3) federal registration requirements; (4) pursuing regulatory pathways to bring cannabis to the market; (5) increasing access to capital markets; and (6) commercial real estate and contract issues. Marisa is also an emerging thought leader in this space, including recently drafting an alert on USDA's new hemp rule and speaking about litigation involving CBD. Marisa is a former senior litigation-corporate counsel at a vaping company.


Patrick McManamon
President
Cannasure Insurance Services LLC

Patrick McManamon is a pioneer in the cannabis insurance industry. The founder and CEO of Cannasure Insurance Services, LLC (Cannasure), is a highly recognized insurance thought leader in all sectors of the cannabis industry ranging from dispensaries, cultivators, processor/manufactures, testing laboratories, landlords and ancillary businesses. What started out as a request for general liability insurance for a dispensary in 2009, Patrick spearheaded Cannasure to be the premier insurance solution provider in the marijuana industry. The firm is exclusive to the cannabis industry as a wholesale broker and MGA that facilitates insurance coverage placements, develops product/programs, underwrites and services standard, alternative risk as well as risk management placements.


Dianne Morrison
Marsh & McLennan Companies

Dianne Morrison is a broker within Marsh & McLennan Companies Financial and Professional Services (FINPRO) Practice providing advisory, placement expertise, and product leadership for Directors and Officers liability. Marsh's FINPRO Practice is a global team of professionals specializing in directors and officers liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary, pension liability, crime coverage, kidnap and ransom and other miscellaneous specialty coverages. In addition to the negotiation and placement of these coverages, the Practice also offers guidance to clients regarding corporate governance, director education, loss prevention, claims, and the business and legal landscape surrounding executive liability.


Christopher T. (Chris) Sheean
Partner
Swanson Martin & Bell LLP

Christopher T. (Chris) Sheean is a partner at Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP in the Chicago office where he practices in commercial, products liability and intellectual property litigation. He is a past chair of the DRI Commercial Litigation Committee, and is a frequent author and lecturer on products liability, class actions, trade secrets and unfair competition for various publications. Chris is also chair of his firm's Class Action Practice Group. As lead trial counsel, Chris has handled trials throughout the country. He currently serves as a member of the DRI Law Institute and is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University Law School where he teaches trial advocacy.


Ryan Stoa
Southern University Law Center

Ryan Stoa is a Visiting Professor of Law at the Southern University Law Center, and a Fellow of Southern University's Cannabis Compliance, Law, and Policy Institute. Professor Stoa teaches and writes in the areas of Constitutional Law, Property, and Environmental and Natural Resources Law. His research on the cannabis industry has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone, Wired, and the Daily Beast, among others. In 2018, Professor Stoa published his first book on the topic, "Craft Weed: Family Farming and the Future of the Marijuana Industry," with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press. He can be contacted at ryanstoa.com.


Cory Verconich
Marsh & McLennan Companies

Cory Verconich is a Senior Vice President of Marsh & McLennan Companies National Cannabis Industry Practice Leader. He advises clients in the Cannabis Sector and provides risk management guidance, while facilitating and overseeing the placement of their insurance programs. Cory also develops strategies to assist with loss prevention and risk mitigation within the Cannabis industry. Cory guides Marsh's thought leadership on risk issues and oversees the development of best practices, analytical tools and client resources. Cory also serves to connect our clients with the full scope of MMC's resources and consulting experience for Cannabis producers and affiliated organizations.