Press Releases

Benesch Welcomes Associate to Cannabis Team in Chicago

January 17, 2024

As Benesch continues to add to its roster of top-notch legal talent, the firm is pleased to welcome Associate R. Cole Eastman to the Cannabis Industry Group in Chicago.

Cole focuses on providing licensing, regulatory, and transactional advice to businesses in cannabis, hospitality, and beyond. With clients ranging from multi-state operators to Social Equity Applicants – his primary focus has been assisting cannabis companies with regulatory and legal matters as they attempt to take their business from license to fully-operational facility. Over the course of his career, Cole has assisted in securing over 65 cannabis licenses in limited-license states.

Cole earned his J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his B.A. in Political Science from DePaul University.

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Press Releases 9.10.26

Michael Chu Joins Benesch’s Intellectual Property Practice Group from McDermott Will & Schulte, Strengthening Patent Litigation Bench

Benesch is pleased to announce that Michael Chu has joined the firm as a partner in its growing Intellectual Property Practice Group in Chicago. His arrival marks the latest milestone in the continued expansion and success of a thriving practice that is building momentum across industries and technologies. Michael brings more than three decades of experience representing clients in complex patent and intellectual property disputes, as well as advising domestic and international companies on patent prosecution, intellectual property portfolio strategy, licensing, post-grant proceedings, trade and cross-border intellectual property matters.