Kris focuses his practice on technology transaction, data security and privacy, and intellectual property protection. In addition, he serves as Chair of Benesch’s multidisciplinary AI Commission, leading the firm’s efforts to guide clients in safely and legally deploying AI technologies and tools to enhance operations, drive innovation, and optimize and customize customer experiences. The team advises B2B and B2C businesses in wide-ranging industries, AI tech and tools developers, investors, collaborators, service providers and users/integrators on the legal implications of AI innovations and associated risks while proactively monitoring proposed laws, regulations and litigation.
As an intellectual property lawyer by trade, Kris represents clients in various sophisticated technology transactions, assisting high-tech companies market, protect, commercialize and distribute their intellectual property. Kris has experience navigating the various data security and privacy regulations of the United States, including the CCPA and the GDPR. Kris has represented numerous clients, with domestic and international business operations, in developing and implementing compliant data security and privacy policies and procedures. Kris also supports a number of mergers & acquisitions transactions, assisting clients with corporate, intellectual property, and data security and privacy related needs arising from these types of transactions.
In addition to intellectual property matters, Kris has experience navigating the difficult and intricate regulatory framework of cannabis at the federal, state, and local level across the United States. Kris represents numerous clients as they seek to enter into and succeed in the cannabis marketplace. He provides licensure assistance, successfully obtaining licenses in merit based, competitive jurisdictions as well as non-competitive jurisdictions. Upon licensure, Kris provides continual corporate governance, strategic assistance, and post-licensure compliance to successfully bring these companies to market and maintain compliance with all applicable laws and regulations Kris has represented clients in several cannabis related transactions across the United States and in foreign jurisdictions, including mergers, acquisitions, complex loan agreements, and various other corporate transactional matters. By utilizing his MBA in connection with his wealth of knowledge and experience in the cannabis marketplace, Kris is able to develop and implement creative and “outside the box” business strategies and solutions to ensure compliance in this heavily regulated industry while competing for, and obtaining, greater market share and higher revenues.
Representative Experience
- Represented Gridiron Capital in the sale of Foundation Wellness, a leading consumer wellness platform that designs, manufactures, markets, and sells high-value branded wellness products, to Bansk Group.
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Represented springbig, the largest loyalty and marketing automation platform to serve the cannabis Industry, in entering into a definitive agreement for a $500 million de-SPAC transaction resulting in springbig being listed on Nasdaq through a merger with Tuatara Capital Acquisition Corporation. The merger accelerated springbig’s visions to serve cannabis brands by consolidating a highly fragmented cannabis technology ecosystem across loyalty, data analytics, advertising, and other areas influencing consumer experience and marketing effectiveness.
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Represented California cannabis company The Parent Co. its acquisition of dispensary and delivery company Coastal Holding Company for stock consideration.
- We serve as a lead outside transactional counsel to Infosys in connection with the negotiation and documentation of a variety of IP oriented technology transactions.
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Represented Caliva, a direct-to-consumer cannabis brand, as real estate counsel in its acquisition of multiple licensed cannabis operations and several newly awarded dispensary licenses, all in California.
- Represented Caliva as lead counsel on a joint venture involving cultivation licenses and newly awarded dispensary and deliver license in Los Angeles with a social equity applicant partner. Additionally, represented Caliva with regard to numerous real estate lease transactions.
- Representing Red Arrow Farm, a Michigan-based cultivation and processing facility that has increasing market share in the still-developing adult-use market in the state, as outside general counsel in matters including regulatory and corporate counsel on an ongoing basis. Red Arrow are pioneers in a brand new industry in Michigan and face myriad legal challenges at a state and local level along the way.
- Represented Cresco, one of the largest vertically integrated multistate cannabis operators in the United States, in initiatives including merit-based applications in various states including Missouri, and advised the company on state and federal laws and pending legislation. Additionally, counseled Cresco with regard to federal policy shifts and organizing the company to capitalize on market trends.
- Represented a large, family office which made very substantial investments in the cannabis business, including corporate structure for the entity into which the family office made its original investments and eventually raised additional equity which allowed the original investor to receive a return of a portion of its original investment.
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Represented Cresco Labs, one of the largest vertically integrated multistate cannabis operators in the United States, in obtaining a provisional processing license by the state of Ohio. The License allows Cresco to extract oils and manufacture products from cannabis which provides Cresco the ability to sell its entire House of Brands in Ohio. Benesch represented Cresco throughout the licensing process and assisted Cresco in becoming a vertically integrated operator in the State of Ohio.
