Ben is an experienced labor & employment attorney who brings a winning combination of big-picture strategies, attention to detail, and a responsive, collegial approach to his work representing employers of all sizes. Ben has particular expertise working with food, beverage, and agribusiness clients, and leads the firm’s Beer, Wine & Spirits group. In addition, he works extensively with many of the firm’s higher education clients.
Ben helps clients navigate the full spectrum of employment-related issues, from daily counseling and policy development to high-stakes litigation. He frequently advises on niche areas of labor and employment law, including OSHA and workplace safety, wage and hour matters, disability accommodations and employee leave, drug testing policies and procedures, and labor matters. With a background in disability law, he is particularly valued for his practical advice that helps clients navigate sensitive ADA matters, such as reasonable accommodation and service animal requests in order to avoid or efficiently resolve claims.
An experienced litigator, Ben has successfully defended all types of labor and employment claims. His federal, state, and administrative level experience includes several prominent federal jury trials in Illinois, as well as state and administrative litigation throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.
In addition to his labor and employment work, Ben helms the firm’s Beer, Wine & Spirits team – a dedicated group of practitioners who provide legal services tailored to the unique needs of the craft brewing, spirit distilling, and viticulture industries. Ben has a deep knowledge of the unique business and legal complexities of these heavily regulated industries and helps both entrepreneurs and established companies tackle the operational and regulatory aspects of their businesses. Ben also works with Michael Best’s Cannabis team in the CBD and medical marijuana spaces. Within these industries, Ben serves as a resource to identify legal needs, including corporate and transactional, intellectual property, regulatory, environmental, labor and employment, and workplace safety, and connects clients with other dedicated Michael Best team members who specialize in these areas.
Before joining Michael Best, Ben clerked for the Honorable P. Michael Mahoney, one of the longest serving magistrate judges in the Northern District of Illinois. He also gained invaluable disability law experience while serving as an Assistant Attorney General in the Disability Rights Bureau of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.