MICHAEL COOPER

A lawyer by training, Michael makes it MadisonJay’s mission to provide practical, actionable information and advice to its clients.  He draws on his prior regulatory and securities law practices, as well as his work in the beverage alcohol industry, to help MadisonJay’s clients navigate the regulatory thicket.

Michael publishes and speaks frequently on cannabis regulation, and is the Co-Chair of the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Policy Council, the think tank for the nation’s largest cannabis association. Michael previously Chaired the National Cannabis Industry Association’s State Regulations Committee.

After graduating Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Michael began his career serving as a law clerk to a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

After his clerkship, Michael spent more than five years litigating at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, frequently named one of the nation’s best law firms.  At Cravath, Michael counseled numerous Fortune 500 companies on their compliance programs and defended them before a myriad of regulatory agencies.  He also frequently provided regulatory risk assessments for mergers and financing deals.  Though his broad practice spanned the gamut of industries, Michael advised companies that operate in a variety of highly regulated spaces including pharmaceuticals, banking, and gaming.

After Cravath, Michael joined MHW, Ltd., the leading provider of solutions for alcohol producers.  As General Counsel of MHW, Michael brought the same creative problem-solving ethos to bear.