Amy Rubenstein is a partner in the Cannabis practice at Dentons. She collaborates with operators, investors, and adjacent businesses to craft strategic and risk management solutions that enable long-term growth in an industry poised to reach a domestic valuation of US$197 billion by 2028.

Amy’s cannabis expertise spans risk management, compliance, mergers & acquisitions, corporate governance, brand protection, government relations, and access to capital. Amy is keenly aware of the cannabis industry’s ever-changing legal status, myriad regulations, and trends—and has been lauded by clients for bringing business savvy and pragmatism to every matter. Her unparalleled experience developing risk management strategies in cannabis transactions has made her a highly sought-after global resource.

Throughout her two-decade career in adjacent industries (chemical, pharmaceutical, professional services, insurance, manufacturing, and food & beverage), Amy has effectively transformed complex business problems into innovative legal solutions. She zealously uncovers new avenues for clients, colleagues, and subject matter experts to think unconventionally. This approach has enabled Amy to achieve outsize results across the numerous practice areas involved in any cannabis-related matter.

Clients recognize the value that Amy’s differentiated approach adds. A client recently praised Amy’s “tireless tenacity, knowledge of the law and focused intellect.” Another client noted that he appreciates Amy’s “unique ability to grasp complex issues, both legal and factual, involving complex scientific subject matters, and convey it all in an intelligent, convincing and understandable way.” A federal district court judge complimented Amy after a jury trial for “a job well done under considerable pressure.”

Amy has earned recognition for her savvy insights on the cannabis industry, and has shared her perspective across mediums. She has penned cannabis-centered articles for the Law360 and Cannabis Law Review. In addition, she has been a featured speaker at the Federal Bar Association, Illinois Women in Cannabis, and the Food and Drug Institute.

In 2019 and 2021, Amy was included in The Legal 500 US. Amy was selected by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star from 2011 to 2018, and by Leading Lawyers as an Emerging Lawyer from 2015 to 2017, distinctions reserved for less than 3 percent of Illinois attorneys. Additionally, the Northern District of Illinois and Federal Bar Association have recognized her work with the Award for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service.

Before joining Dentons, Amy was a Partner at an AmLaw 100 firm; she served as the firm’s Global Chemicals Co-Chair, U.S. Industrials Co-Chair, and U.S. Toxic Tort Co-Chair.