Irina Dashevsky: Illinois and Midwest Cannabis Licensing Attorney

Overview

Irina Dashevsky is a partner and co-chair of the Cannabis Law practice group at Greenspoon Marder. Ms. Dashevsky advises clients on legal, regulatory, and legislative developments in the highly regulated and competitive cannabis industry. She is also a seasoned commercial litigator. Ms. Dashevsky represents a range of cannabis clients, including public multi-state operators, state-licensed dispensaries, cultivators, infusers, distributors, new social equity entrants, ancillary businesses, and those looking to enter the cannabis space. Her practice includes nearly every aspect of the cannabis industry, from state-level licensing, real estate, regulatory and compliance to litigation and M&A. Ms. Dashevsky is a sought-after resource for her knowledge of the rapidly evolving cannabis industry across the U.S., and in particular in Illinois and New York, and her ability to help cannabis and hemp related businesses navigate the complex legal landscape.

Over the past several years, Ms. Dashevsky has been at the forefront of cannabis law and holds an active role in Illinois’ cannabis law community as a champion for the industry. She was recognized among Law360’s “Rising Stars” in Cannabis Law for 2021. Considered a thought leader, Ms. Dashevsky frequently publishes and presents about legal issues facing the cannabis industry. Notably, Ms. Dashevsky also serves as a member of Law360’s 2021 Cannabis Editorial Advisory Board. She is currently a member of the Illinois Women in Cannabis organization and previously served as Chair for the Steering Committee for the Chicago Bar Association Leadership Institute.

As a seasoned litigator, Irina Dashevsky has extensive experience managing and resolving consumer finance and real estate related disputes for clients throughout all stages of litigation in federal and state court. She has handled a wide range of matters, including insurance coverage defense, consumer finance defense, contract disputes, government contracts and regulation, gaming, real estate and complex mortgage foreclosures. Ms. Dashevsky concentrates on representing financial institutions in individual and class action lawsuits arising under myriad state and federal consumer protection statutes, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Truth in Lending Act; and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

Prior to joining Greenspoon Marder, Ms. Dashevsky was a partner at Locke Lord and served as Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Cannabis Industry Group and as Co-Editor of the firm’s Cannabis Law Blog.

Bar Admissions

Illinois

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois

Education

J.D., magna cum laude, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 2009
B.A., Political Science Honors Program, High Honors, DePaul University, 2005

Other Languages

Russian
French

Experience

Professional and Community Involvement

Chicago Bar Association Leadership Institute, Steering Committee, Chair
Illinois Women in Cannabis, Member
Law360 Cannabis Editorial Advisory Board, Member

Speaking Engagements

Speaker, “Tax Planning for Cannabis M&A Transactions: Existing Regulatory Landscape, Deal Structures, IRC Section 368, and More,” Strafford, November 14, 2023
Speaker, “Get Candid with the Woman Driving the Deals,” Cannabis Drinks Expo, August 1, 2023
Speaker, “Challenges of Starting a Cannabis Business,” Cannabis Law, Accounting and Business Conference and Expo, June 3, 2022
Speaker, “Doing Deals in Cannabis: What You Need to Know,” West LegalEdcenter/Celesq, December 29, 2021
Speaker, “Welcome to the Cannabis Industry,” Cresco Labs SEED Virtual Education Program, November 9, 2021
Speaker, “Tale of Three Cities: Comparing and Contrasting the Latest Regulatory Schemes,” GM Panel, October 21, 2021
Speaker, “Doing Deals in Cannabis: What You Need to Know” Chicago Bar Association, October 7, 2021
Speaker, “280E: Beyond the Basics and Recent Updates,” Grown In Cannabis & Capital Summit, June 16, 2021
Speaker, “Cannabis in Interstate Commerce: Of Trade Bans, Closed Markets and Baking at Home,” International Cannabis Bar Association and Sacramento County Bar Association, Cannabis Law Section, May 4, 2021
Speaker, “Illinois Cannabis Licensing,” Illinois Women in Cannabis (IWC) Second Annual Conference, March 22, 2021
Speaker, “Cresco Labs SEED Phase 1 Incubator Series,” October 29, 2019
Speaker, “Cannabis Industry Event,” DePaul University, November 14, 2019
Speaker, “A Budding Industry: Cannabis and Commercial Real Estate,” Crew Dallas, September 18, 2019
Speaker, “The Land of Lincoln (and Weed): An Analysis of Illinois’s Recreational Marijuana Law,” Celesq AttorneysEd Center Webinar, July 23, 2019

Awards

Recognitions

Best Lawyers®, “The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch,” Commercial Litigation, 2024-2025
Lawdragon, “500 Leading Litigators in America,” 2023-2025
Chambers and Partners, “Cannabis Law: Eastern United States” 2024
U.S. News and World Report, “Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch,” Commercial Litigation, 2021-2023
Law360, “MVP Awards,” Cannabis Law, 2023
Crain’s Chicago Business, “Notable Women in Law,” 2022
National Law Journal, “Cannabis Law Trailblazer,” 2022
Chicago Business Journal, “Women of Influence” 2021
Law360, “Rising Star,” Cannabis, 2021