I have a strong feeling Benz is on top of this. He is, after-all, quite familiar with US trademarks as he cared for intellectual property for the US Olympic committee.
(IMO, the USPO may be reluctant to issue trademarks for cannabis products, although there are some issued. While in MJ** I had a similar experience and in discussion with others, it was thought this was the reason, search for D**** E***** as well as the full company name and you'll see same USPO status.)
SAN FRANCISCO, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has appointed Jeffrey G. Benz, an attorney with the multinational law firm Coudert Brothers and a former elite U.S. Figure Skating Team athlete, as its General Counsel and Managing Director of Legal Affairs. The USOC is a Coudert Brothers client and Benz has been working with the committee as a primary outside counsel on intellectual property matters. "Jeff is a great fit for this position," said USOC's Acting Chief Executive Officer Scott Blackmun. "He has been involved at all levels of Olympic sport, as an elite athlete, coach, administrator, and lawyer. This rich background, combined with his superior legal skills, will enable Jeff to have immediate impact on our management team." Benz, 33, has been with the San Francisco office of Coudert Brothers for more than five years. "Although Jeff will be missed, we are pleased that he has been given this unique career opportunity," said Donald Bartels, a partner in Coudert Brothers' San Francisco office, "and we look forward to continuing to work with him in supporting the legal work of the USOC and helping the organization fulfill its mission." Benz has served the USOC and Olympic athletes for more than a decade. He was a member of the prestigious USOC Special Bid Oversight Commission chaired by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. In 1998-99, the commission was appointed by then-USOC President Bill Hybl to investigate the circumstances surrounding allegations of impropriety in the bidding process by American cities for the Olympic Games. He was a member of the U.S. Figure Skating Team from 1986-89, and, with his sister, he won a national ice dancing title. He has served as a member of the U.S. Figure Skating Association's Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and as Chair of its Athletes' Advisory Committee. From 1997-2000, Benz served on the USOC's Board and Executive Committee and as an officer of the USOC Athletes' Advisory Council. He led the latter group's participation in the negotiation and drafting of the 1998 amendments to the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, which became the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act by which the USOC and its member organizations are governed. He also served on the USOC's Legislation and Membership and Credentials Committees. Benz has served as a Member of the Board of Trustees and Management Committee of the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee and was named in 2000 as one of the youngest of 184 arbitrators worldwide by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. His legal background has focused on commercial and intellectual property rights acquisition and litigation, international legal issues, and advising athletes and sports governing bodies on commercial and intellectual property matters. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1990 with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and from the University of Texas School of Law in 1993.
Established in 1853, Coudert Brothers is a multinational law firm dedicated to providing legal advice on international business transactions and dispute resolution in all major business centers around the world. Through its network of 33 offices in 19 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, Coudert Brothers represents clients in their intellectual property, investment, commercial transactions and litigation on a worldwide basis.