Fredric A. Cohen

Ric is a seasoned litigator, trial lawyer and appellate advocate, who represents clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country as well as in alternative dispute resolution forums such as arbitration and mediation.

Ric has extensive litigation experience in the areas of antitrust, technology, intellectual property, valuation, and finance, and for over two decades Ric has represented many of the nation's most prominent franchise, licensing and distribution companies in a wide variety of lawsuits from complex multi-forum class action litigation to standard enforcement actions and everything in between.

Ric has helped franchisors to develop programs to protect and enforce their intellectual property rights like trademarks and trade secrets, and regularly defends against fraud, breach of contract, good faith and fair dealing, tortious interference, registration and disclosure violations and similar claims brought against franchisors. Ric also works with franchisors to develop effective responses to state and federal regulatory inquiries and investigations and strategies to defend state and federal enforcement actions.

Before forming Cheng Cohen LLC, Ric was a partner with DLA Piper US LLP and its predecessor firms for nearly his entire career. He was a member of DLA Piper's Litigation and Franchise & Distribution practice groups, co-chaired the firm's Franchise Litigation practice group, and was the firm's hiring partner.

Ric is a member of the bars of the United States Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeals for First, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth and Tenth Circuits, and numerous federal district courts across the country, as well as of the Illinois Supreme Court.

Ric is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® and the International Who's Who of Business Lawyers®. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer by "Law and Politics" and "Chicago" magazines, and by his peers as an Illinois Leading Lawyer®. For his work in franchising, Ric was named a "Legal Eagle" by "Franchise Times."

Ric graduated with honors from DePaul University College of Law where he was a member of the DePaul Law Review and a Justice of the Moot Court Board. Ric attended the University of Chicago and, after completing his military service, received his Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.