Edward G. Benes, J.D., P.E., joins international architecture, planning, engineering, interior design and program management firm LEO A DALY as vice president and deputy general counsel.

Working with general counsel Jerry L. Norris, J.D., Benes will handle the legal issues of LEO A DALY and its subsidiary Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam (LAN). His responsibilities will include drafting, reviewing and negotiating client, subcontractor and joint venture contracts, managing and addressing corporate law issues, maintaining corporate and professional liability insurance and advising senior management of potential risks in contractual, financial and legal areas. In addition, he will be providing legal support and recommendations on human resource issues, employee benefits and company policy development, satisfying state registration requirements, managing and addressing disputes and claims against the firm, supporting acquisitions and firm growth initiatives, as well as providing risk management training.

Benes has nearly nine years of experience as an attorney in the construction industry. Before joining LEO A DALY, Benes served as senior counsel at Newmont Mining Corporation providing legal support for the company’s capital construction projects group. Prior to that position, Benes was vice president and senior counsel at AECOM Technology Corporation, where he supported its Midwest region and North America design-build group.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Benes worked as a professional engineer and project manager for more than seven years. As an engineer, Benes worked for several consulting firms in Chicago, where he designed numerous civil engineering and infrastructure projects.

"Edward Benes is an invaluable addition to our firm,” said Charles Dalluge, LEO A DALY’s executive vice president. “His expertise in corporate, construction and employment law and his background as a professional engineer make him a perfect fit for this position.”

Benes holds a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University in Chicago. He also studied graduate courses in engineering and construction management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

He is a member of the American Bar Association and the Association of Corporate Counsel. Benes is currently licensed to practice law in the states of Illinois and Arizona and as a patent attorney before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In addition, Benes is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Illinois.