The longtime and first ever general counsel for Beacon Roofing Supply Inc., the largest publicly traded distributor of roofing materials in the U.S. and Canada, is stepping down to serve as a special adviser to the company so he can devote more time to academia. 

The arrangement will allow Ross Cooper to expand his teaching role at the Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington, D.C., where he has been an adjunct professor of business law since 2018.