Awards

Legal 500 Names Cohen Milstein “Leading Firm” in Antitrust Litigation: Plaintiff; Labor and Employment Disputes: Plaintiff; Products Liability, Mass Torts & Class Action: Plaintiff; and Securities Litigation: Plaintiff

June 9, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC has been recognized by The Legal 500 as a Leading Firm in the following practice areas:

The Legal 500 editorial board and client and peer references offered the following positive commentary about the firm’s practices and attorneys.

ANTITRUST LITIGATION: PLAINTIFF

One of the top firms in the field on the plaintiffs’ side, respected by plaintiffs and defense firms alike‘, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC specializes in original proprietary cases, leveraging a team of licensed private investigators to investigate corporate wrongdoing. ‘Highly skilled in dealing with economic issues that arise in antitrust cases’, the wider antitrust group excels in high-stakes antitrust class actions, most notably securities, pay-for-delay, no-poaching and wage suppression disputes. Although particularly prominent in the pharmaceutical sector—an area of focus for New York-based Sharon Robertson—the team is also well equipped to handle disputes arising from the financial services, hi-tech, electronics and agriculture sectors. The group, which is led by Washington DC-based duo Benjamin Brown and Brent Johnson, also includes price-fixing and monopolization suit expert Richard Koffman; Daniel Small, a ‘real team player‘; and the ‘smart, seasoned, and highly capable strategist and oral advocate’ Kit Pierson, all of whom are based in the DC office.

Testimonials

‘Excellent at integrating economic analysis into the legal arguments in a way that makes the ultimate “story” that’s told persuasive and multi-faceted.’

Dan Small focuses on the big picture, but then works to make sure that all of the individual elements fit into, and support, that big picture. Careful to consider arguments from all sides in order to best structure counter-arguments. Dan is also a real team player – a critical role in multi-firm litigations.’

‘They are one of the top firms in the field on the plaintiffs’ side, respected by plaintiffs and defense firms alike.’

‘CMST has some lawyers who are highly skilled in dealing with economic issues that arise in antitrust cases.’

Kit Pierson is a smart, seasoned, and highly capable strategist and oral advocate.’

PRODUCT LIABILITY, MASS TORT AND CLASS ACTION: PLAINTIFF 

With a depth of experience in environmental mass torts, personal data theft, consumer false advertising, wrongful death, property damage, and automotive and highway safety, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC has represented plaintiffs in several high-profile matters. Most recently the team’s involvement, led by renowned Washington D.C-based practice head Theodore Leopold, in the Flint Water case resulted in a monumental settlement. The firm also has strengths in the field of data breaches and consumer security, evidenced by its recent success in a class action led by Washington D.C-based co-head Andrew Friedman against Equifax. Leslie Kroeger in Florida also heads the practice, focusing on product liability, wrongful death and managed care abuse allegations.

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT DISPUTES: PLAINTIFF

The Washington DC-based team at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC is ‘a true source of knowledge and strength‘. The group has considerable experience in acting in actions relating to discrimination claims, joint employer liability issues, pay equity matters and issues arising from the FLSA. Practice head Joseph Sellers is highly experienced in the space, and Christine Webber has strong capabilities in wage and hour class actions; she is also involved in work relating to emerging technologies used in hiring processes. Kalpana Kotagal is a key contact for discrimination, diversity and inclusion mandates. Shaylyn Cochran departed to take up a role as senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in February 2021.

Testimonials

‘The team at Cohen Milstein has been exceptional with their planning and execution. They have been attentive, compassionate, flexible, and a true source of knowledge and strength with respect to their specialties.’

‘CMST has a top labor and employment practice, taking on sometimes difficult and complex cases that other firms would pass up. It represents workers earning lower wages, and works quite well with other allies in the labor and employment field. The attorneys are top-notch legal minds, and Joe Sellers and Christine Webber epitomize these qualities.’

SECURITIES LITIGATION: PLAINTIFF 

Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC’s securities litigation and investor protection practice is led from Washington DC by the vastly experienced Steven Toll and ‘excellent lawyer and terrific negotiator‘ Julie Reiser, whom clients describe as ‘exceptionally ethical‘. Reiser stands out for her role in precedent-setting corporate governance disputes, notably claims arising from allegations of sexual harassment. She recently secured a $310m settlement from Google’s parent company in In re Alphabet Shareholder Derivative Litigation. New York-based Michael Eisenkraft, along with Reiser and Chicago-based Carol Gilden, is spearheading hybrid securities and anti-competition class actions against investment banks, alleging that they conspired to maintain anti-competitive strangleholds over trading in financial markets, among them interest rate swaps. Daniel Sommers, the immediate past chairman of the Markets Advisory Council of the Council of Institutional Investors, also plays a key role in the practice.

Testimonials

Julie Reiser is the lead partner. She is an excellent lawyer and a terrific negotiator. She is exceptionally ethical, a very important quality for public pension funds.’

Furthermore, Eight partners were singled out as Legal 500 Leading Lawyers:

Four partners were singled out as Legal 500 Next Generation Lawyers:

Additionally, five partners were “Recommended” by The Legal 500 United States 2021 editorial.