Takisha D. Richardson

Takisha D. Richardson is of counsel at Cohen Milstein, and a member of the Complex Tort Litigation practice and the Sexual Abuse, Sex Trafficking, and Domestic Violence team. Ms. Richardson focuses on representing child sexual abuse victims and adult survivors of sexual abuse.

Prior to joining Cohen Milstein, Ms. Richardson was an Assistant State Attorney and Chief of the Special Victims Unit of the State Attorney’s Office for Palm Beach County. She brings more than a decade of experience both as an attorney and as a supervisor of a team responsible for the prosecution of crimes against children and the elderly, and sexually motivated offenses. Prior to that role, she prosecuted felony cases at all levels and was an Assistant Public Defender.

In 2023, Ms. Richardson was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.

Ms. Richardson has vast trial experience. To date, she has tried over 100 jury and non-jury trials, most of which involved sexual abuse and/or homicide matters.

Currently, Ms. Richardson is litigating the following notable matters:

• Doe, et al. v. Washington Hebrew Congregation, et al. (D.D.C.): On April 15, 2019, Cohen Milstein, on behalf of the families of 11 children between the ages of three and four, filed a lawsuit against Washington Hebrew Congregation Edlavitch Tyser Early Childhood Center and its Director for failing to protect their children from sexual abuse by a preschool teacher over a two-year period.
• Doe v. Scores, et al. (Cir. Crt., Hillsborough Cnty., Fla.): On January 29, 2020, Cohen Milstein filed a lawsuit on behalf of a young woman against Scores Holding Company, Inc. and its affiliates for illegally employing her when she was a minor at one of its Florida locations, subjecting her to be sexual abuse and human trafficking.

Ms. Richardson’s past successes include:

• Jimmy Dac Ho (Cir. Crt., Palm Beach Cnty., Fla.): Ms. Richardson helped prosecute and incarcerate a former law enforcement officer for first-degree murder and kidnapping (with a firearm) of a 29-year-old aspiring law school student from Boynton Beach, Florida.
• Stephen Budd (Cir. Crt., Palm Beach Cnty., Fla.): Ms. Richardson brought to trial a former fourth-grade teacher who was found guilty on five charges of sexual assault and sentenced to serve three consecutive life sentences on the first three charges and 15 years on each of the final two charges.
• Carlos Soto (Cir. Crt., Palm Beach Cnty., Fla.): Ms. Richardson successfully prosecuted this lawsuit involving sexual battery of a child.  The bravery of the victim, who testified at trial, aided in the conviction of the defendant on all charges and who is serving 45 years in prison.
• Jorge Gonzalez (Cir. Crt., Palm Beach Cnty., Fla.):  Ms. Richardson prosecuted the defendant, who is now serving a life sentence in prison, as a result of the seven-year-old victim bravely telling a family friend about being forced to receive inappropriate, sexual touching. 

Ms. Richardson was a Fellow in the Florida Bar’s Wm. Reece Smith, Jr. Leadership Academy 2019-2020 class, a program designed to assist a select group of lawyers from across the state in becoming better leaders within the Bar and legal community. She is also the Chair of the Legislation Relations Subcommittee for the Florida Bar and Vice Chair of the Family Law Rules Committee for the Florida Bar

In 2021, Ms. Richardson was recognized as a “Best Lawyer – Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs” by The Best Lawyers in America, and in 2019, Ms. Richardson received the Daily Business Review’s “Innovative Practice Areas” award which honors the firm’s Sexual Abuse, Sex Trafficking and Domestic Violence team.

Ms. Richardson is a member of the Sex Abuse Response Team (SART), a countywide coalition responsible both for advocacy on behalf of victims of sexual abuse and for maintaining national Law Enforcement protocols.

Ms. Richardson attended Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University in Tallahassee Florida, where she received her B.S. in Political Science. She earned her J.D., from University of Florida’s Frederic G. Levin College of Law, where she was the recipient of the Virgil Hawkins Scholarship.

While attending law school, Ms. Richardson was a member of the U.F. Trial Team where she earned the title Vice President of Intramural Competitions and a Final Four Trial Team Competitor. She served as Vice President of the U.F. Black Law Student’s Association.