Clifford B. Cohn

Top rated Professional Liability attorney in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cohn & Associates
Clifford B. Cohn
Cohn & Associates

Practice Areas: Professional Liability, Estate & Trust Litigation, General Litigation; view more

Licensed in Pennsylvania since: 1977

Education: University of Miami School of Law

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2021 - 2025
Virtual Appointments

Cohn & Associates

1650 Market St
55th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103 Visit website

Details

A highly regarded civil litigation attorney, Clifford B. Cohn is the founder of Philadelphia-based Cohn & Associates. Representing people and businesses throughout the greater metropolitan area, he has been admitted to practice in Pennsylvania since 1977, and he was admitted to practice in Florida in the following year. In addition, Mr. Cohn is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.

A significant portion of Mr. Cohn’s practice is devoted to his representation of clients who have been harmed due to the negligence of their former attorneys. The types of legal malpractice cases that he has handled have arisen out of such incidents as a failure to meet the applicable statute of limitations in a particular cause of action, fraud, conflicts of interest, fee disputes and improper behavior toward a client. Mr. Cohn has been able to obtain significant amounts of compensation for his clients, and he is also frequently asked by other attorneys to provide expert testimony in legal malpractice cases that they are working on.

Mr. Cohn has extensive experience in other forms of civil litigation as well. He has represented plaintiffs in personal injury and other tort claims that have stemmed from sexual asualts, motor vehicle crashes, civil rights violations, defamation, fraud, premises liability and defective products. Mr. Cohn has additionally worked on probate litigation, bad faith and other types of insurance coverage disputes, contract breaches, consumer fraud, and interference with business relationships. His successful track record throughout his career has earned him an AV Preeminent* peer review rating through Martindale-Hubbell and a 10.0 peer review rating through Avvo.

*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.

Practice areas

Professional Liability: Plaintiff, Estate & Trust Litigation, General Litigation, Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff

Focus areas

Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Legal Malpractice, Professional Malpractice - Other, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Will Contests

  • 70% Professional Liability: Plaintiff
  • 10% Estate & Trust Litigation
  • 10% General Litigation
  • 10% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff

First Admitted: 1977, Pennsylvania

Professional Webpage: https://www.cbcohn.com/attorneys/

Bar/Professional Activity:
  • Third Circuit Court of Appeals
  • Pennsylvania Association for Justice
  • Philadelphia Bar Association
  • Supreme Court of the United States
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • State of Florida
  • Judge Pro Tem Court of Common Pleas Philadelphia, 2013
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
  • Judge Pro Tem Court of Common Pleas Philadelphia, 2009
  • Judge Pro Tem Court of Common Pleas Philadelphia, 2012
  • Member Pa association for Justice (Formerly PATLA) 2012-Present
  • Co-founder of fledgling Pennsylvania Plaintiff's legal malpractice group, now named Client's First, which is intended to function like an Association for Justice (Formerly PATLA) sharing resources and communications, 2014
  • Judge Pro Tem Court of Common Pleas Philadelphia, 2011
  • Judge Pro Tem Court of Common Pleas Philadelphia, 2014
  • Judge Pro Tem Court of Common Pleas Philadelphia, 2010
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
  • I represented an entrepreneur whose business had been damaged by his attorney’s failure to properly pursue a claim.  After more than fifteen years of litigation a non-jury verdict was obtained which was increased by the Superior Court to $450,000.00. 880 A.2d 20(2005)
  • I represented one of the executors in a multi-million dollar estate that involved litigation in Chester County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County. I was successful in removing the Executors for misconduct, having them replaced and eventually brokering a family settlement agreement which involved the transfer of control of a publicly held New York Stock Exchange company. Neuman Estate 1984
  • I represented a female patient who was raped by her personal physician. After almost 10 years of dilatory tactics, mistrials and the death of a defendant, the matter was settled on the eve of the re-trial, 1992
  • I represented two national charities who sought to challenge a Will in Chester County on the basis of undue influence by a bank and its' employee. After losing at trial, I overturned 100 years of Pennsylvania precedent and established that a bank could be responsible for undue influence. I successfully obtained approximately $300,000.00 for the charities involved. (615 A.2d 38, Pa.Super), 1992
  • I represented a prominent attorney accused of wrongful discrimination and other claims in the firing of his 20 year employee who happened to be the daughter of a prominent Philadelphia judge. A defense jury verdict was obtained in favor of the attorney after an out of county judge was appointed. SHEERAN V. KUBERT 2005
  • I represented an individual against one of the more prominent personal injury lawyers in Philadelphia in a legal malpractice case which involved a complex medical malpractice case that had been ongoing for many years. The case settled on the eve of trial and resolved almost 30 years of litigation. Fulmer v. Krimsky 1999
  • I represented an individual in a legal malpractice action where the underlying case involved some of the most egregious racial discrimination by a large Philadelphia corporation. Trial was held in the Court of Common Pleas. A Philadelphia jury awarded plaintiff $350,000.00. The matter was settled under a confidentiality agreement prior to appeal., 2000
  • I represented an individual  who had sold his company to a large, publicly traded corporation and received an employment contract as part of the sale.  When the company breached the employment contract, I successfully obtained a non-jury verdict in the mid six-figure range.  After a successful appeal which increased the value of the case to the mid seven figures, the matter was settled. Paternostro v. Sun Guard 1991
Pro bono/Community Service:
  • Trustee, Neuman-Publicker Foundation, 2003-2024
  • Board of Governors Radnor Valley Country Club, 2003-2012
  • Board of Directors Keystone Conservation Trust, 2009-Present
  • National Hemophilia Foundation, Delaware Valley Chapter, Board of Directors, 1995-2006
  • Co-Chair National Hemophilia Foundation Ethics Advisory Committee, 2009-2011
  • 2004-2009 Board of Directors National Hemophilia Foundation (NYC)
  • Treasurer, National Hemophilia Foundation (NYC), 2010
  • 2003-2012 Board of Governors Radnor Valley Country Club
  • 1997-2004 President, National Hemophilia Foundation, Delaware Valley Chapter
Honors/Awards:
  • SUPER LAWYER, Thompson Reuters, 2022
  • SUPER LAWYER, THOMPSON REUTERS, 2024
  • SUPER LAWYER, THOMPSON REUTERS, 2023
  • SUPER LAWYER, SUPER LAWYERS, 2021
  • Dean’s List, Brandeis University
  • Dean’s List, University of Miami Law School
  • National Hemophilia Foundation Chapter Recognition Award, 2000
  • Haverford School Athletic Hall of Fame, 2009
  • Nominated Main Line Life Volunteer of the Year, 2008
  • Distinguished Lawyer – The Expert Network, 2017
  • AV Rated, Martindale Hubbell, 1990-Present
  • Haverford School Athletic Hall of Fame, 2009
  • Those chosen have demonstrated that their peers have ranked them at the highest level of professional excellence., Philadelphia's Top Rated lawyers, 2015
  • Nation's Top One Percent, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2015
  • 2002-2020, PREEMINENT LAWYERS IN AMERICA, MARTINDALE HUBBELL, 2011
  • Those chosen have demonstrated that their peers have ranked them at the highest level of professional excellence, Philadelphia's Top Rated Lawyers, Martindale Hubbell, 2013
  • Members are thoroughly vetted by a research team, selected by a blue ribbon panel of attorneys with podium status from independently neutral organizations, and approved by a judicial review board as exhibiting virtue in the practice of law., Nation's Top One Percent, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2015
  • Those chosen have demonstrated that their peers have ranked them at the highest level of professional excellence, Philadelphia's Top Rated Lawyers, Martindale Hubbell, 2012
  • 10/10 HIGHEST RATING 2014-2020, SUPERB, AVVO, 2014
  • National Trial Lawyers Top 100, The National Trial Lawyers, 2016
Educational Background:
  • Haverford School, 1969
  • Brandeis University, B.A., 1973
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
  • Lawsuits Against Lawyers: The Law in Pennsylvania – (60 minutes) Common Law Legal Malpractice Arising from Transactions & Civil Legal Services Basic Element Required for All Cases When an Attorney Has a Duty The Breach of Care and How to Prove it Proximate Cause and How to Prove it Necessity for Financial Loss and How to Prove Damages Causes of Action in Tort and Assumpsit Causes of Action for Breach of Fiduciary Duty Waiver by Client The Statute of Limitations Distinctions for Common Law Legal Malpractice Arising from Criminal Legal Services Statutory Causes of Action Against Attorneys Wrongful Use of Civil Proceedings Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law 73 P.S. §201-1, et seq. The Attorney's Legal Malpractice Insurance Coverage Sample Complaint(s) for Legal Malpractice in Pennsylvania State Court, SPEAKER, CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW, LAW REVIEW CLE, Law Review CLE, 2013
  • Presentation scheduled to present "Preventing the Most Common Attorney Errors in Civil Litigation" - American Conference Institute November 19, 2014  in NYC, SPEAKER, ACI LPL Legal Malpractice conference in NYC, 2014
  • I was one of four presenters for  this 3 hour PBI seminar, two plaintiffs and two defense attorneys. Both defense attorneys have been listed in Super Lawyers; Josh Byrne and Jeff McCarron, neither plaintiff's attorney have been, Presenter, Litigating the legal Malpractice Case, PBI, 2014
Other Outstanding Achievements:
  • AV RATED MARTINDALE HUBBELL
  • VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR -NOMINATED-MAIN LINE LIFE, 2008
  • AVVO 10/10
  • PREEMINENT LAWYERS IN AMERICA, 2009
  • NATIONAL RECOGNITION AWARD NATIONAL HEMOPHILIA FOUNDATION, 2000
Industry Groups:
  • A Plaintiff's Legal Malpractice Group
  • Founding Member Clients First

These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.

“When it comes to plaintiff's legal malpractice and professional responsibility, Cliff is the very best. Over the past 15 years, I have referred many cases to him, and I have received nothing but wonderful feedback from the clients regarding his abilities, his work ethic, his integrity, and his relentless commitment to pursuing justice for them. He holds our profession to a very high standard and makes us all proud.”

“Cliff is the best in the niche area of plaintiff's legal malpractice and professional responsibility. He is aggressive in his representation of his clients, but he also has the finesse and experience to understand the value of "first do no harm." Not only have I referred many clients to him and have always gotten wonderful feedback, but I have also called upon him for guidance regarding difficult professional issues and that is the highest compliment that any lawyer can give another.”

“Very aggressive on behalf of his clients but realistic as well! Cliff is my office suite mate for many years now and I have referred many cases to him and have gotten nothing but praise from the clients!”

“Cliff is one of the very few lawyers in our city who deals with professional/legal malpractice cases on behalf of plaintiffs, and he is extremely knowledgeable on ethical matters as well as on effective/competent representation. He is appropriately aggressive yet tactful in fighting for his clients, and he is caring and responsive in his dealings with them. In my own criminal defense practice, I have often been confronted with ethical dilemmas and matters regarding my own professional responsibility. In those difficult moments, I have often turned to Cliff for guidance, and he has always been there to give me sound advice in a very precise and extremely helpful manner.”

“Cliff is an aggressive lawyer who is passionate about helping his clients and not afraid to think outside the box! He is extremely well respected in his primary field of Legal Malpractice - Plaintiffs, so please considering adding that as a category when selecting him as a SuperLawyer for 2011!”

“Clifford Cohn, Esquire is one of the finest professional liability attorneys in Southeastern Pennsylvania. He is regarded by many as the go to attorney to send clients who need legal representation against lawyers who may have committed an error in representation. I personally have sent him many clients to explore and pursue such claims.”

Office location for Clifford B. Cohn

1650 Market St
55th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: 215-971-8753

Selections

5 Years Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers: 2021 - 2025

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