Joel Cohen, an experienced white-collar criminal lawyer, joined the Stroock firm in 1985 after ten years as a prosecutor, first with the New York State Special Prosecutor’s Office and, second, as an Assistant Attorney-in-Charge with the U.S. Justice Department’s Organized Crime & Racketeering Section (E.D.N.Y.). In those positions, he concentrated in the investigation, prosecution and trial of organized crime figures and corruption cases involving high-ranking public officials in New York, including the top leadership of the Colombo crime family, many members of the elite narcotics division of the New York Police Department, and the first ever prosecution of a sitting FBI agent.

Since arriving at Stroock, Joel has represented and actively counseled individuals and corporations that have been investigated and/or prosecuted for alleged federal racketeering, securities violations, tax evasion, bribery, fraud, corruption, obstruction of justice, money laundering, environmental offenses, and customs violations involving alleged international frauds. He has also represented attorneys on ethical issues and in disciplinary proceedings in a number of jurisdictions in the New York area.

His representations, described here without names because of the sensitivity of most of his matters, have included:

Attorneys. Mr. Cohen has represented attorneys under inquiry and investigation, both in criminal and in disciplinary proceedings, involving alleged contemptuous behavior, HUD fraud, bank fraud, estate fraud, false advertising, tax violations, racketeering, and insolvency proceedings.

Public Officials. Mr. Cohen has represented high-ranking public officials in federal, state and municipal government, as well as judges and judicial assistants who were investigated, prosecuted or required to give testimony in various proceedings. Key representations include the then second highest elected New York State public official, a key member of the New York City Mayor’s cabinet, and a high-ranking figure in New York’s Democratic Party who was prosecuted for federal racketeering charges.

Securities Offenses. Mr. Cohen has represented individuals regarding federal and state securities and commodities offenses, including, recently, a highly publicized federal securities criminal complaint in which there was a full dismissal of the criminal charge, and in another case, the successful withdrawal of an SEC Wells Notice in Illinois.

Internal Investigations. Mr. Cohen has conducted internal investigations on behalf of corporations, municipal unions and law firms. Such representations have resulted in exonerations as to wrongdoing on behalf of the entity clients, and successful referrals to criminal authorities on behalf of the corporate entity clients of the individuals whose conduct was under scrutiny.

Media. Mr. Cohen represented a substantial print media enterprise that was charged criminally, and its individual owners, who had been under investigation, for conduct relating to false advertising. The representation of the enterprise involved grand jury subpoenas implicating a variety of First Amendment issues, including access to sealed court proceedings.

Charitable Organizations. Mr. Cohen successfully represented one of the largest, worldwide communal organizations in an investigation by the New York State Attorney General’s Office for alleged violations of its charitable status under New York law. He has also represented charitable institutions in connection with Attorney General approvals.

Insurance Industry. Mr. Cohen has represented significant insurance companies, agencies, brokerages, and adjusters involving federal and state criminal charges and investigation relating to improper fee payments, overcharges, false SEC filings, kickbacks and false financial reporting.

Health Care. Mr. Cohen successfully represented a large hospital involving alleged fraud in a municipal contract, as well as other private hospitals in connection with regulatory and criminal inquiries. Mr. Cohen has also represented a leading healthcare provider and pharmacists in investigations by state and federal authorities including alleged Medicaid/Medicare fraud violations.

Taxes. Mr. Cohen has represented accounting firms and professionals under investigation for criminal violations, including tax shelters and the facilitation of money laundering. He also represented a number of individuals charged with federal and state tax violations.

Forfeiture Proceedings. Mr. Cohen has represented individuals whose funds were the subject of civil seizure orders and criminal forfeiture proceedings as a result of alleged illegal conduct in New York and Florida.

Environmental Violations. Mr. Cohen has successfully represented a number of individuals and corporations, including one development in a lengthy federal court proceeding spanning more than a decade, which alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act and its New York State counterpart.

Customs Violations. Mr. Cohen has represented both public and private corporations criminally charged with large conspiracies to violate federal customs statutes in New York and Florida.

Government Contracts. Mr. Cohen has represented both public and private corporations charged with government contract fraud involving various types of military procurement in New York, California and Pennsylvania.

Sports, Gaming and Entertainment Industry. Mr. Cohen represented a key sports trade group criminally charged with federal gaming violations in Louisville, Kentucky. He has also represented a significant casino entity in a grand jury investigation by the New York County District Attorney’s Office, as well as a number of New York nightclubs and owners in connection with state grand jury and SLA proceedings.

Business Consulting. Mr. Cohen represents a number of business consulting entities with respect to grand jury investigations and subpoenas on an ongoing basis in various jurisdiction around the country.

Real Estate Industry. Mr. Cohen has represented significant New York builders and real estate management companies in internal investigations, as well as relating to federal and state grand jury subpoenas and criminal investigations of improper business practices.

Banking. Mr. Cohen has represented a number of domestic banks in New York and two Swiss banks (New York and Florida), as well as banking officials in connection with grand jury investigations of alleged money laundering.

Memberships

Federal Bar Council

Activities

Adjunct Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law, Professional

Responsibility (2005 - present);

Adjunct Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School, Professional Responsibility (2002-2006);

Author:

Since 1987, Mr. Cohen has authored over 150 articles published in legal periodicals, primarily the New York Law Journal and The National Law Journal. Selected articles since 2000 include:

‘Scopes’: Subpoenaed by Your Adversary, New York Law Journal, September 14, 2007

Blame the Lawyer, New York Law Journal, August 21, 2007;

Challenges to Justice, The National Law Journal, June 18, 2007 (co-author);

When a Lawyer Gives Moral Advice, New York Law Journal, June 11, 2007;

Must You Believe Your Client’s Testimony? New York Law Journal, April 5, 2007;

No Gatekeeper of Justice, The National Law Journal, February 15, 2007 (co-author);

Wearisome Adversaries, New York Law Journal, January 31, 2007;

Judicial Disqualification: Hussein Trial Lessons, The National Law Journal, November 10, 2006 (co-author);

How to Work With a Private Eye, New York Family Law Monthly, October 2006, Vol. 8, No. 1;

A View From the Trenches, New York Law Journal Magazine, September 2006, Vol. 5, No. 4;

Working With A Private Eye, New York Law Journal, August 7, 2006;

Self-Help: When Client Uses Claim of Right Recovery, New York Law Journal, June 28, 2006;

Polishing a Cooperator’s ‘Truthfulness,’ New York Law Journal, February 23, 2006;

It’s ‘Off the Record,’ New York Law Journal, January 11, 2006;

When Trial Judges Second-Guess Lawyers, New York Law Journal, October 20, 2005;

The Duty of Zealousness, New York Law Journal, June 20, 2005;

Representing the Innocent Client, New York Law Journal, June 9, 2005;

Ethics Rules and Legal Fees, New York Law Journal, March 7, 2005;

The Wisdom of Jailing Reporters, New York Law Journal, November 3, 2004;

Memorializing Client Conversations, New York Law Journal, October 4, 2004;

Clamming Up -- For Safety, The National Law Journal, September 13, 2004;

Buying Victim Silence,New York Law Journal, July 28, 2004 (co-author);

Celebrity Jurors, New York Law Journal, April 7, 2004;

Prosecutors Tell Lies, Too, The National Law Journal, March 22, 2004 (co-author);

Explaining Eliot Spitzer, Barron’s, March 22, 2004 (co-author);

Gaining the Client’s Truth, New York Law Journal, March 1, 2004;

Acceptance of Responsibility, New York Law Journal, December 5, 2003 (co-author);

U.S. v. Lemrick Nelson’ and the Issue of Innocence, New York Law Journal, September 29, 2003;

Dealing With the Whistleblower/Informer, New York Law Journal, July 30, 2003 (co-author);

The Spin, Confidentially, The National Law Journal, July 21, 2003 (co-author);

Second Bite at the Apple: Successive and Concurrent Prosecutions, New York Law Journal, May 12, 2003;

E-Mailing Clients Is Under Scrutiny, New York Law Journal, February 25, 2003 (co-author);

The Marbury Ethical Conflicts, Federal Bar Council News, February 2003, Vol. X, No. 1 (co-author);

U.S. v. Lynne Stewart, NYSBA Criminal Justice Journal, Winter 2002, Vol. 10, No. 1;

Confidentiality Agreements and Crime, New York Law Journal, December 23, 2002 (co-author);

Prosecutors’ Tug of War, The National Law Journal, November 18, 2002 (co-author);

The Strategy of Silence and the Criminal Suspect, New York Law Journal, October 15, 2002;

The Conflicted Criminal Lawyer, New York Law Journal, August 19, 2002;

No More ‘Perp Walks,’ The National Law Journal, August 5, 2002;

Friendly Persuasion: What to Do When a Client Must Plead Guilty, New York Law Journal, May 30, 2002;

Responding to Prosecutors Contacting Employees, New York Law Journal, March 6, 2002;

The Cooperating Witness Conundrum: Is Justice Obtainable? Cardozo Law Review, February 2002, Vol. 23, No. 3;

How Far Will Computer Monitoring Go? New York Law Journal, December 28, 2001;

The Not-So-Subtle Risk in E-Mail, NYSBA One on One, Winter 2001, Vol. 22, No. 3;

Let Criminal Fines Help the Victims, New York Law Journal, October 12, 2001 (co-author);

Attorneys Face Liability for Client’s Assets Transfers, New York Law Journal, October 2, 2001 (co-author);

FBI’s McVeigh Ordeal Has Lessons for CEO’s, appeared on Crains New York Business Website, June 14, 2001 (co-author);

IPO Investigation Alert, Stroock Capital Markets, June 2001;

When a Client Claims His Lawyer is ‘Ineffective,’ New York Law Journal, May 7, 2001;

Considering the Lawyer as Confidante, New York Law Journal, March 2, 2001;

Communicating With the Other Side’s Witnesses, New York Law Journal, January 26, 2001;

Limiting a Criminal Adversary’s ‘Posturing,’ New York Law Journal, November 15, 2000;

Putting One’s Client First, New York Law Journal, September 6, 2000;

Corroborating a Defendant’s Incriminating Statement, New York Law Journal, August 4, 2000 (co-author);

Private Taping of Conversations: What the Law Says, New York Law Journal, May 31, 2000 (co-author);

Issues In Representing Criminal Informers, New York Law Journal, April 7, 2000;

The Meaning of a Probation Sentence, New York Law Journal, February 7, 2000 (co-author);

Selected Seminar Participation:

Mr. Cohen has participated as a lecturer, moderator and panelist in many legal symposiums and seminars. Since 2000, they have included:

Panelist, Practising Law Institute, New York, NY (2006)

Panelist, State of New York, The Mental Hygiene Legal Service, First and Second Departments’ CLE, White Plains, NY (2006), (Duty of Zealousness)

Panelist, City Bar, New York, NY (2006), (‘Renaissance’ Litigators: Criminal Advocates in Civil Cases), Moderator: Jack Ford, Anchor, Court TV

Panelist, Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York, NY (2005), CLE Program (Ethics for Litigators)

Panelist, Federal Bar Council’s Winter Bench and Bar Conference, Kona, Hawaii (2005), CLE Program (Navigating the Privilege in the Choppy Waters of Government Investigations, Moderator: Hon. Colleen McMahon

Panelist, New York State Bar Association (2005), New York, NY (A Lawyer’s Conundrum -- What To Do With Inadvertently Disclosed Information?), Moderator: Robert J. Saltzman, Esq.

Panelist, Hispanic National Bar Association Convention, CLE Program, The Ethics and Practice of Plea Bargaining and Cooperation in Federal and State Courts, October 12, 2004, Moderator: Daniel R. Alonso, Esq.

Guest, Lawline Show, May 12, 2004, Celebrity Jurors

Moderator, CLE Program Should Criminal Defense Lawyers Be Constrained By the Truth?: The Limits of Zealous Advocacy, Fordham University School of Law, November 25, 2003, Panelists: U.S. District Judge Michael B. Mukasey, U.S. Attorney David N. Kelley, Gerald L. Shargel, Prof. Harry I. Subin, Prof. Bruce A. Green and James L. Bernard

Moderator, CLE Program on Criminal Procedure, New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, September 15, 2003

Moderator, The Religious Felon: A Paradox? Fifth Avenue Synagogue, February 16, 2003, Participants: Norman Mailer, Rabbi Dr. Sol Roth, Ivan S. Fisher

Panelist, New York County Lawyers’ Association (2003) New York, NY (The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: How the New Rules Affect Your Law Practice)

Panelist, New York State Bar Association (2003), New York, NY (Prosecutorial Misconduct: Are There Different Standards of Professional Responsibility for Prosecutors?)

Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division - First Department (2002), New York, NY (Ethics/Strategy When The Client Plans to Lie)

Panelist, Criminal Law and Ethics, CLE Program, Brooklyn Law School, October 27, 2001, Moderator: Professor Robert Pitler

Moderator, Hampton Synagogue, September 15, 2001, The Ethics of Punishment, Participants: Rabbi Marc Schneier, United States Attorney Loretta E. Lynch and Barry C. Scheck

Federal Bar Council (2000), Phoenix, AZ, New York, NY (Ethics, Tactics and the Law of Witness Preparation)

Moderator, CLE Programs and Assorted Panel Discussions with Outside Attorneys, Judges and Writers concerning Litigation and/or Ethics Issues at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

Author of Books:

While not relating to his law practice, legal writing or teaching positions, Mr. Cohen has authored three books dealing with religion:

Moses: A Memoir (Paulist Press, 2003);

Moses and Jesus: A Conversation (Dorrance Publishing Co. Inc., 2006);

David and Bathsheba: Through Nathan’s Eyes (Paulist Press, 2007)

He has also conducted six mock trials under New York law of biblical figures at a number of venues in the New York area.

Admitted to Practice

New York, 1968; U.S. Tax Court, 1969; U.S. District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, 1972; U.S. Supreme Court, 1973; U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1973; U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit, 1986; Pro hac vice in a number of federal districts

Education

J.D., New York University, 1967

LL.M., New York University, 1969; (Concentration in Tax)

A.B., Brooklyn College, 1965