Professional Experience:
Mr. Cohen has been a Certified Civil Trial Attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court for over 27 years. Mr. Cohen also served as a Master in the Mercer County American Inn of Court. A highly experienced trial lawyer, Mr. Cohen practices in the state and federal courts in diverse complex litigation, including corporate, commercial, environmental, intellectual property, real estate, probate, family, land use, and public sector matters.
As special counsel to numerous New Jersey municipalities, Mr. Cohen provides counsel in complex land use issues and defends them in litigation. His statewide recognized achievements include successful defense of the Township of Bedminster's R-10 Rural Residential Zoning District in the landmark case of F.M. Kirby v. Township Committee of Bedminster, 341 N.J. Super. 276 (App. Div. 2000), successful defense of the Township of East Amwell's Amwell Valley Agricultural Zoning District in the landmark decision of New Jersey Farm Bureau, et al. and Princeton Research Lands v. Township of East Amwell, 380 N.J. Super. 325 (App. Div. 2005) certif. den. 185 N.J. 596 (2005), Lackland and Lackland v. Township of Readington, Docket No. SOM-L-344-03, aff'd by Appellate Division, Docket No.: A-2190-05T1/A - 2341-05T1 (2008), and Wilson and Greenwood et al. vs. Township of Hopewell, Docket Nos. MER-L-3597-01 and MER-L-3594-01, aff'd Appellate Division A-1910-06T2 (2009) certif. den. 194 N.J. 443 (2008).
The American Planning Association retained Mr. Cohen to file an amicus curiae brief and argue before the New Jersey Supreme Court in its first re-examination of the Mt. Laurel II doctrine in 18 years in Toll Bros. v. W. Windsor Twp., 173 N.J. 502 (2002). Mr. Cohen lectured on that subject at the American Planning Association's annual meeting in Chicago.
Prior to joining Parker McCay, Mr. Cohen was a partner in Stern Greenberg & Kilcullen from 1991-2002, and a partner in Gutkin Miller Shapiro & Selesner from 1978-1991. He was associated with Sills Beck Cummis Radin & Tischman (now Sills Cummis) from 1975-1978, and trained under the late Honorable Arthur J. Sills, former Attorney General of the State of New Jersey. He was law secretary to the late Honorable Leon Gerofsky, Assignment Judge, Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County and his successor, the late John C. Demos, Assignment Judge from 1974-1975.
Professional Activities and Memberships:
· Member of the American Bar Association and numerous county bar associations of the state of New Jersey
· Lectures on land-use related issues and litigation strategy and has appeared before the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, the New Jersey Planning Officials, the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, and the American Planning Association
· Previously served as a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court District V-B Ethics Committee
Et Cetera:
Mr. Cohen was born in Newark, New Jersey. In addition to his significant legal experience, Mr. Cohen has been a leader in the Jewish community for over 25 years. He served as president of Temple Sholom in Bridgewater, New Jersey, member of its board of trustees and executive committee and chairman of its successful two million dollar physical expansion; Regional vice president of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism - New Jersey Region; and member of the board of trustees of the Jewish Federation of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties. He has been honored by the State of Israel Bonds and at a President's Breakfast for distinguished service to the Jewish community.