Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC (often simply known as Cohen Milstein) is an American plaintiffs' law firm that engages in large-scale class action litigation.[1] The firm filed a number of lawsuits against Donald Trump during and after his presidency, including a lawsuit which successfully blocked the Trump administration's attempt to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| No. of offices | 8 |
| No. of attorneys | 100 |
| Website | www |
Civil rights litigation
editThe firm is active in civil rights litigation and describes itself as having attorneys who "are nationally recognized thought-leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion." Its pro bono clients have included the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.[2]
Cohen Milstein represented plaintiffs who sued the Trump administration over the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. A federal judge argued that the Trump administration must fully restore DACA, saying the law's rescission was "arbitrary and capricious" and "inadequately explained."[3] The case, Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, went before the U.S. Supreme Court, which reversed the Trump administration's order in a win for undocumented immigrants who had entered the U.S. as minors.[4]
In 2020, Cohen Milstein joined the ACLU, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Poverty & Race Research Action Council in suing the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over its rollback of portions of the Fair Housing Act. In the lawsuit, Cohen Milstein alleged that HUD had gutted "the long-established legal framework for 'disparate impact' claims, which have helped dismantle systemic barriers to fair housing for decades."[5]
Lawsuits against Donald Trump
editThe firm assisted District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine and Attorney General of Maryland Brian Frosh in filing a lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump of using his hotel in Washington D.C. to unconstitutionally profit from his political office.[6] D.C. and Maryland v. Trump alleged that Trump had violated the Foreign Emoluments Clause. In January 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a summary disposition ordering the Fourth Circuit to dismiss the case as moot.[7]
In February 2021, on behalf of Democratic U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, Cohen Milstein and the NAACP filed a lawsuit against former President Trump and Rudy Giuliani over their role in the 2021 United States Capitol attack. The lawsuit alleged that Trump and Giuliani had collaborated and conspired with the white supremacist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers to prevent the U.S. Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.[8] A number of congressional Democrats signed onto the lawsuit.[9]
Push for corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs
editAlphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, agreed to spend $310 million on DEI initiatives as part of a settlement over a series of sexual harassment and misconduct lawsuits. Alphabet Inc. will be required to start a DEI advisory council.[10][11]
In a lawsuit against Pinterest board members, Cohen Milstein asked a judge for approval of twice the firm's usual lodestar billing because Pinterest agreed to corporate governance reforms, which Cohen Milstein said would make the firm more diverse and inclusive and therefore enhance its value. A U.S. District Judge denied the firm's $5.4 million fee request and ordered Cohen Milstein "to enforce the settlement terms and police the corporation", assessing "how much progress has actually been made (or not made)." More fees may be paid in the future if the firm is able to convince the judge "how much benefit really flows from the settlement."[12][13]
Lawsuits on behalf of state attorneys general
editCohen Milstein has a practice area in which it helps state attorneys general with complex litigation.[14] In 2014, The New York Times wrote that Cohen Milstein was part of "a flourishing industry that pairs plaintiffs' lawyers with state attorneys general to sue companies, a collaboration that has set off a furious competition between trial lawyers and corporate lobbyists to influence these officials."[15] The firm has been a major donor to state attorneys general associations, candidates, state party committees, and attorneys general running for governor.[16]
In 2016, the Attorney General of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Claude Walker, authorized the firm to investigate whether ExxonMobil had committed fraud by denying climate change.[14] Cohen Milstein stood to earn as much as 27% percent of any monetary damages generated by the litigation, plus some costs. That arrangement was criticized by Exxon, who sued Cohen Milstein, alleging constitutional violations regarding free speech, due process, and unreasonable searches and seizures.[17]
The firm has represented various states against entities involved in the opioid epidemic.[18][19][20]
Antitrust
editCohen Milstein has played a leading role in major antitrust cases involving price fixing and wage suppression.
The firm sued the National Association of Realtors for inflating real estate broker commissions. A settlement of $418 million was reached in 2024.[21][22]
Cohen Milstein served as co-lead counsel in In re Urethane Antitrust Litigation,[23] which resulted in an $835 million settlement with Dow Chemical for artificially inflating the price of polyurethane.[24]
References
edit- ^ Merken, Sara (24 May 2021). "Cohen Milstein says cyber incident may have affected 'small subset' of firm's data". Reuters. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ "About Cohen Milstein | Cohen Milstein". www.cohenmilstein.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ Folley, Aris (3 August 2018). "Federal judge says Trump must fully restore DACA". The Hill. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ Barnes, Robert (June 18, 2020). "Supreme Court blocks Trump's bid to end DACA, a win for undocumented 'dreamers'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ^ "OCA v. Carson - Complaint". American Civil Liberties Union.
- ^ Woellert, Lorraine; Gerstein, Josh. "Judge green-lights subpoenas in Trump Hotel lawsuit". Politico.
- ^ Shah, Maryam (25 January 2021). "DC AG Racine, AG Frosh on Conclusion of Emoluments Lawsuit". STL News. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ King, Maya (February 16, 2016). "NAACP sues Trump and Giuliani after Jan. 6 riots". Politico. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ Swanson, Ian (7 April 2021). "10 Democrats join NAACP lawsuit against Trump". The Hill. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ Abril, Danielle (September 25, 2020). "Alphabet to fund $310 million diversity initiative to settle sexual misconduct lawsuit from shareholders". Fortune. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ Wakabayashi, Daisuke (25 September 2020). "Alphabet Settles Shareholder Suits Over Sexual Harassment Claims". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ Frankel, Alison (10 June 2022). "Shareholders said corporate reforms merit millions in fees. Now they must prove it". Reuters. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ Bennett, Jennifer (June 10, 2022). "Pinterest Shareholder Attorneys' Fees Cut in Half in Bias Case". news.bloomberglaw.com. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ a b Mali, Meghashyam (23 July 2016). "Exxon allies cry foul over law firm in climate probe". The Hill. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ Lipton, Eric (19 December 2014). "Lawyers Create Big Paydays by Coaxing Attorneys General to Sue". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ "Political Gifts from Plaintiffs' Lawyers". The New York Times. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ Cassens Weiss, Debra (April 18, 2016). "Exxon sues law firm that sought climate change documents". ABA Journal. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ Raymond, Nate (15 February 2018). "Indiana gears up for opioid litigation by hiring Cohen Milstein". Reuters. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ "Drugmakers in N.H. Opioid Probe Lose Bid to Oust Cohen Milstein". Bloomberg Law. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ Elder-Connors, Liam (6 September 2022). "Vermont is getting more than $100 million from opioid lawsuits, with more on the way. What will it do with the windfall?". Vermont Public. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ Lawlor, Mason (18 March 2024). "National Association of Realtors Reaches $418M Settlement to Resolve Antitrust Class Actions". Law.com. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Kusisto, Laura (15 March 2024). "Realtors Reach Settlement That Will Change How Americans Buy and Sell Homes". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Wolfe, Jan (27 June 2013). "Big Suits". Law.com. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Dow Will Pay $835 Million in Polyurethane Price Fixing Case". Fortune. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2024.