A seasoned litigator who began his legal career as In-House Counsel for a Fortune 1000 company, Jon Cohen uses his experience to help his clients run their businesses efficiently, manage risk, comply with state and federal regulations, and anticipate the short- and long-term legal implications of their decisions, both operating and strategic. Jon believes that understanding his clients is key to helping them grow to their fullest potential while simultaneously maximizing the value of his services.
Jon has helped clients resolve difficult disputes arising out of breaches of contract, trade secrets, shareholder disputes, securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties, internet domain name disputes, restrictive covenants, property disputes, fraudulent conveyances, and more. He has argued appeals before Federal and State courts, defended and prosecuted more than 80 arbitration actions for clients in the securities industry, and handled dozens of cases involving post-employment restrictions (such as restrictive covenants).
In the realm of general corporate law, Jon has assisted clients in the reduction of employee expenses, drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts, and planning for future expansion with acute consideration to possible legal barriers. He advises them on insurance and shareholder disputes, as well as regulatory compliance. The companies Jon represents - including several India-based entities with respect to litigation and transactions in the U.S. - appreciate his attentiveness and understanding of their business, the obstacles they face, and the solutions they’re looking for to manage and reduce risk. They rely heavily on his insight to provide proper guidance, prioritize opportunities, and set strategic objectives while optimizing operations to reduce costs and protect against regulatory actions.
Jon has represented thousands of retirees through approximately twelve bankruptcy Retiree Committees in Chapter 11 bankruptcies, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients. Following these settlements, Jon created Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Associations (VEBAs) to administer settlements received and to provide replacement health care plans, aimed at protecting retirees whose healthcare and life insurance benefits were threatened by their employers’ bankruptcy. Jon currently manages the day-to-day operations of several VEBAs on behalf of his clients. He ensures compliance with ERISA and HIPAA regulations by providing training, handles appeals, drafts summary plan descriptions and updates, litigates disputes with plan administrators, trains welfare plan fiduciaries on data privacy and security, and guides VEBAs through end of life issues when they terminate.
Education & Credentials
Education
John Marshall Law School
J.D., 1991The Ohio State University
B.A., 1988Bar Admission
Prominent Assignments
- Assisted a national based event planning company in transforming its independent contractors into employees, reducing the risk of scrutiny from federal and state employment regulators.
Court Admissions
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Publications/Presentations
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Co-Author, "FinCEN Response to Order entered enjoining Corporate Transparency Act", Dickinson Wright Client Alert, March 2024
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Co-Author, "Order Entered Enjoining Corporate Transparency Act", Dickinson Wright Client Alert, March 2024
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Co-Author, “Important Notice Impacting Millions of Business Entities (A Summary of the Corporate Transparency Act),” Dickinson Wright Client Alert, December 2023