Austin B. Cohen

Practice Areas

Class Actions; Antitrust; Business Law; Torts; Defective Products; Environmental Damages

Education

University of Pennsylvania, B.A., 1990
University of Pittsburgh, J.D., cum laude, 1996

Mr. Cohen, a native of West Islip, New York, received a BA in Economics and History from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990. He received a JD, cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1996. During law school, he interned for the Honorable Lowell Reed (E.D. Pa.) June – August, 1995. He also served as an Executive Editor and Associate Editor for the University of Pittsburgh Journal of Law and Commerce and was a finalist in the Murray S. Love Trial Moot Court Competition.

On April 12, 2019, Mr. Cohen was appointed Co-Lead Counsel in Sutton v. Hoffman La Roche, Inc., ES-L-008724-14 (N.J. Super.), representing a Class of home owners adjacent to Roche’s former New Jersey manufacturing facilities in an environmental claim seeking to recover diminished property values as a result of pollution emanating from Roche’s property. A copy of the Court Opinion and Order appointing Mr. Cohen Co-Lead Counsel is available HERE. A copy of a May 27, 2020 unanimous opinion of the Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division affirming the appointment of Co-Lead Counsel and certification of the Class is available HERE. A copy of the current class action complaint is available HERE.

Mr. Cohen’s work has focused on all aspects of class litigation. Cases he has worked on include:

  • In re Air Cargo Shipping Services Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1775 (E.D.N.Y.) (representing class of shippers alleging international air cargo carriers conspired to fix prices and surcharges. Levin Sedran & Berman served as Co-Lead Counsel. Settlements exceeded $1.25 billion);
  • In re Electrical Carbon Products Antitrust Litigation, MDL (D.N.J.) (representing class of purchasers alleging electrical carbon products manufacturers agreed to horizontal price fixing and customer allocation. Levin Sedran & Berman served as Co-Lead Counsel);
  • Graphite Electrodes Litigation, MDL No. 1244 (E.D. Pa.) (representing class of purchasers alleging manufacturers of graphite components used for steel manufacturing agreed to horizontal price fixing. Levin Sedran & Berman served as Co-Lead Counsel. Settlements totaled $133.5 million, representing 100% of actual damages);
  • In re Potash Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1996 (N.D. Ill. And 7th Cir.) (representing class of potash customers alleging horizontal conspiracy among mining companies to fix prices and restrict output. Levin Sedran & Berman worked with lead counsel and focused on obtaining jurisdiction over foreign entities and interpretation of the Foreign Trade Antitrust Improvement Act);
  • In re Target Corporation Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, MDL 2522 (D. Minn.) (representing class of financial institutions seeking to recover costs due to Target Corporation’s failure to implement proper data security protocols. Levin Sedran & Berman worked with lead counsel and focused on establishing proper standard of care and calculation of appropriate damages).

Mr. Cohen has written published articles regarding the admissibility of subsequent remedial modifications in products liability litigation (68 Pa. B.A.Q. 93), the enforceability of litigation confidentiality agreements (71 Pa. B.A.Q. 93), and federal tax issues related to the tax-exempt financing of University sponsored research facilities (23 The Exempt Organization Tax Review 445).

Mr. Cohen has been rated as a Pennsylvania antitrust “SuperLawyer” and is AV Peer Review rated by Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Cohen is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

 

AV Peer Review Rated.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; State of New Jersey; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and American Bar Associations