Attorney Steven Z. Cohen has been a managing partner of his own law firm since 1979. He continues as the senior partner of the firm in its current form, Cohen, Lerner & Rabinovitz, P.C., overseeing the professional and business aspects of the practice. In the courtroom, he focuses on civil, commercial, and franchise litigation, as well as labor and employment law, and personal injury.
With over 35 years of litigation experience, Cohen has a reputation for high-quality representation of his clients in the State of Michigan and in federal courts including the United States District Courts for Eastern and Western Michigan, the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and the United States Court of Claims. He has also appeared pro hac vice in courts across the country, representing his clients where they need him most. He serves regularly as a case evaluator in Wayne and Oakland County, and arbitrator for the Circuit Courts of Michigan. Mr. Cohen has also been court-appointed as a special discovery master in complex civil litigation.
Mr. Cohen has represented unions and individual clients in a variety of important labor issues, for both governmental and private employees. In American Federation of Television and Radio Artists v WJBKTV, 164 F.3d 1004 (6th Cir. 1999), Mr. Cohen fought to secure plaintiffs’ rights to subpoena information within federal arbitration proceedings. He also represented over 450 members of the Air Traffic Controllers’ Union against the federal government, trying more cases on that one issue than most attorneys do throughout their careers.
Steve Cohen has been named a dBusiness Top Lawyer in the area of Litigation and Labor, and has received a preeminent AV rating, representing the highest ethical standing, from Martindale-Hubbell for over 20 years.
Areas of Practice
Commercial Litigation & Franchise Litigation
Labor & Employment Litigation
Personal Injury Litigation
Representative Cases
American Federation of TV and Radio Artists v. WJBK-TV
- 164 F.3d 1004 (6th Cir. 2002)
- Represented a private union at arbitration, securing an arbitrator’s authorization to issue and enforce subpoenas to produce records against third parties.
Gotlib v. Paul Revere Life Ins. Co.
- 26 F. Supp. 2d 989 (E.D. Mich. 1998)
- Represented a disabled doctor against his insurance company, which raised ERISA defenses, successfully remanding the case to state court.
Cockels v. International Business Expositions, Inc.
- 159 Mich. App. 30 (1987)
- Represented a commission-based sales employee in a wrongful discharge lawsuit after she was denied payment of her commissions.
Bar Admissions
State Bar of Michigan, 1978
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1980
U.S. District Court, Wester District of Michigan, 1989
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, [YEAR]
U.S. Court of Claims, 1989
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1981
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, 1982
Education
Wayne State University Law School, 1978
- Juris Doctorate (J.D.)
- Order of Barristers
- Order of the Coif
- National Moot Court Team
University of Michigan, 1975
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History and Political Science with High Honors
- Phi Eta Sigma, 1972
Organizations & Memberships
American Bar Association
Oakland County Bar Association, Fellow
Young Israel of Oak Park
Honors & Awards
Preeminent AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell (20+ years)
Top Lawyer, Litigation and Labor, Business, 2009
Patriots Award, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Michigan Chapter, 1998