Shareholder Michael J. Cohen has more than 35 years of experience in complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts. His proven record of numerous favorable verdicts at the trial and appellate levels has earned him a reputation as one of Wisconsin’s preeminent business litigators. For many years, Mike has been recognized by members of the Wisconsin bar and judiciary as one of the top lawyers in the state.
Mike concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation including non-compete and other restrictive covenants, breach of contract, business torts, shareholder disputes and employment; environmental and toxic tort litigation; and on complex insurance coverage litigation, including environmental and asbestos liabilities and bad faith claims. He has been involved in some of the most significant complex insurance coverage matters in Wisconsin and other surrounding states over the two decades.
Mike has also been recognized by his peers as one of the top complex litigation mediators in Wisconsin. He has been mediating complex business litigation and coverage disputes for over 10-plus years. During that time, he has an outstanding success rate in getting cases resolved. Mr. Cohen is a facilitative mediator who uses his 35 years of litigation experience in complex civil cases in both federal and state courts to add value to the settlement process.
Honors
- The Best Lawyers in America® (2010 – 2022)
- Milwaukee Lawyer of the Year® (Insurance Law, 2014, 2017 & 2019; Litigation-Insurance – 2020)
- Wisconsin Super Lawyers® (2006 – 2020)
- Top 25 Lawyers in Milwaukee (2011 – 2020)
- Top 50 Wisconsin Super Lawyers (2008 – 2020)
- America’s Top 100 Attorneys – Lifetime Achievement Member (2017)
- Leaders in the Law (2011)
Professional Organizations
- State Bar of Wisconsin, Judicial Election Steering Committee
- State Bar of Wisconsin, Past Member of the Board of Governors (2013 – 2017)
- Milwaukee Bar Association, Past President; Bench-Bar Civil Division Committee, Former Co-Chair; Civil Litigation Section, Former Chair
- Milwaukee Bar Foundation, Board Member
- Thomas E. Fairchild Inn of Court, Master
- American Bar Association, Tort Law and Insurance, Business Litigation
- American Bar Foundation
- Wisconsin Fellows
- High School Mock Trial Tournament, Former Co-Chair
- Defense Research Institute
- Wisconsin Defense Counsel
Speeches & Publications
- Chair and Speaker, Trending Topics in Business Litigation 2020, State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE, December 3, 2020
- Chair and Speaker, Trending Topics in Business Litigation 2019, State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE, December 5, 2019
- Chair and Speaker, Trending Topics in Business Litigation 2018, State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE, November 29, 2018
- Speaker, Expert Witnesses: Using Wisconsin Court Rules to Your Advantage, National Business Institute, September 27, 2017
- Speaker, Arbitration: Soup to Nuts, Alternative Dispute Resolution Seminar, Milwaukee Bar Association, May 11, 2016.
- Speaker, Social Media and Other Electronic Evidence, 2016 Marquette University Law School Civil Litigation and Evidence Conference, March 4, 2016.
- Speaker, E-Discovery in Insurance Coverage Cases, PCI Claims Committee Conference, October 8, 2014.
- Speaker, Agents who Prepare to Compete: Soliciting Customers and Co-Workers, State Bar of Wisconsin, December 5, 2013
- Speaker, Trending Topics in Business Litigation—Preparing to Compete and the Breach of the Duty of Loyalty, Wisconsin State Bar, November 30, 2012
- Speaker, Litigation Holds—What Should Be Done. Wisconsin Defense Counsel 2010 Summer Conference; Washington County Bar Association, February 17, 2010
- Speaker, Advanced Allocation Issues, Complex Insurance Claims Litigation Association, March 10, 2010
- Speaker, Litigation Holds and the Duty to Preserve Evidence, Marquette University Law School, November 6, 2009
- Author, Recent Revisions to the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act Raise the Stakes for Employers, The Business Journal (Milwaukee), Vol. 27, No. 3 at 43 (Oct. 16, 2009) (co-authored with Thomas M. Hruz)
- Author, Can Employers Force Employees to Sign Noncompete Agreements as a Condition of their Employment?, Wisconsin Lawyer, Vol. 72, No. 5, (May 1999) (co-authored with William T. Stuart)
- Speaker, Practical Evidence Issues Before and at Trial—Scope of Expert Testimony at Trial—Attempts to Go Beyond Expert Report and Disclosures; Use of Information Obtained Over the Internet; Litigation Holds—What Should be Done; Contacting Employees and Former Employees of Opposing Party; Milwaukee Bar Association, December 12, 2008
- Speaker, 2008 Insurance Law Institute—Views From Across the River—Trigger, Allocation and the Plastics Engineering Co. v. Liberty Mutual Co. Case in Wisconsin, Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association, November 13, 2008
- Speaker, 31st Annual Corporate Practice Institute—Trade Secrets: A Thief or Not a Thief?, State Bar of Wisconsin—CLE Seminars, December 4, 2007
- Speaker, Real Evidence for the Trial Practitioner—Scope of Expert Testimony at Trial—Attempts to Go Beyond Expert Report and Disclosures; Use of Information Obtained Over the Internet; Litigation Holds—What Should be done; Contacting Employees and Former Employees of Opposing Party, Lorman Business Center, Inc., August 28, 2007
- Speaker, Current Issues Surrounding CGL Coverage—Insurance Coverage for Business Torts, Lorman Business Center, Inc., May 4, 2007
- Speaker, Insurance Bad Faith Claims, Lorman Business Center, Inc., March 30, 2007
- Speaker, 2006 Civil Law Seminar—Case Management Orders, Wisconsin Supreme Court, December 6, 2006
- Speaker, Insurance Coverage for Environmental Contamination, Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin, August 12, 2006
- Speaker, Annual Convention Litigation Section—Insurance Coverage for Business Torts, State Bar of Wisconsin, May 3, 2006
- Speaker, Insurance Bad Faith Claims in Wisconsin, Lorman Business Center, Inc., March 31, 2006; April 29, 2005 and March 22, 2005.
- Speaker, Insurance Coverage for Environmental Contamination: Welcome Back to Environmental Law After Johnson Controls, Inc., v. Employers Insurance of Wausua, et al., Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin, August 11, 2005
Appellate
Business and Corporate Disputes Litigation
Construction Defects Litigation
Employment
Employment Disputes & Non-Competition Agreements
Environmental Litigation
Environmental
Insurance Coverage Litigation
Intellectual Property
Mediation and Arbitration
Products Liability and Torts
Professional Liability Defense Litigation
Marquette University Law School, J.D., 1986
University of Wisconsin, B.A., 1983
- International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, Chairman of Board
- National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Former Board Member
- Business Law, Center for Legal Technology, a division of MBTI/Business Training Institute, Instructor (1989-1991)
- City of Milwaukee Administrative Appellate Review Board, Board Member (1987-1989)
- City of Milwaukee Housing Authority, Alternate Hearing Examiner (1986-1989)
Articles & Videos