Firm Announces New Lateral Hires and Attorney Promotions
Philadelphia – January 2, 2013 – Cohen Seglias is pleased to announce that Judge Gene D. Cohen (Ret.) has joined the Firm as a Partner in the Commercial Litigation Group.
Since leaving the bench, Judge Cohen has concentrated his practice on complex commercial litigation matters.
“We are excited to welcome Judge Cohen to the Firm, as his litigation practice and judicial experience is well suited for business development and existing client service. In addition to his strong litigation background, Judge Cohen also brings substantial alternative dispute resolution experience,” says Jason Copley, Cohen Seglias’ Managing Partner. “Over the last few years the Firm has continued to expand all of our practice areas and created a broad base of services for our business clients. Judge Cohen’s addition to the commercial litigation group further enhances our vision.”
Judge Cohen served as a Court of Common Pleas judge from 1988 until February 2005 presiding over several landmark cases.
He was the supervising judge of an investigating grand jury, a civil motion court judge, a trial judge for the Civil Division and principal civil major non-jury judge. Judge Cohen’s last assignment was as a team leader for the Commerce Court Program managing major commercial litigation.
Among other degrees Judge Cohen holds a Master of Judicial Studies degree from the University of Nevada and for five years had taught Judicial Decision Making at the National Judicial College.
Prior to serving on the bench, Judge Cohen spent nearly 18 years in private practice and had served in the Armed Forces in the United States Army Military Police Corps as a captain.
“I am looking forward to joining the Cohen Seglias team,” says Judge Cohen. “The Firm has continued to grow in multiple practice areas and maintains a very strong construction litigation group. I welcome the opportunity to couple my litigation practice with theirs to bring a new dimension to the litigation group.”
Along with Judge Cohen, Dale Holmes has joined the Firm as Of Counsel in the Federal Construction Group. Mr. Holmes has 30 years of experience as an attorney for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and as District Counsel (managing attorney) in Kansas City, St. Louis and Louisville Districts. He served three tours as District Counsel in the Afghanistan Engineer District. During this time, he took part in one of the largest fraud cases to date involving the Army Corps of Engineers. Prior to joining the Firm, Dale represented clients in private practice on Government Contract Law matters, with a primary focus on work for clients in Afghanistan.
Additionally, in the Firm’s Pittsburgh office, Lisa M. Wampler has been promoted to a Partner in the Construction Group and Douglas C. Hart has been made Senior Counsel in the Commercial Litigation Group.
Ms. Wampler is the Firm’s first female construction Partner in the Pittsburgh area, and is one of only a few full-time female construction partners in the Pittsburgh region.
2012 has been a landmark year for Cohen Seglias. Along with the new hires and promotions, the Firm had two significant mergers in the Construction market, with Philadelphia’s Byler and Blaker LLC and New York’s Georgoulis & Associates PLLC, which marked the Firm’s first fully staffed New York office.
About Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC
Founded in 1988, Cohen Seglias is a Mid-Atlantic law firm with more than 50 lawyers in eight offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia. The firm provides client service on a national basis in the areas of Construction, Commercial Litigation, Federal Contracting, Real Estate, Labor & Employment, Healthcare, Creditors’ Rights and Corporate and Commercial Transactions. For more information, please visit www.cohenseglias.com.
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