Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC > Philadelphia, United States > Firm Profile

Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC > The Legal 500 Rankings

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: plaintiff Tier 1

'One of the top firms in the field on the plaintiffs' side, respected by plaintiffs and defense firms alike', Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC specializes in original proprietary cases, leveraging a team of licensed private investigators to investigate corporate wrongdoing. ‘Highly skilled in dealing with economic issues that arise in antitrust cases’, the wider antitrust group excels in high-stakes antitrust class actions, most notably securities, pay-for-delay, no-poaching and wage suppression disputes. Although particularly prominent in the pharmaceutical sector—an area of focus for New York-based Sharon Robertson—the team is also well equipped to handle disputes arising from the financial services, hi-tech, electronics and agriculture sectors. The group, which is led by Washington DC-based duo Benjamin Brown and Brent Johnson, also includes price-fixing and monopolization suit expert Richard Koffman; Daniel Small, a 'real team player'; and the ‘smart, seasoned, and highly capable strategist and oral advocate’ Kit Pierson, all of whom are based in the DC office.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - plaintiff Tier 1

With a depth of experience in environmental mass torts, personal data theft, consumer false advertising, wrongful death, property damage, and automotive and highway safety, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC has represented plaintiffs in several high-profile matters. Most recently the team's involvement, led by renowned Washington D.C-based practice head Theodore Leopold, in the Flint Water case resulted in a monumental settlement. The firm also has strengths in the field of data breaches and consumer security, evidenced by its recent success in a class action led by Washington D.C-based co-head Andrew Friedman against Equifax. Leslie Kroeger in Florida also heads the practice, focusing on product liability, wrongful death and managed care abuse allegations.

Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): plaintiff Tier 1

The Washington DC-based team at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC is 'a true source of knowledge and strength'. The group has considerable experience in acting in actions relating to discrimination claims, joint employer liability issues, pay equity matters and issues arising from the FLSA. Practice head Joseph Sellers is highly experienced in the space, and Christine Webber has strong capabilities in wage and hour class actions; she is also involved in work relating to emerging technologies used in hiring processes. Kalpana Kotagal is a key contact for discrimination, diversity and inclusion mandates. Shaylyn Cochran departed to take up a role as senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in February 2021.

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: plaintiff Tier 2

Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC's securities litigation and investor protection practice is led from Washington DC by the vastly experienced Steven Toll and 'excellent lawyer and terrific negotiator' Julie Reiser, whom clients describe as 'exceptionally ethical'. Reiser stands out for her role in precedent-setting corporate governance disputes, notably claims arising from allegations of sexual harassment. She recently secured a $310m settlement from Google's parent company in In re Alphabet Shareholder Derivative Litigation. New York-based Michael Eisenkraft, along with Reiser and Chicago-based Carol Gilden, is spearheading hybrid securities and anti-competition class actions against investment banks, alleging that they conspired to maintain anti-competitive strangleholds over trading in financial markets, among them interest rate swaps. Daniel Sommers, the immediate past chairman of the Markets Advisory Council of the Council of Institutional Investors, also plays a key role in the practice.