January 3, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact: cohenmilstein@berlinrosen.com
WASHINGTON, DC – Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll (Cohen Milstein), one of the leading plaintiffs’ law firms in the United States, announced today that Benjamin D. Brown has been named managing partner.
Brown, who joined Cohen Milstein in 2005, currently co-chairs the firm’s Antitrust practice and serves as chairman of the Executive Committee. Brown replaces Steven J. Toll, who stepped down as managing partner at the end of last year, following a highly successful 26-year run shepherding the firm. Toll, who was named managing partner of the firm in 1997, has cultivated a national profile for Cohen Milstein, increased the attorney headcount from 20 to over 100, and transformed the firm from a legal startup to a legal powerhouse.
“I am beyond honored to serve as Cohen Milstein’s next managing partner and look forward to continuing to secure justice for our clients, build on the firm’s culture, and expand our footprint across the nation,” said Benjamin D. Brown of Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll. “Our firm is powered by over a hundred attorneys who vigorously represent their clients to create meaningful, lasting change. I am so proud to work with this talented, committed team every day.”
Brown is taking the helm of the firm at a time of tremendous growth. The firm has increased its headcount to more than 150 employees and expanded its footprint to eight offices across the country. In his new role, Brown will continue to expand the firm’s presence in key markets and build on the firm’s reputation as a legal powerhouse.
“Ben has dedicated himself to Cohen Milstein for nearly two decades and demonstrated a love of the law, an unwavering commitment to justice, and a mastery of the skills necessary to successfully lead the firm,” said Steven J. Toll. “Cohen Milstein’s culture of mission-oriented advocacy has cultivated a renowned reputation across the legal industry, spurring interest in the firm from the most qualified talent, and I know Ben will continue to advance our culture and reputation.”
Cohen Milstein’s accomplishments and awards are many. In 2023, the firm secured landmark victories against corporate giants, including a $1 billion securities settlement with Wells Fargo following the fake accounts scandal and a victorious settlement with Exxon for human rights abuses in Indonesia. In just the last few years, the firm has been ranked a leading firm by Chambers USA in Antitrust, ERISA Litigation, Product Liability & Mass Torts, and Securities Litigation, while Law360 has named Cohen Milstein Practice Group of the Year in Benefits, Competition, Class Actions, Consumer Protection, Employment, and Securities. The firm has also been recognized repeatedly as a “ceiling smasher” for being among the firms with the highest representation of women in their equity partnerships. As managing partner, Brown will oversee a team working to deliver corporate reforms and fair markets for the common good.
Brown, who previously served in the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice, has been appointed by federal courts to serve as co-lead counsel for plaintiffs in numerous important matters, such as In re Plasma-Derivative Protein Therapies Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Ill.); Carlin, et al. v. DairyAmerica, Inc. (E.D. Cal.); and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Antitrust Litigation (D. Nev.). Brown is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown Law School, where he teaches Complex Litigation, a course that explores the policy and procedures implicated by aggregated, high stakes, multi-party litigation, especially class actions.
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About Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll
Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, a premier U.S. plaintiffs’ law firm, with over 100 attorneys across eight offices, champions the causes of real people—workers, consumers, small business owners, investors, and whistleblowers—working to deliver corporate reforms and fair markets for the common good. For more information visit https://www.cohenmilstein.com/