Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. is a partner at the law firm of Schertler and Onorato, L.L.P and is an experienced trial attorney whose practice includes representation of individuals and corporations in all aspects of criminal and civil litigation in both state and federal courts at the pre-trial, trial, and post-trial stages. Mr. Cohen’s criminal representations include cases involving public corruption, bank fraud, bribery, internal corporate investigations, government fraud, antitrust, health care fraud, securities fraud and congressional inquiries. His civil representations have involved representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in the areas of products liability, employment discrimination, premises liability and personal injury.
Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Cohen served as an Assistant US Attorney in the Office of the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, US Department of Justice from 1997 to 2003, where he was responsible for representing the United States in a wide range of criminal and civil matters in both the local and federal court systems of the District of Columbia. In the criminal arena, Mr. Cohen prosecuted and/or conducted grand jury investigations into matters involving bribery, credit card fraud, mail fraud, government contracts fraud, homicide, rape, armed robbery, forgery, uttering, and theft.
Mr. Cohen handled a wide array of civil matters on behalf of the United States, including defending allegations of employment discrimination; suits under the Federal Torts Claims Act; challenges to agency actions and government procurement under the Administrative Procedure Act; requests for the amendment of records under the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act, and defense of government officials sued in their individual capacities.
Mr. Cohen has served as trial counsel in more than 25 criminal and civil jury trials in the US District Court for the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Superior Court and has argued and briefed criminal and civil appeals before the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
During his tenure as an Assistant US Attorney, Mr. Cohen received awards for his prosecutorial accomplishments from the Attorney General of the United States, the Inspector General of the Department of State and the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution.
Mr. Cohen received both his undergraduate and law degrees from Syracuse University. After graduating law school, Mr. Cohen began a two-year judicial clerkship with the Honorable Cheryl M. Long of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Mr. Cohen is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and New Jersey and is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court, as well as various appellate courts. He is a member of the American Bar Association, National Bar Association, Assistant United States Attorneys Association, National Black Prosecutors Association and several other local and federal bar associations. He is a founding member of the Young Executives Board of Governors of the City Club of Washington and former general counsel and active member of the 100 Black Men of Greater Washington, Inc., a national organization that focuses on improving the quality of life for African-Americans--particularly young males--in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area through programs focusing on health and wellness, economic empowerment, education and mentoring.
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