The Cochran Firm – New York is part of the national network of law offices founded by the late Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., a prominent trial attorney best known for landmark civil rights and injury cases. The New York office is located at 55 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10006, serving clients across all five boroughs and the greater metropolitan region. Over its history, the Cochran Firm has secured more than $30 billion in verdicts and settlements nationwide, with the New York branch handling complex litigation in personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and civil rights claims.
The leadership team in New York includes Derek Sells, Chairman of the firm, along with attorneys Mina Malik, Tracey Brown, Paul Weitz, Michael Fischbein, Rudyard Whyte, Steven Gold, and Sebastian Van Coevorden, among others. Many are trial-tested litigators with experience in both civil and criminal law, and several have held prosecutorial and judicial roles prior to joining the practice.
Areas of Practice
The Cochran Firm – New York represents individuals and families in cases involving:
- Personal Injury and Wrongful Death: Auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, bus collisions, pedestrian knockdowns, and premises liability.
- Medical Malpractice: Birth injuries, anesthesia errors, surgical mistakes, failure to diagnose serious illnesses, and hospital negligence. Reported results include $32 million, $26 million, and $10 million verdicts for infants with brain damage caused by malpractice, and multiple recoveries exceeding $5 million for delayed diagnoses and surgical errors.
- Civil Rights and Police Misconduct: Claims of false arrest, excessive force, wrongful conviction, employment discrimination, and violations of constitutional protections. Historic outcomes include $8.75 million for Abner Louima, a record police brutality settlement in New York City, and additional multimillion-dollar awards for wrongful arrests and prisoner abuse cases.
- Employment Discrimination: Representation in workplace discrimination, retaliation, and harassment claims.
- Other Complex Litigation: Catastrophic injury cases involving unsafe products, toxic exposure, and catastrophic workplace accidents.
Notable Results
The New York office has obtained verdicts and settlements across a wide range of catastrophic injury and civil rights cases, such as:
- $32,000,000 medical malpractice verdict for an infant with brain damage.
- $26,000,000 recovery for a family of a child who sustained brain damage at birth.
- $21,000,000 settlement for a worker injured when a pipe dropped at a construction site.
- $16,000,000 verdict for a young man who fell from a rock-climbing wall after safety equipment failed.
- $15,000,000 wrongful death settlement for a worker killed by falling equipment on the job.
- $14,000,000 verdict for a construction worker whose platform collapsed.
- $11,000,000 recovery for a woman injured after falling between a train and platform.
- $8,750,000 settlement for Abner Louima in a highly publicized police brutality case.
- $6,000,000 settlement for a student injured after falling down an elevator shaft with defective doors.
- $5,350,000 award for a child paralyzed during scoliosis surgery.
- $3,700,000 settlement for a family whose infant suffered permanent disability due to medical negligence.
These results highlight the firm’s capacity to litigate both high-stakes medical negligence and civil rights abuse cases against powerful institutions such as hospitals, municipalities, and law enforcement agencies.
Legal Philosophy
The Cochran Firm adheres to its founder’s mission: ensuring equal access to justice regardless of financial status, race, or background. The attorneys emphasize client empowerment, keeping individuals in control of their cases while using the firm’s resources and expertise to challenge corporate, governmental, and institutional defendants. All cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay no legal fees unless a recovery is obtained.
The firm’s reputation rests not only on results but also on its role in shaping public policy and social justice. Many cases have spurred institutional reform, particularly in the areas of police accountability and medical standards of care.
Recognition and Community Involvement
Attorneys from the Cochran Firm – New York are frequently listed in Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell, and the firm as a whole is recognized among the nation’s leading plaintiff practices. Its lawyers regularly appear in major media outlets and contribute to legal scholarship on civil rights and malpractice.
The office maintains outreach initiatives that mirror Johnnie Cochran’s legacy of community engagement, focusing on advocacy for underserved populations and reforms in criminal justice and civil rights law.
Office and Contact Information
The Cochran Firm – New York
55 Broadway, 23rd Floor
New York, NY 10006
Phone: 212-553-9215
Toll-Free: 1-800-THE-FIRM
Conclusion
With a record of multi-million-dollar verdicts in both personal injury and civil rights cases, the New York office of The Cochran Firm continues to carry forward the mission of its founder. By combining courtroom skill, national resources, and community-driven advocacy, it remains one of the city’s most visible and impactful plaintiff firms. Its history of representing vulnerable clients against government agencies, corporations, and medical institutions underscores its role as a protector of individual rights in the most serious cases.
Website: www.cochranfirm.com/new-york