Carrie H. Cohen

“ I frequently guide companies and individuals through complex internal and government investigations while leveraging my experience as a former prosecutor to achieve the best possible results for my clients inside and outside the courtroom.

As a former federal and state prosecutor, Carrie routinely advises and represents corporations, boards, and c-suite executives in sensitive government-facing investigative and regulatory matters. Carrie’s extensive trial experience and distinguished record of success in high-stakes, white-collar defense and securities matters cement her position as a leading lawyer in these practice areas and she is often called upon as trial counsel for particularly sensitive matters. Carrie is recognized for her trial expertise and White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations capabilities by Chambers USA, which describes her as “. . . a terrific trial lawyer with great judgment and timing, [who] knows how to present complex cases in a digestible way.” Carrie also serves as co-chair of the firm’s Workplace Misconduct Investigations Task Force and frequently advises clients on these issues as well. In addition, Carrie recently was appointed by the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York as Counsel to the Court’s Grievance Committee.

While serving as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Carrie investigated and tried public corruption, investment fraud, and securities cases. She also served as Chief of the Public Integrity Unit in the Criminal Division in the New York State Attorney General’s Office and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Bureau, where she received the Louis J. Lefkowitz Memorial Award for outstanding service.

Carrie serves on multiple bar committees and task forces as part of her effort to promote the public interest through criminal justice reform. Most recently, Carrie was appointed to the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Racial Injustice and Police Reform and previously served as Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Domestic Terrorism and Hate Crimes whose report was adopted by the House of Delegates in June 2020, as well as previous service on the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Wrongful Convictions . In the past year, she was also named to the board of directors of Volunteers of Legal Service, an organization that provides pro bono legal services to the New York community, . As a leader of the bar, Carrie serves as a Trustee of the Federal Bar Council and Treasurer of its Inn of Court and was appointed to the Federal-State Judicial Advisory Council as well as recently being selected to serve on the New York City Bar Association’s Nominating Committee for 2020-2021.

Carrie has long been dedicated to advancing women in the legal profession, both in the United States and globally. She co-chairs Morrison & Foerster’s Women’s Strategy Committee, a group that works with firm leaders to ensure the advancement of women remains a strategic priority, and serves as a member of the New York City Bar’s Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, where she spearheads a professional development program for women attorneys in Latin America and South Africa.

Carrie co-authored the acclaimed New York State Bar Association report adopted by the American Bar Association “If Not Now, When? Achieving Equality for Women Attorneys in the Courtroom and in ADR” and the recent follow-up report adopted by the House of Delegates “The Time is Now:  Achieving Equality for Women Attorneys in the Courtroom and in ADR.”

Carrie is an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School where she teaches a seminar on Public Corruption and the Law.

Representative Experience

• Public Corruption/Government Representation. Represent elected and appointed public officials, public entities, and individuals doing business with the government in a variety of public corruption related matters. Serve as Special Counsel to the New York City Council related to investigations of certain Council Members. Served as Counsel to the MTA related to an examination of time, attendance, and overtime and presented a report to the MTA board.
• Financial Institutions/Securities Matters. Represent banks and other financial institutions in investigations of regulatory and consumer-related matters. Represent corporations and individuals in a variety of criminal investigations and matters involving federal and state securities laws.
• FCPA. Represent corporations in FCPA investigations. Appointed by the United States Department of Justice to the Monitorship team in the criminal prosecution of Odebrecht.
• Workplace Misconduct. Conduct investigations for corporations and boards related to workplace misconduct and #MeToo issues and provide related advocacy and legal advice.
• Cybersecurity. Conduct investigations of cybersecurity incidents and represent companies in related government and regulatory matters concerning disclosure of data breaches, theft of intellectual property, and other issues.
• RICO and Civil Fraud. Represent corporations in RICO and civil fraud related matters including at trial. Represent UPS at trial in case brought by the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the City of New York alleging illegal transportation of untaxed cigarettes.