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At a Glance
| Founded by | Mark S. Cohen and Lawrence T. Gresser, in 2002 (per the firm) |
| Focus | Commercial litigation, white-collar defense, and antitrust, part of a full-service international firm (per the firm) |
| Office | 800 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 (Manhattan), the firm’s global headquarters, with additional offices in Washington D.C., Paris, London, and Dubai |
| Signature results | No published itemized verdict table identified |
| Distinctive edge | Ranked in Legal 500’s inaugural “City Elite” list for New York City Commercial Disputes and named to Vault’s Top 150 Under 150 list of leading small and midsize firms |
| Fee model | Not published on the firm’s site; prospective clients should confirm directly |
| Known for | Complex commercial litigation, securities litigation, antitrust, and white-collar defense for financial institutions, corporations, and individuals (per the firm) |
Origin and Background
Cohen & Gresser was founded in New York in 2002 by Mark S. Cohen and Lawrence T. Gresser, and per the firm’s own site, its Manhattan office “serves as the firm’s headquarters,” with particular strength in “securities litigation and arbitration, international arbitration, regulatory investigations, patent litigation, and M&A transactions.” The 800 Third Avenue address was confirmed against the firm’s own site.
What Makes This Firm Structurally Different
Cohen & Gresser is a mid-sized firm competing directly with much larger institutions on the highest-stakes matters; per Vault’s 2026 rankings, the firm is known for its “White Collar Whizzes” and a “bustling litigation practice” spanning “antitrust, bankruptcy, class actions, commercial litigation, directors and officers liability, and products liability” despite staying under 150 attorneys firmwide. The firm represents both plaintiffs and defendants across its commercial litigation practice, disclosed here directly, while its white-collar practice is primarily defense-side.
Practice Areas
- Commercial litigation
- Securities litigation
- Antitrust and competition litigation
- White-collar defense and regulatory enforcement
- Directors and officers litigation
- Class action defense
- Real estate litigation
Track Record
Awesome Attorneys did not identify a published, itemized table of verdicts or settlements on the firm’s site; the firm instead highlights third-party recognitions and named matters through press releases rather than a marketed results log. Past results in any matter do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter.
Client Voice
Legal 500’s 2026 research quotes clients describing the firm’s New York commercial litigation practice as having “excellent depth of knowledge and experience” and being “business-oriented, pragmatic and effective communicators,” with associates described as “thoughtful and thorough” and senior partners as “outstanding” — independently gathered client feedback rather than firm-selected testimonials.
Beyond the Courtroom
Several Cohen & Gresser attorneys serve as adjunct professors at nearby law schools, and the firm maintains a dedicated pro bono practice alongside its commercial work, per its own site.
Recognition
Cohen & Gresser co-founders Mark Cohen and Lawrence Gresser were ranked in Legal 500’s inaugural “City Elite” list for New York City Commercial Disputes in 2025, and both have been named to Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Lawyers in America” and “500 Leading Litigators in America” guides. The firm has also been recognized by Chambers USA and named to Vault’s Top 150 Under 150 list. These are independent, research-based rankings distinct from purchased marketing placements. New York does not maintain a board-certification system for business litigation comparable to Texas’s TBLS, so Awesome Attorneys does not apply “specialist” language to any New York business litigation attorney on that basis.
New York Legal Backdrop
Commercial contract disputes in New York generally carry a six-year statute of limitations under CPLR § 213(2), while securities fraud and antitrust claims often involve overlapping state and federal law, including New York’s Donnelly Act (the state antitrust statute) and federal securities regulations. Complex commercial and securities matters are frequently filed in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court, a specialized part designed for high-value business disputes. None of this is legal advice; a specific commercial or securities dispute should be evaluated by a licensed attorney based on the actual facts involved.
Awesome Attorneys Assessment
Cohen & Gresser’s clearest differentiator is genuine, independently verified elite-tier recognition — Chambers, Legal 500 City Elite, Lawdragon, and Vault rankings that collectively reflect sustained peer and client research rather than self-promotion — delivered at a scale small enough to avoid the largest firms’ overhead. The honest trade-off is that Awesome Attorneys could not locate a published, itemized outcomes record specific to individual matters, and the firm’s commercial litigation practice represents both plaintiffs and defendants depending on the matter, which prospective clients should understand going in given potential conflicts considerations. For a business, financial institution, or individual facing high-stakes commercial, securities, or white-collar litigation who wants a firm with genuinely elite, independently verified recognition, that combination is a reasonable basis for a shortlist.
Methodology and Sourcing
This profile was researched from Cohen & Gresser’s own website, including its New York office page and news releases documenting its Chambers, Legal 500, Lawdragon, and Vault recognitions, and Wikipedia’s summary of the firm’s founding and history.
Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice
Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Cohen & Gresser LLP prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys does not endorse, recommend, or warrant any profiled firm, and inclusion in this directory is not a paid placement. “Awesome Attorneys” is a brand name only and does not constitute a rating or ranking claim. Facts stated are current only as of this profile’s research date.
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