Cohn Lifland Pearlman Herrmann & Knopf LLP was founded originally in 1924 in Paterson, NJ by David Cohn, as a solo practice. David was the “go-to” lawyer to fight injustice in Paterson. His goal was simple and straightforward: to provide excellent legal service for everyday people and small businesses in Northern New Jersey. In 1954, David was joined by his son, Albert, to form Cohn & Cohn. The practice evolved to focus more on personal injury and family law. In the 1960s, they were joined by Richard Lifland, a workers’ compensation attorney.
In 1972, the firm moved from Paterson to its current location, in Saddle Brook – Park 80 West, at the crossroads of the Garden State Parkway and Route 80 – and the practice expanded to serve business clients as well as individuals. Fifty years ago, Cohn & Cohn was a pioneer with its move into a suburban office building. At the time, the office complex was filled with sales offices of Fortune 500 manufacturers; we are the only remaining original tenant.
Like time, we did not stand still. To accommodate our steady growth, the firm has moved three times within the building. Our current offices are more than three times the size of the original office.
Cohn Lifland was one of the first law firms in New Jersey to bring class action lawsuits in the state on matters concerning shareholders’ rights, consumer rights, product liability and other matters protecting people, which resulted in the establishment of a number of legal precedents.
In 1991, with the addition of younger partners, the firm took its current name – Cohn Lifland Pearlman Herrmann & Knopf LLP. For more than 40 years, the firm was led by Albert Cohn, who until his passing in 2011, was widely recognized as a leader in the New Jersey legal community. Several of our partners have spent their entire legal careers with the firm, having practiced at Cohn Lifland since graduating from law school. We have also expanded with the addition of seasoned attorneys with specific expertise.
In its nearly 100-year history, the firm has grown substantially in breadth and depth. As our practice and clientele have expanded, our reputation and renown have spread far beyond our original base in Paterson. Yet our goal has not wavered from that which David Cohn originally articulated – to provide excellent legal services for everyday people and businesses. Now we are in our third generation of leadership, and as the needs of our clients have evolved, so has the firm to address those needs.
So much has changed over the years, but what remains unchanged is our commitment to legal excellence, personal service, responsiveness and the single-minded dedication to giving our clients the legal counseling and help they need.
