Cohen & Grigsby Attorneys Selected for Best Lawyer List

October 10, 2002

PITTSBURGH, PA – Fourteen of Cohen & Grigsby’s attorneys have been included in the 2003-2004 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Those selected for the list include Christopher B. Carson for business, Charles C. Cohen for corporate mergers and acquisitions and securities, Henry C. Cohen for tax law, V. Susanne Cook for international trade and finance, R. Michael Daniel trusts and estates, Robert S. Grigsby for personal injury litigation, E. Donald Ladov for labor and employment, Lawrence M. Lebowitz for immigration law, John E. Lyncheski for labor and employment, Richard R. Nelson, II for business litigation, Hugh W. Nevin, Jr. for corporate mergers and acquisitions and business law, C. Eric Pfeil for trusts and estates, Jonathan M. Schmerling for trusts and estates, and Thomas C. Wettach for intellectual property. The 2003-2004 edition marks the listing of Robert S. Grigsby for 20 consecutive years and both Charles C. Cohen and Hugh W. Nevin, Jr. for 10 consecutive years.

“We are pleased with the recognition this publication provides to our attorneys,” said Jack W. Elliott, the Firm’s executive vice president. “In addition to being excellent attorneys, each of these individuals exemplifies our Firm’s dedication to client service and results.”

Christopher Carson focuses in the areas of general corporate and securities law, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, including auction-based transactions, negotiated acquisitions, takeover counseling, international joint ventures and corporate finance. Mr. Carson earned his B.A. (cum laude, Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Society) from Dickinson College in 1982 and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1985. Mr. Carson resides in Mt. Lebanon, PA.

Charles C. Cohen is a founder and chairman of Cohen & Grigsby and concentrates his practice in public and private capital formation and financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance matters. Mr. Cohen is also a law professor, arbitrator and lecturer, who has been quoted in professional journals, newspapers and magazine articles. He is a Board member of several companies and nonprofit organizations. Mr. Cohen earned his A.B. (with distinction) from Dartmouth College in 1962 and J.D. (with distinction) from the University of Michigan Law School in 1965. Mr. Cohen resides in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh, PA.

Henry Cohen is a business and tax attorney who concentrates his practice in the areas of individual and corporate income taxation (including extensive experience in compensation planning and business ownership transfer transactions), mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations and estate planning. He serves as the Firm’s Vice President, Florida Practice. Mr. Cohen is a Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania and Ohio (inactive). He earned a B.S. from Miami University in 1967 and J.D. from Cornell University in 1971. He is licensed to practice law in Florida and, together with Mr. Hugh Nevin, opened the Firm’s office in Naples, Florida where he advises U.S. and foreign businesses and individuals, primarily Germans and Canadians as to U.S. estate, gift and income tax. Mr. Cohen resides in Nevillewood, PA and Bonita Springs, FL.

Susanne Cook, who also chairs the firm’s Website Committee, focuses her practice on counseling companies on international and domestic business transactions, joint ventures, customs, export and licensing matters. Susanne received her B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1977 and her J.D. (Order of the Coif; member, Law Review), from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1988. Fluent in German, Ms. Cook is an adjunct professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s Translation Department, an adjunct professor in Duquesne University’s MBA Program, a board member of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law Center for International Legal Education, a member of the Advisory Board for the Duquesne Center for European Technical Standards, a technical advisor to the Regional Export Assistance Network of the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission, and teaches Legal and Tax – Understanding the Basics at the Global Trade Institute of Pennsylvania, of which she is also the founder. Ms. Cook resides in Edgewood, PA.

Michael Daniel concentrates his practice in family business planning, income tax planning, estate planning, charitable planning and estate administration, including administration of highly complicated estates. His practice also involves valuation of diverse holdings of closely held interests, lifetime and testamentary distribution to family members and the resulting tax treatments, establishing private foundations and organizing family charitable offices, and federal and state level tax audits. A retired Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, he is a past chair of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and a past president of the Greater Pittsburgh Council, Boy Scouts of America. Mike earned an A.B. in 1968 and a J.D. in 1971 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He resides in Upper St. Clair, PA.

Robert Grigsby has more than 40 years of experience and is a trial lawyer actively engaged in civil litigation and a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Grigsby is a prolific speaker on the topics of evidence, trial tactics, product liability, medical malpractice and in programs sponsored by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. He has been extensively quoted in professional journals, newspapers and magazine articles, both nationally and regionally. He was a Judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, 1978-79. He earned his B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1950 and L.L.B. from Duquesne University School of Law in 1955. Mr. Grigsby resides in Sewickley, PA.

Donald Ladov chairs the firm’s Labor and Employment Group. He is a labor lawyer exclusively representing management in all areas of labor/employment law both in the private and public sectors and chairs the Labor and Employment Group. Mr. Ladov has regularly practiced before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance and many other regulatory agencies. Mr. Ladov is also a prolific speaker on a wide variety of topics involving human resources and labor and employment law. He earned his B.A. (Labor Studies) from the Pennsylvania State University in 1970 and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1973. Mr. Ladov resides in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh, PA.

Lawrence Lebowitz is the head of the Immigration Group and focuses his practice on business immigration, representing both public and private employers in securing temporary and permanent visas for foreign national employees. Mr. Lebowitz is also Cohen & Grigsby’s Vice President of Marketing. He earned a B.A. (magna cum laude) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984 and J.D. (cum laude, Order of the Coif) from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1987. Mr. Lebowitz, who is an adjunct professor (teaching the Immigration Law course) at the University of Pittsburgh Law School, resides in Mt. Lebanon, PA.

John Lyncheski chairs the Healthcare Practice Group and is the senior member of the Labor & Employment Group. Mr. Lyncheski is licensed in Pennsylvania and Florida and has more than 30 years’ experience in management labor relations law. One of the founding members of Cohen & Grigsby, P.C.c Mr. Lyncheski counsels and represents private and public sector management on labor board proceedings, negotiations, personnel decisions, mergers, acquisitions, consolidations and divestitures, discrimination claims, employee and union litigation and advises clients in labor disputes and resistance of union organizational efforts. Besides having a prominent history as a national public speaker, Mr. Lyncheski has authored numerous regional and national articles on labor and employment law topics. He is chair of the American Health Lawyers Association’s Labor and Employment Practice Group and a member of the Assisted Living Federation of America’s Legal Advisory Committee. He earned his B.A. from Cornell University in 1967 and J.D. (cum laude, Order of the Coif and Law Review) from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1970. He resides in Hanover Township, PA.

Richard (“Chip”) R. Nelson, II is a founder and is the president of Cohen & Grigsby. He formerly served as head of the Firm's litigation group. Mr. Nelson concentrates his practice in complex business litigation with an emphasis on securities litigation and the defense of accounting firms. Mr. Nelson has more than 23 years’ experience, and he is a member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. He regularly conducts seminars on matters pertaining to financial statement and accounting litigation. Mr. Nelson earned a B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude) in Political Science from The Pennsylvania State University in 1976, and a J.D. (with honors, Order of the Barristers) from the University of North Carolina in 1979. He resides in Oakmont, and he currently is the president of the Longue Vue Club, where is has served on the Board of Governors for nearly ten years. Mr. Nelson resides in Oakmont, PA.

Hugh Nevin is a founder and former president of Cohen & Grigsby and concentrates his practice in international tax, mergers and acquisitions, and business law. Mr. Nevin, who is fluent in German, focuses a substantial part of his practice in advising foreign enterprises and individuals investing and conducting their businesses in the United States and U.S. companies doing business abroad. He has also handled securing temporary and permanent visas and labor certifications for foreign nationals. He earned a B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude) from Harvard College in 1968, a Rotary International Fellowship from Freie Universitat Berlin in 1971, and a J.D. (cum laude) from Harvard Law School in 1974. Mr. Nevin is licensed to practice law in Florida and, together with Mr. Henry Cohen, opened the Firm’s office in Naples, Florida where he advises foreign individuals, primarily Germans and Canadians, as to U.S. estate, gift and income tax. Mr. Nevin resides in Sewickley, PA.

Eric Pfeil concentrates his practice in business law, probate law, estate planning, and estate, gift and individual taxation. He earned his B.A. from Washington & Jefferson College (Omicron-Delta Epsilon, Economics Honorary) in 1982 and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1985. He resides in Mt. Lebanon, PA.

Jonathan Schmerling focuses his practice on representing and advising individuals in income, gift, estate, and charitable tax planning matters. He also has extensive experience in estate and trust administration and the resolution of various tax and nontax issues that arise in the administration of estates and trusts. Jon is a frequent speaker and moderator for estate and tax planning seminars of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He is chair of the Legislative Committee of the Probate Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a member of the Estate Planning Council of Pittsburgh. Jon earned an A.B. from the University if Michigan in 1977 and a J.D. (Staff Member and Student Writing Editor, Vanderbilt Law Review) from the Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1980. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York. He resides in Mt. Lebanon, PA.

Thomas Wettach chairs the firm’s Intellectual Property Group and focuses his practice on intellectual property advice and litigation. He counsels manufacturing and advanced technology companies on technology protection and solutions for related legal issues. In addition to his patent, trademark, copyright infringement, unfair competition and trade secret litigation practices, a substantial amount of his work concentrates on licensing all forms of intellectual property, as well as protecting trade secrets and confidential technology. Mr. Wettach earned a B.A. in Physics from Washington & Jefferson College in 1963 and a J.D. (with honors, Order of the Coif and Research Editor, North Carolina Law Review) from the University of North Carolina in 1966. He resides in Thornburg, PA.

The current listing is the result of the tenth survey undertaken by Woodward/White, Inc. To compile the current database, lawyers throughout the United States were asked to rate the clinical abilities of other lawyers in other areas of specialization. Only those attorneys who earned the consensus support of their peers were included, and listings cannot be bought. Inclusion in the Best Lawyers list is considered to be a singular honor for the profession.