Appellate Attorney – Michael J. Cohen – Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols

Knowing his audience and who he’s playing to is the key in Michael J. Cohen‘s litigation, mediation and appellate practices. Cohen is a shareholder at Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols, where he brings over 35 years of experience litigating and arguing before state and federal courts.

“You have to explain things in a way to make it a level playing field,” Cohen said. “Being an effective communicator in an oral argument is not talking over or under your audience… take a step back and appreciate that the justices or the justice asking the question doesn’t understand how this works, and don’t assume that they do. Go back and help them understand.”

He counsels clients on complex commercial matters including non-competes, breach of contract, business torts, shareholder disputes and environmental matters, including bad faith claims, among other disputes.

Cohen founded his practice based on advice imparted on him as a young lawyer: have high standards and put the best work product out there, and it will sell itself. He firmly maintains that his industry recognition is not his alone, crediting the teams of lawyers and staff that work with him.

Cohen was previously honored in as a 2012 Leader in the Law by the Wisconsin Law Journal.