Howard D Cohen

Mr. Cohen has been a Certified Civil Trial Attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court for over 27 years. Mr. Cohen also served as a Master in the Mercer County American Inn of Court. A highly experienced trial lawyer, Mr. Cohen practices in the state and federal courts in diverse complex litigation, including corporate, commercial, environmental, intellectual property, real estate, probate, family, land use, and public sector matters. 

As special counsel to numerousNew Jerseymunicipalities, Mr. Cohen provides counsel in complex land use issues and defends them in litigation. His statewide recognized achievements include successful defense of the Township of Bedminster's R-10 Rural Residential Zoning District in the landmark case of F.M. Kirby v. Township Committee of Bedminster, 341 N.J. Super. 276 (App. Div. 2000), successful defense of the Township of East Amwell’s Amwell Valley Agricultural Zoning District in the landmark decision of New Jersey Farm Bureau, et al. and Princeton Research Lands v. Township of East Amwell, 380 N.J. Super. 325 (App. Div. 2005) certif. den. 185 N.J. 596 (2005), Lackland and Lackland v.TownshipofReadington, Docket No. SOM-L-344-03, aff’d by Appellate Division, Docket No.: A-2190-05T1/A-2341-05T1(2008), andWilsonandGreenwoodet al. vs.TownshipofHopewell, Docket Nos. MER-L-3597-01 and MER-L-3594-01, aff’d Appellate Division A-1910-06T2 (2009) certif. den. 194 N.J. 443(2008).

The American Planning Association retained Mr. Cohen to file an amicus curiae brief and argue before the New Jersey Supreme Court in its first re-examination of the Mt. Laurel II doctrine in 18 years in Toll Brothers v. West Windsor Township, 173 N.J. 502 (2002). Mr. Cohen lectured on that subject at the American Planning Association's annual meeting inChicago.

Prior to joining Parker McCay, Mr. Cohen was a partner in Stern Greenberg & Kilcullen from 1991-2002, and a partner in Gutkin Miller Shapiro & Selesner from 1978-1991. He was associated with Sills Beck Cummis Radin & Tischman (now Sills Cummis) from 1975-1978, and trained under the late Honorable Arthur J. Sills, former Attorney General of the State ofNew Jersey. He was law secretary to the late Honorable Leon Gerofsky, Assignment Judge, Superior Court of New Jersey, Middlesex County and his successor, the late John C. Demos, Assignment Judge from 1974-1975.