Richard Cohen, a founding partner of Goldberg Segalla, has been the firm’s managing partner since its inception and has led its dynamic growth from a team of seven attorneys into one of the largest law firms headquartered in the United States. Rick oversees all of the firm’s operations across its more than 20-office footprint, and is responsible for developing and implementing the firm’s strategic direction, driving its geographic expansion, and cultivating leadership within the firm and throughout the greater business community. He plays a primary, active role in the recruitment of all lawyers and administrative leaders firm-wide, equipping Team GS with high-caliber professionals who embody the firm’s core values of collaboration, team-orientation, and extraordinary service.
Rick has served as chair of the firm’s Management and Professional Liability Practice Group and its Global Insurance Services Practice Group, which is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. He is also a member of the firm’s Sports and Entertainment Practice Group. An AV-rated trial lawyer with over 25 years of experience, Rick's practice primarily involves sophisticated insurance coverage and bad faith matters, reinsurance, and D&O and E&O litigation. He is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Connecticut, and North Carolina, including the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits. He is also admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States, and is a registered foreign lawyer in the United Kingdom. Rick splits his time between the firm’s New York City and Buffalo offices.
Rick is very well published, and has lectured across the country and in Canada on a wide range of topics involving insurance coverage, bad faith, reinsurance, E&O and D&O issues, and sports law issues. Among other things, he has several times authored the annual Survey of New York Insurance Law published in the Syracuse University Law Review. He has also written for both Mealey's and Appleman's, including the chapter “Calculating the Amount of Coverage” in New Appleman on Insurance 3d Edition.
Rick is the former national co-chair of the Insurance Company Relations Subcommittee of the 22,000-member Defense Research Institute (DRI), and is the former chair of the National Committee for the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM). He was a CPCU instructor and lecturer for well over a decade. He has on multiple occasions been selected for New York Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and the Legal Elite of Western New York, and is one of a select group of lawyers in the United States inducted into the invitation-only American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel. Rick has also been named by Business First as among the most influential leaders in Western New York.
| State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL | Active And Authorized To Practice Law | 2014 | 03/13/2022 |
| CT | Active | 2013 | 05/16/2022 |
| NC | Active | 2013 | 04/28/2022 |
| NY | Currently registered | 1991 | 02/24/2022 |
| PA | Active | 1989 | 03/15/2022 |
| Legal answers | 0 |
| Legal guides | 0 |
| Award name | Grantor | Date Granted |
|---|---|---|
| Top Rated Lawyer in Litigation | American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell | 2014 |
| Top Rated Lawyer in Insurance Law | American Lawyer Media and Martindale-Hubbell | 2013 |
| Peer Review Rated: AV Preeminent | Martindale-Hubbell | N/A |
| Business First's Power 250, 2016-18 | Business First | N/A |
| Insurance Law, 2014-19 | Best Lawyers in America | N/A |
| Corporate Counsel Edition | Super Lawyers | N/A |
| Upstate New York Super Lawyers, 2007-18 | Super Lawyers | N/A |
| Business First's Legal Elite of Western New York (Insurance) | Business First | N/A |
| Legal Elite of Western New York; Legal Leader, 2013–18 | Business First | N/A |
| Association name | Position name | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Claims and Litigation Management Alliance | Former Chair, National Committee | N/A |
| Defense Research Institute: Insurance Law Committee | Member | N/A |
| Defense Research Institute: Professional Liability Insurance Specialized Litigation Group | Member | N/A |
| American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel | Fellow | N/A |
| International Association of Defense Counsel | Member | N/A |
| American Bar Foundation | Fellow | N/A |
| Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) | Member | N/A |
| SUNY Buffalo School of Law Alumni Association | Member | N/A |
| Defense Research Institute-Law Practice Management Committee | Co-Chair of Programming | 2013 - 2018 |
| Defense Research Institute: Construction Law Committee | Chair, Construction Insurance Coverage Specialized Litigation | 2008 - 2010 |
| Insurance Company Relations Subcommittee | Vice Chair | 2000 - 2004 |
| Life, Health & Disability Insurance Committee | Membership Chair | 2000 - 2002 |
| Publication name | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad, CA | Co-Presenter, "Strategies for Defending General Liability Claims," | 2017 |
| Buffalo Law Journal | Featured in "Goldberg Segalla's Growth Quick Yet Methodical," | 2016 |
| Preparing for and Trying the Civil Lawsuit, 2d Ed., 2016 Rev., New York State Bar Association | Co-Author, “Litigating and Protecting the Insurance Claim,” | 2016 |
| Buffalo Law Journal | Quoted in “Partnership Is the ‘Holy Grail’ for Law Firm Associates,” | 2016 |
| Buffalo Law Journal | Quoted in “Legal Presence Goes Beyond WNY Borders,” | 2015 |
| Law360 | Featured in “New Jersey Powerhouse: Goldberg Segalla LLP,” | 2014 |
| Buffalo Law Journal | Quoted in “The Site of Two Growth-Minded Law Firms,” | 2014 |
| Intelligent Insurer Monte Carlo Edition | Quoted in “A Paradigm Shift,” | 2013 |
| Chartis Legal Insights | Co-Author, “Asset Managers Do Not Owe Fiduciary Duty to Note Holders,” | 2012 |
| CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. | Presenter, “The Additional Insured Illusion,” | 2012 |
| CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. | Presenter, “Emerging Issues,” | 2012 |
| CPCU Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV | Presenter, “Emerging Issues - Information and Insight You Can Bet On!,” | 2011 |
| CPCU Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV | Presenter, “Don't Roll the Dice in Managing Agent and Broker E&O Exposures and Claims - The Lessons You Didn't Learn in E&O Class,” | 2011 |
| New Appleman on Insurance 3d Edition, Chapter 47, LexisNexis | Author, "Calculating the Amount of Coverage," | 2011 |
| Defense Research Institute Construction Law Seminar, Las Vegas, NV | Presenter, "Hypothetically Speaking-Where is the Coverage?" | 2010 |
| CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL | Presenter, "24 Ways to Avoid Getting into Trouble — Best Practices for Managing Agent and Broker E&O Exposures and Claims," | 2010 |
| CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL | Presenter, "Emerging Issues for Today's Insurance Professional," | 2010 |
| CPCU Society's Reinsurance Symposium in Philadelphia, PA | Presenter, “A Close Examination of the Wasa v. Lexington Decision and its Impact on the Reinsurance Market Moving Forward,” | 2010 |
| CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Denver, CO | Presenter, "Electronic Discovery - Don't Let it Zap You," | 2009 |
| CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Denver, CO | Presenter, "Coverage Evaluations and Declaratory Judgment Actions," | 2009 |
| CPCU Society Annual Meeting, Denver, CO | Presenter, "Emerging Issues for Today's Insurance Professional," | 2009 |
| CPCU Society Webinar | Presenter, "Emerging Challenges of Electronically Stored Information and E-Discovery," | 2009 |
| CPCU Society Webinar | Presenter, "Emerging Developments in Insurance Coverages," | 2009 |
| CPCU Society Workshop, June 2008; CPCU Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Presenter, "Coverage Evaluations and Declaratory Judgment Actions, A Practical Tactical Approach," | 2008 |
| NYSBA Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal | Co-Author, "Topps Turns the Lights Out on Cool Papa Bell," | 2008 |
| CPCU Society Workshop, Philadelphia, PA | Presenter, "The Duty to Defend, What Is It and What Does It Really Mean?," | 2008 |
| Mealey's Expert Commentaries | Co-Author, "Insured's Failure to Provide Any Notice of Claim When So Required for Coverage Under the Policy," | 2008 |
| NYSBA Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal | Co-Author, "The Rangers' Gloves are Off in a Digital Tussle with the NHL," | 2008 |
| Mealey's Expert Commentaries | Author, "Cedant's Latitude in Allocating its Defense and Indemnity Obligation Amongst Policies to be Reinsured: The Follow the Settlements Doctrine Examined," | 2008 |
| Canadian Defence Lawyers' National Insurance Coverage Symposium, Toronto, ON | Co-Author and Presenter, "Conflict of Laws in the United States," | 2008 |
| New Appleman's Insurance Law Practice Guide, Matthew Bender & Co., LexisNexis Group | Co-Author, Life Insurance Chapter for the Renowned Insurance Treatise | 2008 |
| DRI: The Voice of the Defense Bar | Co-Author, "When is an Indemnity Agreement Not an Insured Contract? - Contractual Contribution and the Construction Contract Conundrum," | 2007 |
| Insurance Law Practice, New York State Bar Association | Co-Author, "Chapter - Discovery in Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Disputes," | 2006 |
| New York State Bar Association publication | Co-Author, "Construction Site Personal Injury Litigation - New York Law Sections 200, 240(1), 241(6)," | 2006 |
| Insurance Law Practice, Second Edition, New York State Bar Association | Co-Author, "Discovery and Bad Faith Cases," | 2005 |
| Second Edition, New York State Bar Association publication | Contributing Author, "Preparing for and Trying the Civil Lawsuit," | 2004 |
| Canadian Defence Lawyers Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON | Co-Author and Presenter, "Bad Faith - Baloney or Real Beef? (The Lurking Dangers of Bad Faith)," | 2004 |
| DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium, New York, NY | Author and Presenter, "Fishing at Chelsea Piers: Discovery in Coverage and Bad Faith Cases," | 2004 |
| 52 SYR L. Rev. 449 | Co-Author, "2000-2001 Survey of New York Insurance Law," | 2002 |
| ABA Tort and Insurance Practice Section | Contributing Author, "Law and Practice of Insurance Coverage Litigation," | 2002 |
| Defense Research Institute Insurance Coverage and Practice Seminar, New York, NY | Co-Author and Presenter, "The Special Investigation Unit - Determining Fraud Proactively," | 2002 |
| 51 SYR L. Rev. 563 | Co-Author and Editor, "1999-2000 Survey of New York Insurance Law," | 2001 |
| Defense Research Institute Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute, Chicago, IL | Co-Author and Presenter, "New Trends in Declaratory Judgment Actions," | 2001 |
| Defense Research Institute Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium | Co-Author and Co-Presenter, "The Defense Rests . . . But on Whose Shoulders?" | 2000 |
| Choice of Law, West Publications | Contributing Author, "Law and Practice of Insurance Coverage Litigation," | 2000 |
| Defense Research Institute Construction, Surety, and Insurance Seminar, Phoenix, AZ | Author and Presenter, "Shifting the Risk: Anti-subrogation and Additional Insureds," | 1999 |
| Defense Research Institute Library Series | Co-Author, "Insurance Coverage Concerns for the Millennium, The Defense Practitioner's Guide to the Year 2000 Problem," | 1999 |
| Defense Research Institute Library Series | Author, "Allocation of Defense Costs," Understanding Allocation | 1999 |
| For The Defense, Defense Research Institute | Co-Author, "The Innocent Co-Insured: Coverage under the Homeowners Policy," | 1999 |
| Defense Research Institute Insurance Coverage and Practice Seminar | Co-Author and Co-Presenter, "Coverage Minefield or Walk in the Park?," | 1999 |
| Defense Research Institute Excess and Reinsurance Seminar | Author and Presenter, "Controlling the Defense," | 1999 |
| Defense Research Institute, Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium | Author and Presenter, "The Insured's Selection of Defense Counsel," | 1998 |
| Insurance Litigation Reporter | Co-Author, "Direct Actions - Current Developments," | 1998 |
| Construction-Related Insurance Coverage Issues, DRI Annual Monograph | Co-Author, "Anti-Subrogation, Additional Insureds and Other Related Issues," | 1997 |
| New York Department of Insurance Bulletin | Co-Author, "Loading and Unloading — The 'Walton Rule' (updated)," | 1997 |
| TIPS Journal | Co-Author, "The Anti-Subrogation Rule," | 1997 |
| Defense Research Institute, Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium | Co-Author, "Direct Actions: Current Developments (a national perspective)," | 1997 |
| For The Defense, Defense Research Institute | Co-Author, "A Tactical Approach to Declaratory Judgment Actions," | 1996 |
| New York State No-Fault/SUM Arbitration Reporter | Co-Author, "Loading and Unloading — The 'Walton Rule,'" | 1996 |
| Defense Research Institute, Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium | Co-Author, "The Insured's Entitlement to Select Defense Counsel and the Retention and Use of Coverage Counsel," | 1996 |
| Defense Research Institute, Insurance Conference | Co-Author, "Contractual Liability Claims and Additional Insureds," | 1995 |
| Defense Research Institute, Insurance Claims Supervisors National Conference | Co-Author, "Insurance Coverage for Emotional Distress Claims," | 1994 |
| SYR L. Rev. | Co-Author and Editor, "1993-1994 Survey of New York Insurance Law," | 1994 |
| Defense Research Institute, Insurance Claims Supervisors National Conference | Co-Author, "Effectively Preparing Claims Supervisors For Their Deposition and Trial Testimony," | 1993 |
| 44 SYR L. Rev. 723 | Co-Author, "Can The Puzzle Be Solved: Are Punitive Damages Awardable In New York For First-Party Bad Faith?," | 1993 |
| School name | Degree | Graduated |
|---|---|---|
| State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law | JD - Juris Doctor, cum laude | 1989 |
| State University of New York at Buffalo | BS - Bachelor of Science, with distinction | 1986 |
| Conference name | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| DRI Managing Partners and Law Firm Leaders Conference, Chicago, IL | Co-Presenter, "Business of Law" | 2018 |
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