Mark Cohen is an AV-rated lawyer in Boulder, Colorado, who serves clients in the Denver/Boulder area and throughout Colorado. Mark was selected as a Super Lawyer in Business Litigation and as one of the best real estate lawyers in Denver. Mr. Cohen's philosophy is simple - Start Early. Work Hard. Finish.®
Mr. Cohen has a passion for drafting and reviewing documents, and helping clients resolve disputes arising out of all types of legal documents. He believes the distinction between litigation and transactional work is often artificial. Business litigation and real estate litigation are almost always the result of poor drafting, insufficient investigation, or an incomplete negotiation. He prefers Plain English over "Legalese" and believes the use of Plain English in business and law lowers costs, improves productivity, increases credibility, and reduces misunderstandings.
Mr. Cohen is also a proven litigator and trial lawyer. In 2012 he won a 4.2 million dollar verdict in a breach of contract case that included nearly two million dollars in punitive damages. His philosophy and experience enable him to facilitate transactions today that are least likely to become lawsuits tomorrow. He is a highly respected business lawyer.
Mr. Cohen grew up in Denver. He earned his BA in economics at Whitman College 1980, then returned to Colorado and received his law degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1983. He earned his Masters in Law (LL.M.) in agricultural and food law from the University of Arkansas in 2014, where he also taught advanced legal writing. From 1983 to 1987 Mr. Cohen served as a Judge Advocate in the U.S. Air Force. He also served two years as a Special Asst. U.S. Attorney in Nebraska. In 1986, he won the American Bar Association's Outstanding Young Military Service Lawyer award.
From 1987-1995 Mr. Cohen practiced law in Nebraska, where he represented an agricultural lender in collection and bankruptcy matters throughout the state. He also successfully represented defendants in several high profile criminal cases. In thirty-seven years as a trial lawyer Mr. Cohen has conducted more than 100 jury trials. He has served as an on-demand military law expert for MSNBC.
Mr. Cohen and his family returned to the Denver area in 1995. He served as a Prosecuting Attorney for the Denver suburb of Westminster for seven years, and served as Interim Municipal Judge for the City of Boulder for eighteen months. He served as Municipal Judge for the Town of Lochbuie for more than ten y ears, portions of which are in Adams County and portions of which are in Weld County. He also served on the Executive Board of the Colorado Municipal League in Denver. He served as an elected member of his town's Board of Trustees and on his town's Board of Zoning Adjustment. He has tremendous experience in all aspects of local government.
Mr. Cohen lived in Nederland, Colorado for more than twenty years, and is well-versed in issues that often arise with mountain real estate, including easements, boundary disputes, and adverse possession. He has given presentations on easement law to the Colorado Bar Association and at the Rocky Mountain Surveyors Summit.
Because of his diverse background, Mr. Cohen has experience in many areas of the law, but his practices emphasizes commercial law, real estate law, contract law, and related litigation.
An accomplished writer, Mr. Cohen has authored six articles in the prestigious American Jurisprudence Proof of Facts series, including the primary article on piercing the corporate veil. He wrote several articles published in The Colorado Lawyer and an article on equipment leasing for Rocky Mountain Construction. One of his interests is the use of "Plain English" rather than legal jargon in legal writing. He founded The Plain English Institute, a nonprofit that promotes plain English.
Mr. Cohen served six years on the Board of Editors of The Colorado Lawyer (Chairperson 2012-2013), and now serves as editor of that magazine's contract law column. Mr. Cohen also wrote two mysteries published by Time/Warner. His first mystery, The Fractal Murders, was a Book Sense mystery selection and a finalist for the Colorado Book Award. The sequel, Bluetick Revenge, won widespread praise from well-known authors, including Kinky Friedman, Stephen White, and Margaret Coel. He won 2nd Prize in the 2004 National Legal Fiction Writing Competition.
Mr. Cohen is a member of the Board of Directors of and a volunteer instructor for DART, Inc., a non-profit that offers training in preventing and responding to workplace violence, and with that background he drafts and reviews workplace violence policies. He holds a black belt in shudokan karate.
Mr. Cohen is a witty CLE speaker and prolific writer. His paper, HOW TO DRAFT A BAD CONTRACT, was praised by Harvard's Steven Pinker as "Simply brilliant." He speaks frequently on topics that include contract drafting, plain English, easements, and piercing the corporate veil.
http://www.cohenslaw.com
Practice areas
Drafting concise legal documents in Plain English with an eye toward preventing the transactions of today from becoming the lawsuits of tomorrow. Most business and real estate lawsuits are the result of a document that is ambiguous or failed to consider an issue that might arise.
Business litigation, injury litigation, intellectual property litigation, real estate litigation, general litigation, trials, arbitration hearings. In 2012, Mr. Cohen won a 4.2 million verdict in an interference with contract case.
General business transactions and litigation. We have special expertise in corporate veil litigation. We also represent several nationally known nonprofits and trade associations. Business formation. Business documents. Contract drafting and review.
Real Estate Transactions and Litigation; Drafting Documents; Review Documents; Easement and Access Disputes; Adverse Possession; Commission Disputes; Commercial Leases.
All aspects of Agricultural Law.
Commercial Law Practice, business to business dealings, Uniform Commercial Code.
Advising new businessess on choice of entity and guiding them on all business issues.
Trademarks, copyright, unfair competition, litigation, trade secrets, trade dress, trade values, noncompete agreements, confidentiality agreements. TRIALS
Mark Cohen, J.D., LL.M.
Box 19192
Boulder, CO, 80308
State | Status | Acquired | Updated |
---|---|---|---|
CO | Active | 1983 | 03/05/2022 |
Award name | Grantor | Date Granted |
---|---|---|
BOARD OF EDITORS OF THE COLORADO LAWYER (Chairperson 2013) | PRESIDENT OF THE COLORADO BAR ASSN | 2009 |
Community Service Champion (with other Board members) | Town of Nederland | 2004 |
Certificate of Service | Colorado Municipal League | 2002 |
Meritorious Service Medal | U.S. Air Force | 1987 |
Outstanding Young Military Service Lawyer Award | American Bar Association | 1986 |
Air Force Achievement Medal | U.S. Air Force | 1985 |
Title | Company name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Lawyer | Mark Cohen, J.D., LL.M. | 2003 - Present |
Adjunct Professor - Legal Writing | Univ. of Arkansas School of Law | 2013 - 2014 |
Municipal Judge | City of Boulder | 2001 - 2002 |
Prosecuting Attorney | City of Westminster | 1996 - 2003 |
Founding Partner | Cohen Vacanti Higgins & Shattuck | 1990 - 1995 |
Special Asst. U.S. Attorney | United States Dept. of Justice | 1985 - 1987 |
Assistant Staff Judge Advocate | U.S. Air Force | 1983 - 1987 |
Association name | Position name | Duration |
---|---|---|
Institute for General Semantics | Member | 1995 - Present |
Colorado Bar Association | Member | N/A |
Colorado Bar Association, Agricultural and Rural Law Section | Member | N/A |
Boulder County Bar Association | Member | N/A |
Federal Bar Association | Member | N/A |
Colorado Municipal Judges Association | Member | N/A |
Publication name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
The Colorado Lawyer | To Be or Not to Be: Using E-Prime to Improve Legal Writing | 2017 |
The Colorado Lawyer | Book Review: Avoiding Bad Depositions | 2016 |
The Colorado Lawyer | Book Review: FTC Practice and Procedure Manual | 2015 |
The Colorado Lawyer | How to Draft a Bad Contract | 2015 |
Boulder County Bar Newsletter | Plain English: The Basics | 2012 |
The Colorado Lawyer | Book Review: Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please: The Case for Plain Language in Business, Government, and Law by Joseph Kimble | 2012 |
Rocky Mountain Construction | 17 Things to Consider Before Signing an Equipment Lease | 2010 |
The Colorado Lawyer | Book Review - Preparing Witnesses: A Practical Guide for Lawyers and Their Clients, (3rd Ed. ) by Daniel I. Small | 2009 |
Causes of Action, 36 COA2d 441 | CAUSE OF ACTION TO ESTABLISH LIABILITY OF CORPORATE DIRECTOR OR OFFICER | 2008 |
Time Warner Mysterious Press | Bluetick Revenge | 2005 |
The Colorado Lawyer | Elements of an Effective Workplace Violence Program | 2004 |
Time Warner Mysterious Press | The Fractal Murders | 2004 |
The Colorado Lawyer | Entrapment by Estoppel | 2002 |
Air Force Law Review | Trial Preparation & Organization | 1987 |
45 PO3d1 | Grounds for Disregarding the Corporate Entity and Piercing the Corporate Veil | N/A |
53 POF3d | Entrapment by Estoppel | N/A |
43 POF 3d 195 | Negligent Operation of Boxing Gym, Martial Arts School, or Similar Establishment, | N/A |
40 POF3d 111 | Negligent Operation of Health Club or Similar Facility | N/A |
37 POF3d 1 | Proof of Negligent Sale, Entrustment, or Storage of Firearm | N/A |
35 POF3d 323 | Entitlement to a Stay or Default Judgment Under The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act | N/A |
School name | Degree | Graduated |
---|---|---|
University of Arkansas School of Law | LL.M. | 2014 |
Air Force Squadron Officers School | 1985 | |
University of Colorado School of Law | JD - Juris Doctor | 1983 |
Whitman College | BA - Bachelor of Arts | 1980 |
University of Nebraska | N/A |
Conference name | Title | Date |
---|---|---|
Rossdale CLE | Alter Ego Liability and Piercing the Corporate Veil | 2016 |
MESA CLE WEBINAR | How to Draft a Bad Contract | 2016 |
Colorado Bar Assn CLE | How to Draft a Bad Contract | 2015 |
Boulder County Bar Association, Business Law Section | A Brief History of Piercing the Corporate Veil | 2012 |
Boulder County Bar Association, Business Law Section | A Brief History of Piercing the Corporate Veil | 2008 |
National Association of Certified Home Inspectors Convention | An: Ounce of Prevention: How Home Inspectors can Minimize the Risk of Claims | 2007 |
National Association of Certified Home Inspectors Convention | An: Ounce of Prevention: How Home Inspectors can Minimize the Risk of Claims | 2006 |
Speaking Engagement | Prosecuting in a High Volume Court | 2002 |
Lorman Business Seminar | Collection Law | 1994 |
A Civilian Attorney's View Of The Military Justice System | A Civilian Attorney's View Of The Military Justice System | 1994 |
Family Law Seminar | The Soldiers' & Sailors' Civil Relief Act | 1991 |
Case name | Outcome |
---|---|
Optimus, Inc. v Synergetics, Inc. et. al. | Court award of 4.2 million dollars to our client, including punitive damages |
Bruce v Helmick and Trescott | Court ruled for Plaintiff |
Seitz v Freshwater Publishing | Defendants not liable under veil piercing theory |
Woods v Vail Lizard, LLC et al | Significant Settlement in Slip & Fall Head Injury |
Fireridge Investments, LLC v Bramley | Verdict for Plaintiff |
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Richard Gee, Litigation Attorney on Jul 24, 2013
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
I endorse this lawyer.
Karen Walker, Business Attorney on Sep 17, 2012
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
Mark is a dedicated advocate for his clients. I have no hesitation endorsing this lawyer.
Richard Gee, Litigation Attorney on Jul 24, 2013
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
I endorse this lawyer.
Karen Walker, Business Attorney on Sep 17, 2012
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
Mark is a dedicated advocate for his clients. I have no hesitation endorsing this lawyer.
Jeffrey Cohen, Intellectual property Attorney on Jul 10, 2009
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
I have referred many clients to Mark over the years for various legal services such as intellectual property matters, contacts, litigation, and real estate matters. Mark has always been very responsive and has provided excellent legal services to my clients. I continue to refer clients to Mark and recommend anyone who has a need for the legal services he provides to contact Mark.
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