Jeffrey Michael Cohen

Jeffrey Michael Cohen specializes in trials and appeals of matters involving insurance coverage, insurance bad faith, and complex commercial disputes. He has tried more than 100 jury trials as first chair and argued more than 100 appeals in the Florida Supreme Court and Florida's District Courts of Appeal.

Jeff's practice spans insurance-related matters, including insurance coverage, bad faith litigation, and the defense of insureds at the request of their carriers; the representation of financial institutions in asset recovery, loan workouts, and the defense of lender liability claims; real property disputes, including easements, title issues, foreclosures, and specific performance; professional liability and medical-related matters; litigated disputes related to probate, trust, guardianship, and fiduciaries; and business torts and commercial disputes.

Jeff has been board certified as an expert in civil trial law by the Florida Bar since 1983 and was among the first group of Florida lawyers to receive that recognition.

Jeff has published and lectured on matters pertaining to insurance law, commercial litigation, and trial advocacy. He has been an adjunct professor of trial skills at the University of Miami School of Law for more than 30 years and a faculty member of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. He is also an adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University College of Law, where he teaches Intensive Trial Advocacy and Advanced Intensive Trial Advocacy.

Speaking Engagements

"Advanced Trial Advocacy," The Florida Bar Trial Lawyers Section and the University of Florida College of Law (2006–present)

"The Bad Faith Trial From Complaint to Verdict," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ (March 4, 2017)

"Spring Break Trial Clinic," University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, FL (March 2017)

"Making It All Go Away: How to Settle the Contested Coverage Case," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ (March 3, 2016)

"The Right and Duty to Settle: Bad Faith and Negligence Exposure Associated With Third-Party Claim Handling," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ (March 5, 2015)

"Success in Insurance Coverage Mediation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ (March 7, 2014)

"Expert Witnesses: Can't Live With 'Em, Can't Live Without 'Em," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ (March 1, 2013)

"The Perfect 10: Invaluable Tips for Litigating Your Insurance Coverage Case," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ (March 1–3, 2012)

"Institutional Bad Faith: Putting the Insurer's Practices and Procedures on Trial," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference (2011)

"The Bad Faith Set-Up: Doin' It and Dodgin' It," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference (2009)

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"Oops! Loss of Coverage for Failure of Policy Conditions," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference (2008)

"Cross Examination and Impeachment," Advanced Evidence CLE Seminar, The Florida Bar (2007)

"Honesty Is the Best Policy [If There's Money in It]: Fraud, Misrepresentation and Collusion in the Insurance Context," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference (2007)

"Recovery of Extra-Contractual (consequential) Damages in First-Party Bad Faith Cases," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference (2006)

"Anatomy of the Board of Legal Specialization and Education," concerning the history and future of certification of legal experts, American Bar Association National Roundtable on Legal Specialization (2005)

"Declaratory Relief: The Antidote for Bad Faith," American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee Annual Conference (2005)

"Relationship Between Fidelity Bonds, Directors and Officers Policies, and Errors and Omissions Policies," Fidelity Law Association Annual Meeting (2003)

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Blog Posts

Honors & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America (2005–2027)

Top Lawyers, South Florida Legal Guide (2021–2022)

Florida Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2006–2018)

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Professional & Community Involvement

Jeff is a member of the American Bar Association, where he is a past chair of the Bad Faith Subcommittee of the Litigation Section's Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee. He is active in the Florida Bar, where he served multiple terms as chair of the Board of Legal Specialization and Education, the Civil Trial Law Certification Committee, and local grievance committees. He received the Florida Bar President's Award for his service on the bar's Special Committee for the Review of Professionalism in Florida. He is also a past director of the Miami-Dade Bar, where he has chaired its Professional Arbitration Committee and Judicial Poll Committee.

Jeff has spent his career in the courtroom and teaching others to succeed there. He began in public service as a public defender and prosecutor in Miami-Dade County and was later appointed by the governor to roles focused on public corruption and ethics in government. He has taught trial advocacy for decades, from Miami to Oxford. His pro bono work includes arguing the successful challenge to Florida's ban on same-sex marriage, after which the judge married two of his clients, the first same-sex couple married in Florida.