Michael Carl Cohen

Biography

Michael Cohen concentrates his practice on a broad range of corporate, real estate, and other business transactions, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, private equity, general outside counsel representation, real estate transactions, and executive compensation arrangements.

Michael’s corporate practice includes the representation of sellers and buyers in public and private merger and acquisition transactions, as well as general representation of well-established companies as outside general counsel, including privately-held companies and emerging growth companies. In addition, he represents companies, including foundations, in equity financing and investment transactions, venture capital and private equity transactions, and executive compensation and employment-related matters.

Michael’s industry experience includes branded apparel and consumer products; automotive; cable television; print media (newspapers); professional service companies (including the country’s largest executive recruitment firm); oil, gas, ethanol, and mining investments and joint ventures; technology; real estate; hotels and resorts; and professional sports (including professional motorsport racing).

Real estate is also a significant area of practice for Michael, including substantial experience in a variety of transactions such as complex acquisition and disposition transactions; real estate development partnerships and joint ventures; construction projects; leasing arrangements; and sale-leaseback transactions.

Before he joined Blank Rome in 2016, Michael was a partner and then senior counsel at Morrison & Foerster, and a managing partner and executive committee member of Donovan, Leisure, Newton & Irvine.

Outside the Firm

Michael is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Hot Rod Association (“NHRA”), the largest motorsports racing organization in the world.

Experience

Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Korn Ferry, the leading executive search firm, in its $500 million acquisition of The HayGroup Companies, a worldwide leader in leadership talent and compensation consulting services.
  • Korn Ferry, the leading executive search firm, in its $112.5 million acquisition of various businesses from TwentyEighty, Inc., including Miller Heiman Group, Inc.
  • Alluxa, Inc., in its sale to EnPro Industries, Inc. in a transaction valued at $255 million.
  • Molibdenos y Metales S.A. (“Molymet”), in its $400+ million investments in Molycorp, Inc. (NYSE: MCP), a rare earth minerals mining company.
  • OHS-Compcare, LLC, in the sale of its occupational health and urgent care centers to U.S. HealthWorks.
  • JKC, Inc., in connection with the $1.5 billion dollar acquisition and later disposition of the cable television businesses of McCaw Communications, Rigas Holdings, Falcon Holdings, and others, serving communities in Oregon, Washington, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Southeastern United States.
  • Rea Laccone and Christopher LaPolice, owners of the Vince brand, a women’s apparel designer and manufacturer, in the $400+ million sale of the brand to The Kellwood Company, a NYSE-listed women’s apparel manufacturer.
  • Velvet, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of upscale apparel brands, in the partial sale of its business to the Snow Phipps Group, LLC, a private equity firm.
  • Alleghany Corporation, in connection with its joint venture with Laredo Oil, Inc., formed for the purpose of acquiring mature oil fields and recovering stranded oil from those fields using enhanced oil recovery methods.

Real Property Transactions

  • Alleghany Properties, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Allegheny Corporation, headquartered in Sacramento, California, in connection with various real estate sales and development transactions, including the sale of over 150 parcels of residential and commercial land in Northern California in separate transactions.
  • Alleghany Properties, Inc., in connection with its development of “Natomas Crossing,” a master-planned office, retail, hotel, and residential community located in Northern Sacramento County, California, including the construction of major infrastructure improvements and the sale to date of over 450 residential lots and multifamily sites, accommodating more than 270 apartment units, and three hotel sites.
  • The KBH Company, in its acquisition of the Kapalua Bay Hotel and related resort facilities in Kapalua, Maui, in Hawaii.
  • Santa Monica Hotel Properties, Inc., the developer of “Shutters On The Beach” hotel on Santa Monica Beach, California, in connection with the land acquisition, construction, and financing of this luxury hotel development.

News & Views

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Recognitions

  • 2009–2010, Best Lawyers in America©, Corporate Law

Credentials

Admissions

  • California

Education

  • University of California, Los Angeles, BA
  • Loyola Law School, JD, magna cum laude