Vincent H. Cohen Jr.

Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. is a Global Managing Partner of Dechert and a member of the leadership team responsible for setting strategic priorities and driving the firm’s commitment to our work, our clients and our community. He is also a member of the Policy Committee, which consists of 14 elected partners who oversee management of the firm worldwide. Mr. Cohen’s efforts in these areas continue to position Dechert as a leading global law firm advising asset managers, financial institutions and corporations on issues critical to managing their business and their capital – from high-stakes litigation to complex transactions and regulatory matters.

In addition to Mr. Cohen’s elevation to Global Managing Partner, he continues to serve as Regional Chair of the U.S. white collar practice and focuses his practice on high-stakes litigation on behalf of individuals and corporations. As an experienced trial lawyer and investigator, he represents clients in sensitive government and internal investigations, government enforcement matters, congressional investigations, and complex civil and criminal litigation on a domestic and international scale.

Mr. Cohen’s experience includes defending companies and individuals in investigations and prosecutions relating to anti-bribery and anti-corruption matters, insider trading and market manipulation, fraud and anti-money laundering. Mr. Cohen also possesses extensive experience in defending government contractors and their affiliates during government investigations under the False Claims Act, as well as in related government and whistleblower litigation, including qui tam actions. In addition, he represents companies and individuals in high-profile congressional investigations and hearings with significant legal, political, and public relations implications. He adeptly guides companies and executives in responding to formal and informal inquiries from Congress and executive branch agencies, providing crucial support for documentproduction, information gathering, and testimony. 

He works together with clients to respond to domestic and cross-border investigations and proceedings in a coordinated fashion. As the former acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, he provides in-depth knowledge of global regulatory authorities and frequently represents clients before the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as state attorneys general, state and local prosecutors, and other government and regulatory bodies. This level of expertise enables Mr. Cohen to navigate highly complex and sensitive matters. In addition, Mr. Cohen supports clients in managing investigations relating to cybersecurity breaches, working closely with government authorities to minimize exposure.

In 2021, Mr. Cohen was appointed by the D.C. Bar Board of Governors to the District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Commission (JNC) for a six-year term. The commission screens, selects, and recommends to the President of the United States candidates for appointment to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. The JNC also appoints the chief judges for both courts. This position enables Mr. Cohen to continue his long history of service to his native Washington, D.C. and broader legal community. In 2023, Mr. Cohen was invited to join the African American Managing Partners Network (AAMP). Formed in 2010, the AAMP combines the talents and experiences of over 40 African-American attorneys in the U.S. who either currently manage or have managed an AmLaw 200 law firm or one of its offices. AAMP’s members are dedicated to increasing opportunities for African-American lawyers and assisting corporations and other businesses in their efforts to increase diversity and inclusion within their staffs and the outside counsel they retain.

Prior to leading the largest U.S. Attorney’s Office in the nation, Mr. Cohen served as the Office’s Principal Assistant United States Attorney for five years. During his tenure, he oversaw the investigation and prosecution of cases involving a wide variety of federal crimes, including terrorism, financial and health care fraud, homicide, public corruption, money laundering and cyber-security. He helped establish and expand the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Cyber Unit to prosecute cross border cyber-crimes such as cyber frauds committed against multinational corporations, and insider trading schemes that obtained confidential information through cyber breaches. Mr. Cohen’s experience as a federal prosecutor also includes work on high-profile national security trials, leading an internal task force committed to prosecuting federal public corruption matters, and working in partnership with federal and local law enforcement agencies to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. While serving as acting U.S. Attorney, Mr. Cohen was appointed by Attorney General Loretta Lynch as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, a small group of U.S. Attorneys from across the country who provide advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management and operational issues. Mr. Cohen also previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Criminal and Civil Divisions.

Throughout his career, Mr. Cohen has been consistently recognized for his professional accomplishments. He is regularly quoted by leading legal publications and periodicals, such as The American Lawyer, The National Law Journal, Legal Cheek, Law360 and Global Competition Review, and his articles have been published in The National Law Journal and The Law Society Gazette. He continues to be recognized by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer in the area of White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations for the District of Columbia and is listed by Legal 500 US for Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense.

Clients recognize him as “the consummate professional” and note that he is “very bright and pragmatic with his advice” (Chambers USA 2022). Mr. Cohen was selected for inclusion in Martindale-Hubbell’s 2022 AV Preeminent Attorney - Judicial Edition and was named one of Washington, DC’s "Top Lawyers" for Criminal Defense-White Collar 2024 by Washingtonian. In 2020, he was named one of Profiles in Diversity Journal’s first-ever “Black Leaders Worth Watching”, along with “Working Dad of the Year” by Working Mother Magazine. He was named a “Rainmaker” by MCCA in 2019 for being an exceptional diverse attorney whose business acumen, passion and dedication to proactive client development set him apart as a leader in the legal profession. Since 2018, he has been named one of the 500 “Leading Lawyers in America” by Lawdragon. In 2018 and again in 2022, he was listed as one of Savoy Magazine’s “Most Influential Black Lawyers.” Mr. Cohen was honored with the 2018 Diversity Leader Award by Profiles in Diversity Journal for his commitment to diversity. The award series honors companies and individuals who create, develop and promote programs that support diversity and inclusion.

Mr. Cohen serves as an instructor teaching trial advocacy at Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop and is a frequent lecturer at Syracuse University, Georgetown University and Harvard law schools. He has served as General Counsel and remains an active member of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. (Greater Washington), an organization focused on improving the quality of life of minority youth in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area through programs focusing on health and wellness, economic empowerment, education, and mentoring.