Joel E. Cohen - Corporate Recovery Services and Commercial Litigation Expert

Q&A With Joel

Your areas of expertise cover the spectrums of litigation, insolvency, and investigations. In a nutshell, and in your own words, how would describe your practice?

My practice is unique, as it is split into two segments. One side is insolvency related: restructuring and corporate recovery, in which I help distressed clients, fiduciaries, and regulators work through events of fraud, financial trouble, wind-downs, and restructuring. This occurs through international and foreign proceedings, U.S. bankruptcy, receiverships, monitorships or alternatives, and out-of-court restructurings. The other half of my practice focuses on litigation support, providing consulting and testimony on damage calculations, asset tracing, forensic reviews, fraud investigations, industry custom and practice, misappropriation of assets, and general financial matters.

What types of clients do you work with?

My main area of focus is on private investment funds, but inevitably this lends itself to the underlying assets, which can be various forms of corporate entities. When dealing with U.S. bankruptcy or cross-border insolvency issues, I am often called up on for general restructuring advisory consultation with the assistance of my industry-specific colleagues. The key decision makers of these clients are the General Counsel and external counsel (Corporate Counsel and Litigators). Once a proceeding is in place, be it litigation or insolvency, I will work closely with the court, judge, and fiduciary, such as a Trustee, Liquidator, or Receiver. Similarly, I often work at the behest of a government or regulatory body.

How do you provide value to your clients?

I can swiftly assess a situation, the risk factors, and ramifications of an adverse event or event of fraud. I provide trusted guidance and assemble a team of industry or fact-specific experts to collaborate in order to solve the necessary problems.

What makes you particularly qualified as an expert in your fields?

I am focused and have been dedicated only to forensic investigations, litigation, and insolvency support for over 20 years. I have also lived and worked through many complex matters, many of which occurred in the backdrop of post-9/11, the 2008 credit crisis, political manipulation, global financial crimes, and more.

What about litigation and investigations interests you the most?

Every case is different, and you are constantly pulling from your expertise to solve the same problems with special nuances or new problems with similar aspects of deceit and detection. I also love working with financial modeling and calculations that have a purpose of solving a problem. Litigation support and investigations requires teamwork at its highest caliber, and I love pulling the best out of my colleagues’ areas of expertise and being pushed to provide mine.

What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

Successful returns for investors and creditors where the consensus was that there would be none. Taking Stout’s New York Office to its rightful place in the New York market as a leader in professional services. It is the toughest and most competitive market in the world, and we are doing it together with grace, friendliness and enjoyment.

What are the biggest lessons you have learned in your career? What guidance would you give to people early in their career that are pursuing a similar career path?

You are never too old to learn. To this day, there are some valuable takeaways from every single case I work on and from every colleague I partner with, be it senior partners at the same level or those just starting out in their career. The other key component to this career in my opinion is mentoring — finding a few key people to trust and count on every step of the way. I could not have faced the biggest challenges in my career without my mentors.

Your background includes experience related to the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. How do you view that experience in relation to rumors of impending recessions today?

It 100% influences every corporate recovery and insolvency matter I work on, as these companies faced distress in an unprecedented way. The “global” aspect of the 2008 crisis was also the first of its kind we had seen. Now, we are more international than ever, with information flowing faster than ever and something like this, should it take hold, will do so more swiftly than ever before.

If you could work from anywhere, indefinitely, where would it be?

Right here in the greatest city in the world, New York City. New York is the center of the financial universe!

What interests do you have outside of work?

Long runs, surfing, and ocean paddle boarding, as well as teaching and tutoring for Hebrew and Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation. I’m also an avid music fan and live music enthusiast, and I enjoy mentoring and being a National Commissioner and Board Member of ADL, a civil rights organization.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Tacos!