Steve’s practice epitomizes the intersection of law, policy, and journalism – with the realities of politics thrown in for good measure. For 35 years before going to law school, Steve was a successful publishing executive—including at Time and Scholastic—best-selling author, and the CEO of three internet start-ups. Since teaming up with Adam Pollock in 2018, he has learned to bring that unusual background, diversity of experience, and skills to the law.

The result has been pretty extraordinary: recently, on behalf of 250,000 New York City municipal retirees, Steve led the fight against City Hall and two massive insurance companies—which wanted to erode retiree health benefits. The team won both injunctive protection for the retirees and an actual savings of $1.8 billion.

Steve never got the message that “you can’t fight City Hall” and feels very strongly that you have to stand up to bullies. When he and Adam first began talking about creating a firm, they agreed that they wanted to focus on certain types of cases—public impact—and both do good and do well.

After being admitted to the New York Bar (happily on the first try), Steve worked for three years for legendary trial lawyers Tom Moore and Judy Livingston’s firm Kramer Dillof Livingston & Moore. There, he was the principal investigator and lead attorney on a multi-million-dollar False Claims Act qui tam case that resulted in a life-changing settlement for the client; won his first trial; and was awarded the American Bar Association’s Outstanding Services Award for the Military Pro Bono Project.

Even before he went to law school, Steve had developed a national reputation for his insights about how juries respond to evidence. That was earned from both being the rare individual to have actually served on four juries through verdict, as well as from his analysis and writing on the subject. Indeed, Steve was the only outside contributor to Duke Law School Professor Neil Vidmar’s classic treatise, Medical Malpractice and the American Jury.

As a business executive, Steve was the creator and executive producer of Time Magazine’s Man of the Year television documentaries; co-creator and producer of Covermaker, developed with IBM, which was one of the first educational computer games; creator and publisher of the Time College Achievement Awards; and winner of two Clio Awards. As an entrepreneur, he was founder and CEO of 4-to-14.com / Brainquest; CEO of Living Independently (later sold to General Electric); and CEO of Multimedicus/The Child Health Guide, in partnership with Harvard and Dartmouth Medical Schools. The Child Health Guide was the winner of the 2008 Magazine Publishers Association’s Best Web Resource.

Steve is the author of seven books—including three best-sellers—and more than 250 articles and editorials. Apparently, he was the first person ever to have Op-Ed articles in The New York Times and Wall Street Journal on the same day.

Steve attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, graduated from Brown University, from  New York Law School, cum laude, and completed the Senior Executives in National and International Security Program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He co-chaired Hillary Clinton’s White House Task Force on early childhood literacy, the Prescription for Reading Partnership, and for ten years was a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Naval Institute.

Steve and his wife live in Manhattan and have two grown sons: one a screenwriter in Los Angeles and the other a United States Marine.

Matters

  • On behalf of 250,000 New York City municipal retirees, Steve led the fight against City Hall and two massive insurance companies—which wanted to erode retiree health benefits—winning both injunctive protection and an actual savings of $1.8 billion.
  • On behalf of a senior citizen who was scammed by Newsmax, Steve won a significant settlement.

 

 

Active Lawsuits

Ghost Networks Class Action

Pollock Cohen and Walden Macht have filed a class action on behalf of thousands of patients against Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of New York alleging fraud by publishing inaccurate directories of doctors. We are also investigating other health insurers.

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NYC Retirees: Co-pay Class Action Appellate Victory

In December 2022, on behalf of 183,000 senior citizens and disabled first-responders, we have filed a class action against New York City and EmblemHealth GHI for illegally charging policyholders co-pays.

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Pornhub and Reddit

We co-counsel with Susman Godfrey in class action lawsuits against Pornhub and Reddit. If you were the victim of someone uploading sexual videos of you, contact us. We may be able to represent you.

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Voice Cloning Class Action

Pollock Cohen has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of actors whose voices were cloned and then sold by Lovo.

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Current Investigations & Areas of Interest

We are investigating birth control coverage.

We are investigating health insurance companies that have failed to comply with federal law requiring coverage for birth control or misrepresented their compliance.

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Decongestants

If you used use a decongestant for a cold or flu, the F.D.A. announced that many over-the-counter medications are ineffective.

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Durable Medical Equipment

Have you received braces that were never ordered and not needed?

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Investigation of Fentanyl-laced Products

Have you lost a loved one to fentanyl? We are investigating the direct purchase of fentanyl and fentanyl-laced products from China.

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Healthcare Fraud

We are investigating Medicare and Medicaid fraud being perpetrated by medical providers and drug companies.

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Hertz: "Convenience Fees"

We are investigating Hertz’s policy of charging renters a “convenience fee” for payment of tolls on bridges, tunnels, toll-roads, and express lanes.

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Medicare Fraud

We are investigating the fraudulent practices in Medicare – whether by an insurance company, a medical provider, hospital, pharmacy or drug company. If you know anything about them, we want to hear from you.

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Prior Authorization Investigation

Prior authorization—also known as utilization review—is a serious problem. Health insurance companies are getting between doctors and their patients.

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Senior Exploitation

We successfully represented a 92-year-old man against Newsmax, which charged him more than $5,000 for magazine and newsletter subscriptions and automobile warranties. We are now investigating a class action for similar practices.

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Telemarketers and the National Do Not Call Registry

If you registered your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry and are still getting calls from telemarketers, you may be entitled to compensation.

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AARP UnitedHealth Erroneous EKG/ECG Test Classification

Did AARP UnitedHealth erroneously categorize your electro-cardio grams and other heart tests as radiological tests — and thus demand a higher co-pay? 

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Settled & Resolved

Delaware Pensioners

We won injunctive relief for 32,000 Delaware retirees—preventing the State from forcing the retirees out of their traditional Medicare plan.

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GHI

We have filed a class action with the Susman Godfrey law firm alleging that GHI has deprived members of benefits worth over $1 billion. As part of this case we won a major decision from New York’s highest court expanding the protections of the State’s consumer protection laws.

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Other

Kathleen Valentini: The Saddest Case We Ever Lost

Prior authorization—when you need your insurer’s permission to get medical care—is a major part of health insurers’ scheme to rake in profits by denying and delaying patients’ care. And it is believed to be the reason Kathleen Valentini lost her leg, and ultimately, her life.

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“Just say yes.”

A very old friend from college—a well-known reporter—had just called me. And after the briefest, “Hello,” he beseeched me to just say yes.

“Do I get to ask what I’m saying yes to?” I asked him.

“After you say yes.”

“OK, yes. What did I just agree to?”

“You’re spending Sunday morning in the maximum-security lock-up at Sing Sing prison. You’re having brunch with the Jewish prisoners. By the way it is not the visitors’ room, but deep inside the prison. Don’t wear anything green. In case there is a problem, the guards have to be able to identify you and get you out of there. The Jewish chaplain at Sing Sing invites a few media folks into the prison every six months. He wants influencers to better understand the prison experience; and he wants to give inmates some intellectual stimulation. It won’t be just the dozen or so Jewish inmates. It is a pretty big draw for other prisoners because we also bring in bagels and lox.”

I spent that Sunday morning with convicted murders, robbers, and arsonists; and came away with an idea for a literacy program. The story behind the story is too long to tell here, but both the experience and its unintended consequences underscored an important lesson I’ve learned—and tried to convey to my kids and my colleagues: be open, very open to new experiences and perspectives.

The first really rich person I ever knew was a non-practicing attorney named Jerry Feldman. He discovered—he didn’t invent—the soft contact lens. But he discovered the Czech scientist who did invent it, and Jerry was one of the first people to put together a licensing deal with a country then behind the “Iron Curtain.” Jerry said to me, “I return every phone call I get within 24 hours. And the call I return first is from the name I don’t recognize. Because I never know what opportunity is on the other end of the line.”

It is a great philosophy; and the polite thing to do.

Not too long after the Sing Sing call, I got a call from a woman who said she was calling from the White House. I didn’t believe her. She gave me her name and suggested that I ask Washington Directory Assistance—there was such a thing even back in the 1990’s—for the phone number for the White House. I should call it, and ask for her, which I did. I wound up co-chairing a White House Task Force on early childhood literacy.

Recently, I said yes to another experience—which left me sore, and my ego bruised. I entered the NYC Pickleball Open. It was my first tournament, and I got demolished. But I can’t wait for the next one.

Steve Cohen Pickleball Tournament