JONATHAN F. COHN is a partner based in Washington, D.C., and a member of Sidley’s elite Appellate practice. He is also a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation practice.
Mr. Cohn has personally argued dozens of cases in the Courts of Appeals on a wide range of legal issues, including complex constitutional and APA challenges. He has handled matters involving patent law, trade secrets, false advertising, unfair competition, international trade, and a broad array of other issues.
In March 2012, Law360 named him one of the top five “Rising Stars” in appellate litigation. Mr. Cohn has argued in the United States Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, D.C., and Federal Circuits, and he has argued en banc appeals in the Second, Sixth, Ninth, and D.C. Circuits.
Prior to his return to Sidley in 2009, Mr. Cohn was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice. He ascended to that position at age 32, and at age 34, he became the youngest head of DOJ’s civil appellate litigation. He also managed over 200 district court and appellate litigators in the Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation.
Representative matters include:
- Sioux Honey Ass’n. v. Hartford Fire Ins. Co. (Fed. Cir. 2011), holding that Court of International Trade lacked jurisdiction to consider breach-of-contract claims against The Hartford and other surety companies;
- QVC Inc. v. Your Vitamins Inc. (3d Cir. 2011), affirming denial of preliminary injunction against manufacturer of dietary supplements in false advertising and unfair competition suit;
- Johnston v. Tampa Sports Authority (11th Cir. 2008), upholding National Football League’s pat-down policy against Fourth Amendment challenge;
- Abigail Alliance v. von Eschenbach (D.C. Cir. 2007) (en banc), rejecting constitutional and APA challenge against the Food and Drug Administration; and
- Consolidation Coal Co. v. United States (Fed. Cir. 2008), rejecting Export Clause challenge to tax on coal.
Press appearances include:
- Dan Rather Reports, discussing class-action law suit in United States Supreme Court
- Washington Legal Foundation Supreme Court Preview, discussing various cases pending in United States Supreme Court
Mr. Cohn holds a B.S., summa cum laude, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School, where he was a primary editor of the Harvard Law Review. He served as a law clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas of the United States Supreme Court and Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.