Attorneys
David Chizewer, a principal in the firm's litigation group, has been featured in the National Law Journal’s list of 10 of the nation’s top litigators. He was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Public Justice Foundation, and was separately a runner-up for that same award. He was also named Lawyer of the Year by the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund. The federal court in Chicago has twice given Mr. Chizewer the Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service, and the National Law Journal has named him an "Environmental Trailblazer" for his work on environmental justice issues.
Matthew Organ is a principal in the firm's Litigation and Labor & Employment Groups. He has significant experience representing plaintiffs in qui tam/whistleblower cases under the federal and state False Claims Acts. He has handled matters involving off-label marketing, upcoding, illegal kickbacks and referral arrangements, false certifications of compliance with Medicare/Medicaid regulations and other Medicare/Medicaid fraud.
Bill Meyers is a principal in the Litigation Group. Throughout his career, he has handled a variety of complex commercial litigation matters. Mr. Meyers has extensive experience in bankruptcy and insolvency litigation in courts nationwide and regularly protects the rights of secured creditors in these proceedings. He also has significant experience representing plaintiffs in qui tam/whistleblower cases under the federal and state False Claims Acts.
Colin Wexler is a principal in the firm's Litigation Group. He focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, including product liability, consumer class actions, breach of contract and fiduciary duty, insurance coverage work for policyholders, antitrust actions, as well as claims based on both the federal and state False Claims Acts. Mr. Wexler's practice has also included accounting, actuarial and legal malpractice claims.
Emily Gilman is an associate in the firm's Litigation Group. Ms. Gilman has worked on a variety of False Claims cases from investigation through discovery and summary judgment. Her cases have involved fraud related to Medicare coverage and reimbursement issues, the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark law, and off-label marketing of pharmaceuticals. She has represented relators against pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, managed care organizations, clinical diagnostic laboratories, skilled nursing facilities, pharmacies, and hospitals. Ms. Gilman has also worked on several amicus briefs on behalf of the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund.
Takayuki Ono is an associate in the Firm’s Litigation Group. Leveraging his previous career as a professional journalist, Mr. Ono maintains a robust practice assisting the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Securities and Exchange Commission, and state attorneys general in investigating and prosecuting fraud allegations. Most recently, Mr. Ono represented the relator in a lawsuit against a global telecommunications company alleging that the company committed fraud by overcharging schools and libraries on their phone and internet bills. He also has experience in initiating whistleblower claims under seal before the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For the past 21 years, Ms. Smith has been employed as a litigation legal assistant, participating in more than 20 jury trials or major hearings at various locations across the United States. She joined Goldberg Kohn as its litigation legal assistant supervisor and continues to support the attorneys in all phases of litigation.
Fred Cohen, our cherished partner, friend, and colleague for nearly 20 years, passed away in May 2010 after a lengthy battle against cancer.
Fred was a recognized expert in litigating false claims act cases, health care matters, patent and trademark infringement matters, class actions, business tort and contract cases, e-commerce issues, and state and local tax challenges. In his distinguished career, he amassed a string of courtroom victories, including obtaining the largest jury verdict in the history of the False Claims Act.
But Fred was most proud of his pro bono work and the tremendous impact it had on the underrepresented in our society. He served as lead trial counsel in a class action lawsuit on behalf of 600,000 children eligible for Medicaid against the Illinois Departments of Public Aid and Human Services, resulting in a landmark decision vindicating the rights of children to health care.
He served as co-counsel in a federal lawsuit that challenged the validity of a new federal law requiring 50 million Medicaid recipients and applicants to prove their U.S. citizenship with passports, birth certificates and other special documents or lose their public health care coverage. The resulting litigation leveraged a change to federal law.
But Fred was much more than just a skilled litigator. He was a community leader, serving in leadership positions with the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and the Public Interest Law Initiative. Fred loved this firm, and we loved him, and it was our privilege and honor to know him.