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Our Philosophy
The Cohen Law Group brings together four Colorado lawyers who have enjoyed successful and diverse careers over many years. We like working with each other and we believe our clients can benefit from a joining together of our combined experience of over 52 years of practice. Our structure, by virtue of which Jeff Cohen, Alison Choy Kilmer, and Sierra K. Swearingen are Of Counsel to the firm, provides great flexibility and enables us to focus on our clients' needs rather than the practice management issues that sometimes consume so much time at larger firms.
Our lawyers have practiced law in many institutions – large and small, public and private – and we believe a small, well-run firm comprised of highly experienced and ethical attorneys, supported by top-notch and caring staff, can provide exceptional service and value to its clients.
TCLG practices law in a customized and result-oriented manner. We understand that every client has his, her or its own personality, character, history, habits and budget. An approach that fits one client may be too slow, too expensive, or too disruptive for another. We want to understand your business, your goals, and your limitations so we can be your law firm.
We also understand that many clients associate the hiring of lawyers with negative and unfortunate events in their lives. We cannot control the external factors that sometimes require clients to seek legal advice; what we can do is try our best make the legal processes as comfortable as possible.
Core Principles
In our law practice we follow certain principles:
1. The Transaction/Litigation Distinction is Artificial. We believe the distinction between litigation and transactional work, made at many law firms, is usually artificial. Business litigation is almost always the result of a poorly drafted document or an incomplete negotiation. Because we are at home in the courtroom and the boardroom we have the ability to facilitate transactions today that are least likely to become lawsuits tomorrow.
2. We Practice Preventive Law. An ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure. We strive to help our clients prevent legal problems, and we do this by careful drafting, anticipating possibilities, and educating our clients. If you or your organization become party to a lawsuit, we will represent you capably in the litigation, but we will also teach you how to better protect yourself or your organization in the future.
3. We Strive for Clear, Concise Communication. No matter how strong your case, or how bright your attorney, effective communication is the key to success in any legal forum. We insist on clear and concise writing. Judges do not like "Legalese" and neither do we; you will not see words such as "hereinafter" or "aforementioned" in the documents we draft. We believe the most effective communicators are almost always those who get their message across using as few words as possible.
4. The Client is a Resource. We view you as our best source of information. You know your business and your concerns better than anyone else. We will consult you before making significant decisions on your behalf.
5. We are Prompt and Responsive. We will be prompt and responsive to your needs. We will take your call if we can, and if we can't we will return your call quickly. We check our email messages often and respond quickly. If any lawyer will be unavailable for any extended period we will tell you that ahead of time and plan for any contingencies that may arise during his or her absence.
6. Honesty. We will be honest with you. We will tell you the truth even if it hurts. If we believe your legal position is weak, we will tell you that. And we will tell what you can do to make sure your position is stronger if a similar situation arises in the future.
7. We Will Keep You Informed. We will keep you informed about your legal matter and all significant actions and developments. If we feel the best course of action is "strategic inaction," we will consult you and explain our reasoning. We will provide you with copies of all important documents we prepare and copy you on all significant emails and correspondence.
8. We are Practical. We will be practical. If we believe a certain legal solution will not be cost-effective, we will tell you that. If we believe a short-term solution may present a long-term problem we will tell you that.
9. We Rely on Technology to Provide Great Service While Keeping Costs Down. We rely on tools such as WestLaw ®, Time Matters®, CaseMap®, and Lexis Nexis® to save time, cut costs, and maintain the high quality of our work for clients across Colorado as well as clients based in other states or overseas.
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