Firm News

Fifty Years of Leadership Celebrated at the Danbury Office

At the 50 year mark, Cohen and Wolf, P.C., located in Danbury and Bridgeport, CT., is not resting on its laurels. There is simply too much to be done.

The law firms approach to celebrating its fiftieth year is to continue what it does best; practice law for its clients, contribute to the business and economic life of the Danbury area, and be involved with the community. It is a formula that grew the firm from its founding in 1951 by Herbert L. Cohen and Austin K. Wolf, its two founding partners, to a firm of over 30 lawyers, practicing not only in Danbury and Bridgeport offices, but also in offices located in Westport.

Cohen and Wolf, P.C. established the Danbury office 24 years ago with the vision that this region would be key to Connecticuts growth. "We intended to be integral to that growth and contribute not only to the practice of law, but also to the economic and community development of the region. Other law firms probably thought we were crazy, "stated Neil Marcus, a partner in the firm who along with David Grogins, opened the Danbury office," but I think weve proved them wrong. Danbury was an under-served geography and the big law firms had ignored the area. There was no judicial district as yet and the practice was predominantly real estate in this area. From the beginning we saw the potential to bring multiple expertise into Danbury and to stay here and grow with the city. We expanded the traditional practice areas, tax and estates, litigation, real estate, and corporate law to fulfill the needs of this community. We added areas such as municipal law, land use, employment and labor law, among others, as the needs of our clients became more complex and as the firm grew. To make this work, not only do you need the right talent and experience, but you also need the willingness to work well with each other, and with your clients. This has been a key factor in our success."

The law firm makes offering depth and diversity a cornerstone of its approach. Clients gain the benefit of working with a firm that can react quickly on multiple dimensions with the right expertise. And unlike 50 years ago, that is just what clients need today.

"We are busy every day with the increasingly complex legal issues that are important to the towns, businesses and families of this region," stated partner David Grogins. "As an example, the area of municipal law has exploded in the past few years, which requires not only specific knowledge but also breadth of knowledge, given the range of issues a municipality confronts. Towns could not afford to hire multiple attorneys to handle land use, employment issues, litigation and regulatory matters, nor would their interests be best served by coordinating all of those experts. We are the Town Attorneys for Ridgefield, Newtown, Weston and Wilton and handle legal matters for many other towns including Westport. I think that says something about us and about the value and results we create for our clients."

The leadership that makes Cohen and Wolf, P.C. vital and vigorous after 50 years is still provided by one of the original founders, Austin K. Wolf. His vision saw that the development of a firm and its clients went together with the development of the community. He imparts this philosophy to the firm, its staff and lawyers. "After 50 years of practice, we have more clients than cases, a mark that we have continuing relationships of value," he acknowledged. "I believe that we demonstrate that we care about our clients by doing the work better, faster and more responsively than others. We keep in touch with our clients and try hard every day." Under Mr. Wolfs guidance, the firm also makes trying hard in the community a top priority.

Over the years, Cohen and Wolf, P.C. lawyers have served on or headed the boards of many charitable, cultural and civic organizations including the boards of Bridgeport Hospital, Danbury Hospital, The United Way, the YMCA, the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation, Chambers of Commerce and various business councils, schools and religious organizations. What is unique about the law firm is that it makes contribution of time and talent on the part of its attorneys and staff a hallmark of its culture. This year, the law firm will sponsor a series of community projects to commemorate the occasion in addition to the thousands of hours of volunteer time its attorneys will spend serving on boards and commissions. The plans include: building an aviary for "rehabilitated" raptors at the Beardsley Zoo; donating legal services for the home ownership program of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Bridgeport; a work project for Habitat for Humanity; a benefit event for Connecticut Legal Services and a work project at the Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury. These efforts involve both the staff and attorneys.

"It is important to make a statement about who you are and what you value" asserts Mr. Wolf. "We make this statement every day through our profession, through our community involvement and through our business presence in Danbury, Bridgeport, and other towns. We are with you and our clients now and in the future."

The Danbury office of Cohen and Wolf, P.C. is the home base for 6 of the firms 34 lawyers: David L. Grogins, Neil R. Marcus, Joseph G. Walsh, Monte Frank, Robin Kahn and Marnie Rubin. Clients have access to the full scope of expertise at the firm, regardless of the location of the lawyers. In Danbury , the firm is located at 158 Deer Hill Road, with additional offices in Westport, and Bridgeport. The firm offers services to clients in the areas of business transactions, commercial litigation, employment and labor, family and matrimonial, land use, municipal, personal injury law, physicians practice, real estate, securities, taxes, trusts and estates.