Ousted Cohen Milstein Chairman Hires Venable for Possible Lawsuit
The ousted chairman of Cohen Milstein Hausfeld & Toll has hired the Venable law firm as he considers a possible lawsuit.
Michael Hausfeld has said he was informed of his expulsion from the firm on Nov. 6 by a note left on his chair. He told Legal Times that Venable will represent him “in considering what legal claims we might have for [Cohen Milstein’s] conduct, or misconduct.”
Hausfeld claimed in the Legal Times interview that Cohen Milstein partners “amended the partnership agreement in the middle of the night to enable them to expel me, effective immediately.”
Cohen Milstein name partner Steven Toll told Legal Times there is no basis for a lawsuit. He wouldn’t say whether the partnership agreement was amended, but added it didn’t happen in the middle of the night. And he said Hausfeld could also have learned about his expulsion from an e-mail that was sent to him.
“One of the procedures was to deliver something to Michael, which we tried to do and he was unavailable and no one was sure where he was or what he was doing,” he told the publication. “We left the appropriate notification. … There was no handwritten note.”
