Recipients of ELFA’s Edward A. Groobert Award for Legal Excellence clearly have established legal prowess and distinction in their service to the equipment finance industry. Bob Cohen, the 2026 honoree, is a prime example.
With over 30 years of law experience, Cohen is a recognized leader in the legal field, particularly in the equipment finance industry. His list of accomplishments is long and impressive. But behind that list are key cornerstones that underpin his success: leadership, valued insight, practical guidance, collaboration and business development.
Leaders Have to Lead
Over the years, Cohen has honed a leadership style that has served him, his clients and his firm well. It starts with a straightforward four-word philosophy: Leaders have to lead.
It sounds simple enough. But putting those four words into practice is anything but simple.
“You need to know what to do at the right time,” says Cohen, a Partner with Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP. “Know when to take control, know when and how to listen, and when to make decisions.” Serving as a leader in a major law firm also requires additional commitments. “You always need to lead by example and need to be true to your own conscience,” he stresses. “Asking yourself, ‘What is the right thing to do for the client?’ is the first step. Then you must be able to execute on that.” Cohen notes that he learned many of these skills from his partner, mentor and friend, Marc Hamroff.
Evolving as a Leader
Cohen’s leadership abilities advanced as his business development work progressed. While never an introvert, he desired to further improve his people skills. He asserted himself by talking with people he’d never met, taking the initiative in striking up conversations, and making the conscious decision to form more meaningful professional relationships and grow his network.
Over his career, Cohen has come to understand and appreciate the importance of listening and empathizing, which he considers essential to all aspects of his business. Putting yourself in the shoes of the person with whom you are talking builds a solid foundation for trust and communication, and produces better results, he says. Strong listening skills and asking the right questions help in his commitment and dedication to build understanding of his clients’ businesses, too. “The more I understand, the more insight I have and the better guidance I can provide.”
Growing as a leader has extended to the work he does on a continual basis in training younger associates. “Empowering the people you’re leading to take action on their own, then supporting them, is essential,” Cohen states. “It means taking the time to teach and confirm that the person understands why and what we are doing, not just give directives.” He also stresses the importance of a solutions-oriented mindset. “I want to train associates not only to identify problems, but to develop potential solutions.”
Instilling Confidence
“Part of winning trust is the ability to instill confidence in others,” continues Cohen. Leadership, particularly as a litigator, involves being yourself and being a trusted and educated advisor – one who can identify problems as well as develop solutions, which include plans that outline potential approaches to situations. These are important skills to hone in and out of the courtroom, he says. “It might be as simple as finding the ’right’ restaurant for a business dinner or as complex as formulating alternative legal strategies for a client.” Having the ability to pivot as things evolve is essential, he stresses.
“Wherever you are, you must command respect when you walk into a room,” he says. “When a client, colleague, judge, or adversary speaks with you, they need to see you know what you are doing. It’s your job to instill that confidence.” Respect goes both ways, he adds. “You must pay respect to those who have earned it.”
Commanding respect also extends to how you present yourself, says Cohen. “Understand who you are talking with, working with, socializing with. Pay attention to others and their needs.”
Collaboration
Establishing a collaborative environment is essential to Cohen’s philosophy, his work at every level and his success. As co-chair of the Litigation practice group of his firm, and separately involved in the firm’s operations, Cohen spends time in all of the firm's offices. “When I am in Florida, I'm not going to our offices to pay a quick visit," he states. “I go to work with our attorneys there, to interact, to build relationships and culture.”
His open-door policy is strict in the most positive sense. “Everything starts with a relationship, and that means real collaboration.” Whether training young attorneys or discussing options with senior colleagues, collaboration improves the quality of the firm’s work, he says. “Moreover, it’s part of the fun.”
This supportive, team-centered culture is in large part responsible for his firm’s growth, brand and national reputation in the equipment finance industry, Cohen espouses. As the fifth attorney hired at his firm, he has seen the evolution firsthand; the firm now has over 100 attorneys. “We are a collaborative team that believes in shared problem-solving, and our clients reap the benefits of these joint efforts,” he says, citing the fact that many lawyers in the firm have been there for decades. “Good work, good teams and good relationships make for success.”
Business Development
Business development may be a core component of Cohen’s work, but it is a natural extension of his effective communication skills, leadership ability and the commitment to creating positive, collaborative successes within the firm and for its clients. He offers three essential tips for client development:
- Be memorable. If they don’t remember you, they’ll never call you.
- Be self-aware. Beyond your background and credentials, pay attention to how you sound, and what you say.
- Be genuine. People like to do business with people who are true to themselves and care about their clients.
And perhaps more than anything, he stresses that developing, maintaining and growing business is almost always a team effort. “It’s not just me at my firm,” says Cohen. “It’s 100 of us coming together to do the best quality work possible.”
Decades of Service to the Profession and to ELFA
Robert Cohen’s work spans all areas of the equipment financing industry. With over 30 years of experience, he is a recognized leader in commercial litigation, creditors' rights and asset-based lending.
Cohen has spent his entire professional career at Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP. As a partner, the Long Island resident brings extensive experience in the documentation of financial transactions, electronic signatures, enforcement of equipment leases and secured loans, and the negotiation of workouts and resolutions. He currently serves as co-chair of the firm's litigation practice group and chair of the Equipment Leasing and Transportation Finance group.
Cohen has been named to the New York Super Lawyers list 12 times, has been named a top-rated litigation lawyer in ALM’s Annual Legal Leaders Guide, and has received the National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) Chris Walker Memorial Member of the Year Award.
In ELFA, Cohen has served on the Legal Committee, Women’s Council Committee, and Credit and Collections Management Committee. He is regularly asked to serve as a speaker and moderator at annual and bi-annual conferences. His novel approach to guest speaking, he states, makes his ELFA sessions memorable, clever, useful, informative, fun and well-attended.
In addition to his professional endeavors, Cohen dedicates his time to the Special Olympics of New York, where he serves on its board of directors and executive committee for all of New York State.
Cohen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (finance) from the State University of New York at Albany and a Juris Doctor degree from Hofstra University.
