When Atlanta litigator Lori Cohen was a young girl, she had one goal in life: to become the female version of Atticus Finch. While many see their ambitious childhood dreams fall by the wayside, Cohen made hers come true.
Over the course of three decades, the last two of which have been with Greenberg Traurig, Cohen made a name for herself as a “Trial Wizard,” gaining national recognition and amassing an impressive record of 58 defense verdicts in complex litigations involving pharmaceuticals, medical devices, health care and product liability.
She built a lauded career on the ability to speak, advocate and persuade.
Then, without warning, Cohen woke up one morning in March 2022, turned to speak to her dog Lightning—and nothing came out.
And it hasn’t since. To date, no medical professional has seen a case like Cohen’s, but she has never given up hope. Her journey has been an uncharted one, full of creative solutions, novel technologies and a “try anything” mentality. It’s also one for which she eschews pity.
“I am not going away,” she states confidently, adding, in her typically effusive style, “We do not want to waste a crisis!”
When Cohen lost her voice, she and her husband started pounding the medical pavement, reaching out first to local medical specialists, then casting their net globally.
They have yet to find an explanation or a cure. Nevertheless, Cohen has continued to pursue all avenues, no matter how far-fetched they might sound. Today, nearly two years later, her mantra remains the same—she’ll try anything, do anything and go anywhere to get her voice back. “I have learned so much about people who have lost the ability to speak,” Cohen said. “I am hopeful that I can help those who can’t help themselves, either because they do not know how to navigate the systems or do not have access to the…
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