Steve Cochran

Steve Cochran litigates high-stakes business disputes. He has extensive experience in cases involving claims for theft of ideas or other intellectual property, defamation, wrongful termination, sexual harassment/discrimination, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and breach of contract. Mr. Cochran also represents financial institutions in commercial real-estate lawsuits to enforce extensions of credit and defend against allegations of lender liability. His recent trials include: a judgment for a bank in a commercial real-estate dispute; a judgment for a studio in a discrimination case brought by a federal agency; a verdict in favor of an entertainer suing for defamation; a judgment in favor of a studio sued for breach of contract and fraud; and a jury verdict after a six-month trial in favor of an entertainer sued for wrongful termination, sexual harassment/discrimination and other claims.

Mr. Cochran defends companies and individuals facing prosecution in state or federal court. He does criminal defense work involving accusations such as mail fraud, money laundering, federal election fraud, improper disposal of regulated material, tax evasion and customs violations.

Mr. Cochran earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1979 and his Juris Doctor from the University of California at Berkeley - Boalt Hall School of Law in 1982. Mr. Cochran served as law clerk to the Honorable William P. Gray, Senior United States District Judge, Central District of California and extern clerk to the Honorable Cecil F. Poole, United States Circuit Judge, Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Cochran joined Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP as a Partner in 1991.

Mr. Cochran is listed in Best Lawyers in America in the field of Criminal Defense (2003-2004) and in the field of White-Collar Criminal Defense (2007-2011). He is also listed in the 2004 and 2005 publications of Southern California Super Lawyers for litigation in the field of Intellectual Property, in the 2006–2008 editions as a Southern California Super Lawyer in Arts and Entertainment, and in the 2010 edition for Business Litigation.

Mr. Cochran is a member of the Advisory Board to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He serves on the Executive Committee to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. Mr. Cochran is on the Attorney Admission Fund Committee and Federal Pro Bono Civil Rights Panel for the Central District of California. Mr. Cochran is also an appointee of the Mayor to the Los Angeles South Valley Area Planning Commission.