James I. Cohen: Public Service

Education and Community Service

Mr. Cohen grew up in Portland, received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and his J.D. from the Columbia School of Law. As a Portland resident, Mr. Cohen has served on numerous community boards, including a term as president of Portland Trails; founding president of the North Deering Neighborhood Association; and vice president of budget and finance for the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Cohen is a former trustee of the Maine Public Spending Research Group and the Maine Association of Mediators. As a board member of the Portland Regional Chamber, he helped spearhead the Chamber's effort to establish a regional economic development authority in partnership with the Metro Regional Coalition.

Political Experience

From 2002 to 2008, Mr. Cohen served on the Portland City Council, including a term as Mayor of Maine's largest city. During his tenure, Mr. Cohen successfully spearheaded initiatives ranging from expanding Portland's creative economy, to helping form and then chairing a six-community partnership called the Metro Regional Coalition; to helping form a Joint Task Force to address renovation of the Cumberland County Civic Center; to hosting two regional bus transit summits in collaboration with MaineDOT and the Governor; to developing the Volunteer Portland website and eContact constituent services system; to chairing committees to renovate a local elementary school and expand the Portland International Jetport. As Mayor, Mr. Cohen organized the Sustainable Portland Task Force and was the first mayor in Maine to sign onto the U.S. Conference of Mayor's Climate Action Plan in 2006. He received a Service for the Environment Award from the Sierra Club for his efforts. Mr. Cohen also established the Mayor's Healthy Portland Task Force to promote walking and biking and to curb public smoking; in recognition of these efforts, Mr. Cohen received the Ruth M. Shaper Memorial Award from the Maine Association of Public Health. Mr. Cohen was the first-ever chair of the City Council's Transportation Committee, and in 2006 he served as vice-chair of the Community and Faith-Based Initiatives Task Force of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Mr. Cohen presided over the formation of a regional crime lab, which is now named after him and former Portland Police Chief Timothy Burton and received a commendation from the Portland Police Department for his efforts. Mr. Cohen chaired the City Council's Finance Committee and Cumberland County's Budget Advisory Committee. As Mayor, Mr. Cohen hosted a monthly call-in cable television program, and during his six years of public service frequently appeared on television, on the radio, or in the local press – including as a columnist in a local newspaper. From 2009-10, Mr. Cohen served as vice-chair of the Portland Charter Commission, and was the top vote-getter in the election to the Commission.

Public Service

Mayor, City of Portland (2005 - 2006)
Portland City Council (2002 - 2008)
Portland Charter Commission, Vice Chair (2009 - 2010)
Portland Regional Chamber, Chair (2012 - 2014) Trustee (2008 - present)
Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Trustee (2009 - present)
Maine Public Spending Research Group, Trustee (2005 - 2008)
U.S. Conference of Mayors, Community and Faith-Based Initiatives Task Force, Vice Chair (2006)
Portland Trails, President (1997 - 1998), Advisory Trustee (2002 - )
Portland Symphony Orchestra, VP of Budget and Finance (1999 - 2002)
Portland City Council Finance Committee, Chair (2006 - 2008)
Metro Regional Coalition, Chair (2007 - 2008)
Cumberland County Budget Advisory Committee, Chair (2005)
Downtown Portland Corporation (2005 - 2006)
Portland City Council, Community Development Committee (2002 - 2005; 2007 - 2008)
Creative Economy Steering Committee, Chair (2007 - 2008)
Portland City Council Transportation Committee, Chair (2002 - 2005)
Jetport Master Planning Committee, Chair (2005 - 2007)
Greater Portland Transit District, Trustee (2002 - 2005)
Narrow Gauge Rail Alignment Committee, Chair (2005)
Sustainable Portland Task Force (2006 - 2007)
Portland City Council, Energy and Sustainability Committee (2007 - 2008)
Riverton School Building Committee, Co-Chair (2005 - 2006)
Cumberland County Civic Center Joint Task Force (2006 - 2010)
Mayor's Healthy Portland Task Force (2006 - 2008)
Communities Putting Prevention to Work (ARRA program), Leadership Council (2010 - )
North Deering Neighborhood Assoc., Founding Pres. (2001), Trustee (2002 - )
Portland Public Library, Trustee (2005 - 2006)

Firm Highlights

Publication/Podcast

Five Recommended Practices for ERISA Retirement Plan Administrative Fiduciaries

Verrill’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Group is often asked about “best practices” for benefit plan administration and whether we can provide any resources to help plan sponsors and fiduciaries improve compliance with the...

Blog

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The interaction between employer-provided retiree medical coverage and COBRA [1] is complex. Many employers incorrectly assume they do not have to offer COBRA at retirement if they offer a retiree medical plan or a...

Blog

How AI Can Alter Skill Contests

AI could very well be today’s “Modern Prometheus” in the world of skill contests. Earlier this year, the AI-generated photograph “The Electrician” was a finalist in the World Photograph Organization’s Sony World Photograph Awards...

Publication/Podcast

Corporate Transparency Act regulations will go into effect soon and will affect almost all startup companies

On August 18, the Maine Venture Fund published an article by Verrill Partner Gregory Fryer, “Corporate Transparency Act regulations will go into effect soon and will affect almost all startup companies.” In the article...

Matter

Successful Representation of Insurer before U.S. District Court for the District of Maine

Verrill successfully represented an insurer before the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine in an insurance coverage matter alleging that the insurer improperly denied a defense and indemnification to a landlord under...

Event

Conducting Workplace Investigations

Join Verrill’s Erik Peters and Elizabeth Johnston on Wednesday, October 18, for Conducting Workplace Investigations. When and why should you open an investigation? Who is the best person to conduct it? Should you handle...

News

82 Verrill Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® 2024, Including 10 Named Lawyers of the Year

News

Gratitude for Anya Endsley

Event

Annual Update: The Legal Year in Review

More details coming soon!

Matter

Elections and Constitutional Law: Successfully Challenged Certification of Initiative Petition

In a victory for consumers and the ride-hailing public, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently barred the Secretary of State from placing on the November ballot initiative petitions proposed by companies such as Uber...

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