William A. Cohan - a Carlsbad, US Federal Civil and Criminal White Collar Cases Lawyer

Carlsbad Federal Civil and Criminal White Collar Cases Lawyer

Updated: 03/02/2026

Areas of Practice

Federal Civil and Criminal White Collar Cases
Conspiracies to defraud investors and/or the United States
Money Laundering
Tax
Searches and Seizures
Forfeitures
Grand Jury Proceedings and Summons Enforcement Litigation
Civil Litigation of Business and Property Disputes

Litigation: 100%

Attorney Information

Overview

William A. (“Bill”) Cohan received his A.B. (Bachelor of Arts with honors) from Stanford University in 1970 and his J.D. (Juris Doctorate) from the University of Washington in 1976. Bill was admitted to practice in Colorado in 1976, residing in Denver from 1976 to 1988. He moved to San Diego in 1988 and was admitted to practice in California in 1989.

Bill Cohan is ably assisted by paralegal Alicia Cisneroz, who has been with him for more than thirty years. For the past forty years half of Mr. Cohan’s practice has been devoted to litigating federal civil and criminal white collar cases, conspiracies to defraud investors and/or the United States, money laundering, tax and related criminal charges, including searches and seizures, forfeitures, grand jury proceedings and summons enforcement litigation; civil litigation of business and property disputes accounts for the remaining half of Mr. Cohan’s practice.

Mr. Cohan has enjoyed a successful career as a criminal defense lawyer and civil litigator, achieving dismissals or acquittals of all or substantially all charges in 53 of 86 cases and obtaining more than a dozen judgments and settlements above $1 million. He has also persuaded the government not to file criminal charges against more than 20 clients.

Mr. Cohan is and has been a member in good standing of the State Bar of Colorado, Bar No. 7426, since October 21, 1976, and the State Bar of California, Bar No. 141804, since October 6, 1989, and of the United States District Courts for the Districts of Arizona, Colorado, the Eastern District of Michigan and the Southern, Central, Northern and Eastern Districts of California where he regularly practices law.

Additionally, Cohan has been admitted pro hac vice in the following United States District Courts: Alaska, Arizona, Western District of Washington, Districts of Oregon, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Eastern and Western District of Michigan, Utah, New Mexico, Western District of Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Nevada; Northern, Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas; Northern District of Illinois; Northern, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma; Middle District of Tennessee; Northern and Southern Districts of Florida; Eastern District of Virginia; Northern District of Georgia; Northern District of Iowa; and the Western District of Missouri.

Education

Legal Education
- University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, Washington, 1976
  J.D. (Juris Doctorate)
Non Legal Education
- Stanford University, 1970
  A.B. (Bachelor of Arts with honors)

Current Employment Position(s)

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Attorney
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Representative Cases

Martensen v. Koch, 301 F. R. D. 562 (D.Colo. 2014)
Kahre v. U.S. District Court, 289 Fed.Appx. 169 (9th Cir. (Nev.) 2008)
Alires v. Crowther, 279 Fed.Appx. 499 (9th Cir. 2008)
Hewitt v. Rice, 154 P.3d 408 (Colo. 2007)
U.S. v. Andersen, 298 F.3d 804 (9th Cir. 2002)
U.S. v. Christensen, __ F.3d __, 1999 WL 47391 (9th Cir. 1999) (unreported)
Par Husan Ventures v. Thurl Boyd, Colorado Court of Appeals, Docket No. 97CA0948 (2/25/99) (unreported)
U.S. v. Lindberg, 220 F.3d 1120 (9th Cir. 2000) (unreported)
U.S. v. Marsh, 144 F.3d 1229 (9th Cir. 1998)
U.S. v. Voss, 82 F.3d 1521 (10th Cir. 1996)
Kilpatrick v. U.S., 487 U.S. 250, 108 S.Ct. 2369, 101 L.Ed.2d 228 (1988)
U.S. v. Peterson, 37 F.3d 1564 (10th Cir. 1994)
U.S. v. Green, 12 F.3d 1109 (1993)
NCBA v. Archer, 31 F.3d 1521 (10th Cir. 1994)
U.S. v. Holland, 19 F.3d 1444 (10th Cir. 1994) (unreported)
U.S. v. Engstrom, 7 F.3d 1423 (9th Cir. 1993)
U.S. v. Lillie, 989 F.2d 1054 (9th Cir. 1993)
Pleasant v. Lovell, 974 F.2d 1222 (10th Cir. 1992)
U.S. v. Holland, 956 F.2d 990 (10th Cir. 1992)
U.S. v. Dawes, 951 F.2d 1189 (10th Cir. 1991)
NCBA v. U.S., 951 F.2d 1172 (10th Cir. 1991)
U.S. v. Schandl, 947 F.2d 462 (11th Cir. 1991)
U.S. v. Bentson, 947 F.2d 1353 (9th Cir. 1991)
U.S. v. Schmidt, 947 F.2d 362 (9th Cir. 1991)
U.S. v. Nordbrock, 941 F.2d 947 (9th Cir. 1991)
U.S. v. Wade, 940 F.2d 1375 (10th Cir. 1991)
U.S. v. Sinigaglio, 925 F.2d 339 (9th Cir. 1991), amended 942 F.2d 581 (9th Cir. 1991)
Grandbouche v. Lovell, 913 F.2d 835 (10th Cir. 1990)
NCBA v. Gibbs, 886 F.2d 1240 (10th Cir. 1989)
Hintze v. IRS, 879 F.2d 121 (4th Cir. 1989)
Clapp v. CIR, 875 F.2d 1396 (9th Cir. 1989)
U.S. v. Minarik, 875 F.2d 1186 (6th Cir. 1989)
Pleasant v. Lovell, 876 F.2d 787 (10th Cir. 1989)
U.S. v. Stelten, 867 F.2d 446 (8th Cir. 1989)
U.S. v. Hayes, 861 F.2d 1225 (10th Cir. 1988)
U.S. v. Spurgeon, 861 F.2d 181 (8th Cir. 1988)
U.S. v. Hawley, 855 F.2d 595 (8th Cir. 1988)
In re Grand Jury Proceedings, 842 F.2d 1229 (11th Cir. 1988)
U.S. v. Taylor, 828 F.2d 630 (10th Cir. 1987)
Grandbouche v. Clancy, 825 F.2d 1463 (10th Cir. 1987)
U.S. v. Kouba, 822 F.2d 768 (8th Cir. 1987)
U.S. v. Mid-States Exchange, 815 F.2 1227 (8th Cir. 1987)
U.S. v. Varbel, 780 F.2d 758 (9th Cir. 1986)
Voss v. Bergsgaard, 774 F.2d 402 (10th Cir. 1985)
U.S. v. Dobey, 751 F.2d 1140 (10th Cir. 1985)
In re First National Bank of Englewood, 701 F.2d 115 (10th Cir. 1983)
Heinold Hog Market v. McCoy, 700 F.2d 611 (10th Cir. 1983)
U.S. v. Warinner, 607 F.2d 210 (8th Cir. 1979)
NCBA v. Gibbs, 790 F.Supp. 233 (D.Colo. 1991)
U.S. v. Schweitzer, 775 F.Supp. 1355 (D.Mont. 1991)
U.S. v. Karlin, (unpublished), 1991 WL 126615 (D.Kan. 1991)
U.S. v. Karlin, 762 F.Supp. 911 (D.Kan. 1991)
U.S. v. Nordbrock, 734 F.Supp. 908 (D.Ariz. 1990)
Huebner v. U.S., 731 F.Supp. 1441 (D.Ariz. 1990)
U.S. v. Kilpatrick, 726 F.Supp. 789 (D.Colo. 1989)
Hansen v. Meese, 675 F.Supp. 1482 (E.D.Va. 1987)
In re Grand Jury (Shelleda), 666 F.Supp. 196 (D.Colo. 1987)
Pleasant v. Lovell, 654 F.Supp. 1082 (D.Colo. 1987)
In re Grand Jury, 650 F.Supp. 159 (N.D.Ga. 1987)
U.S. v. Kouba, 632 F.Supp. 937 (D.N.D. 1986)
NCBA v. U.S., 625 F.Supp 920 (D.Colo. 1986)
.S. v. Premises Known as 1007 Morningside Ave., 625 F.Supp. 1343 (N.D. Iowa 1985)
U.S. v. Bahr, 580 F.Supp. 167 (N.D. Iowa 1983)
In re “Agent Orange” Prod. Liab. Lit., 534 F.Supp. 1046 (E.D.N.Y. 1982)
Grandbouche v. Adams, 529 F.Supp. 545 (D.Colo. 1982)
In re “Agent Orange” Prod. Liab. Lit., 506 F.Supp 762 (E.D.N.Y. 1980)
In re “Agent Orange” Prod. Liab. Lit., 506 F.Supp. 756 (E.D.N.Y. 1980)
In re “Agent Orange” Prod. Liab. Lit., 506 F.Supp. 754 (E.D.N.Y. 1980)
In re “Agent Orange” Prod. Liab. Lit., 506 F.Supp. 737 (E.D.N.Y. 1980)
In re “Agent Orange” Prod. Liab. Lit., 506 F.Supp 575 (E.D.N.Y. 1980)
U.S. v. Ellis, 496 F.Supp 76 (D.Kan. 1980)

Bar Admissions

California, 1989
Colorado, 1976
U.S. Supreme Court, 1979
U.S. District Court District of Arizona
U.S. District Court District of Colorado
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court Southern District of California
U.S. District Court Central District of California
U.S. District Court Northern District of California
U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
U.S. Tax Court, 1980
U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1989
U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1988
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1983
U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1987
U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1988
U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1979
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1980
U.S. Court of Appeals 10th Circuit, 1977
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1987
District of Columbia, 1989
U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court District of Wyoming
U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, pro hac vice
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, pro hac vice

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Contact

Carlsbad, CA

2888 Loker Avenue East
Suite 202
Carlsbad, CA 92010

Directions

Phone: 442-437-1729

Fax: 442-325-1126

Email: Send a message

Website: https://www.williamacohan.com

Credit Cards Accepted
Free Consultations

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William A. Cohan - Carlsbad, CA