Irwin B. Levin - Indianapolis, IN
Attorney at CohenMalad, LLP
Class Action Lawyers in Indianapolis, IN
One Indiana Square Suite 1400 Indianapolis, IN 46204
- 1 Super Lawyers®
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48
Years
Experience
Indianapolis Class Action Lawyer
Updated: 09/23/2026
Areas of Practice
- Class Action
- Mass Tort
- Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Injury
- Business & Commercial Law
Litigation: 100%
Attorney Information
Overview
Irwin is the Managing Partner of CohenMalad, LLP and has practiced with the firm since 1978. While his practice is concentrated in the areas of class actions, mass torts and commercial litigation, Irwin was one of the lead counsel in the Indianapolis Ramada Inn/United States Air Force crash litigation and the Greenwood air crash disaster, among other prominent cases. He has been counsel in a wide array of class actions including securities fraud, insurance and consumer protection throughout the United States, and has actively litigated in major drug and medical device cases.
Irwin was lead counsel in two class action cases against the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles for overcharging millions of Indiana citizens. The first case involved illegal overcharges for certain driver’s licenses which settled for $30 million. The subsequent case against the BMV involved overcharges not covered by the initial case. That case was tried and Irwin was lead trial counsel. After trial, the BMV settled the case for $59 million. Irwin was also class counsel in a case, settled for $15 million, against the Indiana Department of Children’s Services for failing to pay legally required subsidies to parents who adopted children from foster care.
Irwin was also Co-Lead Counsel in two major antitrust cases against the concrete industry. In central Indiana, the litigation resulted in a certified class and $59 million in settlements. In Iowa, the litigation successfully settled for $18 million. He was also selected by the Indiana Department of Insurance to represent it in claims against those responsible for the demise of the Indiana Construction Industry Trust. Through settlements and trial, the litigation collected over $24 million, exceeding the $18 million of actual claims. The case included a $17.99 million jury verdict, affirmed on appeal, in a legal malpractice action against the Trust’s lawyers and a $16.5 million settlement of the bad faith claim against the lawyers’ insurance carrier.
In 1996, Irwin was counsel in the first class action case against Swiss Banks on behalf of Holocaust survivors. He and other lawyers from CohenMalad, LLP took a hands-on role in both the factual investigation of archived materials stored in the U.S. National Archives and the legal work before the Court. In 1997, the Swiss Bank litigation was consolidated before a U.S. District Court judge, who appointed an executive committee composed of 10 lawyers from around the nation to manage the litigation. Irwin was one of the ten chosen. On this committee, he continued to play a significant role in the litigation, researching many of the unusual legal issues presented by this unique litigation and preparing briefs submitted to the Court. Irwin also played a significant role in the lengthy negotiations that culminated in the $1.25 billion settlement presented to the Court. Through his expertise in class action litigation, and the settlement of such complex cases, he also has been able to provide valuable insights into the unprecedented task of notifying Holocaust survivors around the world of this historic settlement.
Irwin also participated in numerous other Holocaust-related cases against German banks and corporations that stole the assets and labor of Holocaust victims. Cases against German banks successfully sought to recover the assets of Holocaust victims confiscated by the Nazis; cases against leading German industrial enterprises – many of which are household names today – successfully sought to recover the value of the slave labor those companies extracted from the bodies of concentration camp inmates.
In addition to these cases, Irwin also prosecuted a class action lawsuit filed against Bayer AG brought by an Indiana resident who was subjected to medical experiments at the hands of the infamous Josef Mengele involving chemicals supplied by Bayer and other German pharmaceutical companies.
Irwin has been named one of the Top 50 Super Lawyers in Indiana for 21 consecutive years, and one of the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Indiana in 12 of the past 17 years.
Awards and Honors
Awards
Honors
- Indiana Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters 2004-2026
- Voted Top 50 ranking 2004-2026
- Voted Top 10 ranking 2008-2012, 2014, 2016-2021
- Hoosier Freedom Award, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, 1998
- Consumer Advocate of the Year Award, Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, 2013
- Chambers USA: Class Action Litigation, Band 1
- Indiana Local Litigation Star, Benchmark Plaintiffs, 2013–2015, Class Action Litigation
- Distinguished Alumni Award, Indiana University School of Law, 2002
- Best Lawyers, Woodward/White Inc., Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action- Plaintiffs; Product Liability Litigation- Plaintiffs 2015-2027
- Best Lawyers, Woodward/White Inc., 2016 Lawyer of the Year, Class Action Litigation- Plaintiffs
- Class Action Litigation Attorney of the Year Indiana, Corporate INTL Magazine, 2015
Other Sources of Feedback About Irwin B. Levin
Included on the 2027 Indiana Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2026 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2025 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2015 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2014 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2013 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2012 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2011 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2010 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2009 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2008 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2007 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2006 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2005 Indiana Super Lawyers list
- 2004 Indiana Super Lawyers list
Education
Legal Education
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Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1978
J.D.
Non Legal Education
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Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1974
B.A.
Honors: cum laude
Major: Political Science
Current Employment Position(s)
-
Partner
Past Positions
- Marion County Circuit Court, Judge Pro Tempore, 1979
- Marion County Circuit Court, Master Commissioner, 1978
Languages
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Hebrew
Classes and Seminars
- Multiple Seminars and Presentations on the Topics of Complex Litigation, Class Action Litigation, Commercial Litigation
Pro Bono Activities
- Israel Bonds, Indianapolis Chairman, 1996 - 1998
- Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, Board Member, 1996 - 2000
- Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, Vice President, 2006 - 2008
Representative Cases
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In Re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, MDL No. 2804 (N.D. Ohio)
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Raab v. Abernathy and Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Cause No. 49D11-1310-PL-038001 (Marion County, Indiana, Superior Court)
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Raab v. Waddell and Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Cause No. 49D12-1303-PL-008769 (Marion County, Indiana, Superior Court)
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Baker v. Hubler Ford Center, Inc. d/b/a Hubler Ford Lincoln Mercury, Cause No. 73C01-0005-CT-14 (Shelby County, Indiana, Circuit Court)
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Fiber Optic Cable Railroad Right-of-Way Litigation
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In re: Iowa Ready-Mix Concrete Antitrust Litigation (N.D. Iowa 2011)
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In re: Ready-Mix Concrete Antitrust Litigation (S.D. Ind. 2009)
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Dennerline v Atterholt, 886 N.E.2d 582 (Ind. App. 2008)
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Allgood v. Meridian Sec. Ins. Co., 812 N.E.2d 1065 (Ind. App. 2004)
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Time-Warner Entertainment Co., L.P. v. Whiteman (Ind. 2004)
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Associated Medical Networks, Ltd. v. Lewis (Ind. App. 2003)
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Core Funding Group, LLC v. Young (Ind. App. 2003)
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In re: Austrian, German Holocaust Litigation (C.A.2 N.Y., 2001)
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In re: Nazi Era Cases Against German Defendants Litigation (D.N.J. 2000)
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Winter v. Assicurazioni (S.D.N.Y. 2000)
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In re: Holocaust Victim Assets Litigation (E.D.N.Y. 2000)
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Shelton v. Wick, 715 N.E.2d 890 (Ind. App. 1999)
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Burger-Fischer v. DeGussa Ag., 65 F.Supp. 2d 248 (D.N.J. 1999)
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Stransky v. Cummins Engine Co., Inc. (Fed. Sec. L.Rep., P.98, 668), 51 F.3d 1329, 63 USLW 2656 (C.A.7 1995)
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American Cyanamid v. Stephen, 623 N.E.2d 1065 (Ind. App. 1993)
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Gregory v. Home Insurance Co., 876 F.2d 602, Rico Bus. Disp. Guide 7231 (C.A.7 1989)
Published Works
Articles
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“Class Actions Matter in Indiana, Across the Country, and Around the World”, Res Gestae, March 2022
Bar Admissions
- Indiana, 1978
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, 1978
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1981
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana, 2001
Specialties and Certifications
- Complex Litigation
- Class Action Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
Other Affiliations
- Marion County Prosecutor’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit, Advisory Board Member
- Jewish Federation of North America, National Co-Chair, Joshua Society
- Board of Directors of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee
- Federal Bar Association
- Seventh Circuit Bar Association
- Indiana Commercial Court Working Group, Member
- Indiana State Bar Association
- Indianapolis Bar Association
- Indiana Trial Lawyers Association
- American Association for Justice
- American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Indiana Chair, AIPAC National Council
Photo
Contact
One Indiana Square
Suite 1400
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Phone Number: 463-634-6875
Email: Send a message
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8a-5p EST
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