Crain’s New York Business has recognized New York partners Barbara R. Mendelson and Carrie H. Cohen as Notable Women in Law in its 2021 edition. The award highlights female lawyers across the New York City metro area who are dedicated to serving clients and giving back to the community at large.
In her work as a member of Morrison & Foerster’s Financial Services Group, Barbara R. Mendelson advises foreign and U.S. banks on a variety of complex U.S. regulatory and compliance matters, including BSA/AML investigations and enforcement matters. Her more than 35 years of experience have made her a trusted legal adviser to foreign banks in their U.S. operations. Over the course of her career, she has been instrumental in, among other things, helping international banks expand their U.S. footprint, activities, and products. As part of her service to the community, Barbara is the executive vice president of the board of trustees of Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, the oldest mentoring organization in the United States, and a member of the Development and Alumni Relations Committee for the University of Michigan Law School. In addition, she provides pro bono legal services at the Bronx Family Court through the New York State Courts Access to Justice Program.
Carrie H. Cohen is a member of the firm’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Group and previously served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and as chief of the Public Corruption Unit in the New York State Attorney General’s Office. Carrie routinely advises and represents corporations, boards, and c-suite executives in sensitive government-facing investigative and regulatory matters. Carrie is an industry expert on public corruption and state and local government and she currently serves as special counsel to the New York City Council and special independent counsel to the City of Rochester, as well as teaches a seminar on Public Corruption and the Law as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Carrie also frequently advises clients on workplace misconduct issues and serves as co-chair of the firm’s Workplace Misconduct Investigations Task Force. Carrie was appointed by the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York as counsel to the Court’s Grievance Committee and serves as vice president of the Federal Bar Council and a member of the Board of Volunteers of Legal Service Inc. Carrie is also a recognized thought leader in advancing women in the legal profession and co-chair of the firm’s Women’s Strategy Committee.
As part of the honor, Barbara and Carrie were featured in a special edition of Crain’s New York Business.