Bradford S. Cohen

Brad Cohen's practice is a hybrid of corporate, partnership, income tax, and estate and gift tax planning. He is a unique problem solver, addressing each of these areas with an integrated, family-office approach. With a deep, holistic understanding of taxation, Brad creates tax-efficient structures tailored to achieving client goals and addressing complex challenges.

Brad primarily advises ultra-high-net-worth individuals, their closely held companies and their relationship. He creates personal and business planning strategies for a wide range of purposes, including choice of entity, mergers, acquisitions (including Qualifying Small Business Stock 1202 structuring), financing, and succession planning, all with a focus on income tax and estate planning. Clients benefit from his multi-generational perspective, including business succession planning. His diverse experience extends to cutting-edge projects involving technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital currency. He has also advised many clients on entity and fund structures for venture capital investments and family offices (including designing structuring pursuant to the “Lender Management” case). 

Brad has extensive experience advising clients with significant collections of tangible assets, such as art, jewelry, automobiles and wine. He has assisted with their acquisition, financing, bequeathing, donation, and sale. As a part of that practice, he has counseled clients in the establishment of private nonprofit museums to showcase these collections. 

One of Brad’s career highlights includes serving as the principal advisor on the largest trust administration in U.S. history, involving tax liability over $7 billion. He and his team provided sole counsel on all California issues and were key tax advisors for all the trust administration. 

Brad is highly regarded for his business and tax counsel in the music, motion picture, television, emerging media technology, and sports industries. He has advised on the sale of music catalogs, equaling over $1.4 billion in net sales price.  

In addition to his numerous music client representations, Brad currently serves as general counsel to Grateful Dead Productions. He has also represented studios, record companies, production companies, athletes, and professional sports teams, as well as high-profile athletes, performing artists, singers, songwriters, and behind- the-scenes individuals. Brad's clients have also included two former U.S. presidents and a U.S. senator.

He has incorporated his personal commitment to philanthropy into a key element of his legal practice. He has provided multi-faceted counsel to clients regarding their involvement in charitable endeavors, including the development of strategic plans and utilizing the associated tax benefits.  One of the focuses of his practice is coordinating relationships among the entertainment, advertising and nonprofit industries. 

Brad acted as principal counsel representing the lead donor who financed the acquisition, delivery, and permanent exhibition of the Space Shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. 

In addition, he provides comprehensive guidance to real estate clients on sales, acquisitions, deferred exchanges, financing, and the structuring of Qualified Opportunity Zone funds, including the sale, purchase, and management of hotels and restaurants.

He also advises clients on tax controversy, executive compensation (including deferred compensation) and tax aspects of marital settlement negotiations.

Brad was a lobbyist before the United States Congress for the Tax Reform Research Group. He is a member of JMBM's Taxation, Trusts & Estates Department which is recognized by U.S. News & World Report / Best Law Firms® with a National First Tier ranking in Trusts & Estates Law.

Brad is an Ironman Triathlon finisher.