Deborah Lans has spent over 40 years dividing her practice between complex commercial and marital litigation. She was a founding partner of Morrison Cohen LLP in 1984, where she led the Commercial Litigation Department for 15 years. In 2000, she transitioned to become the Executive Director of Mentoring USA, a non-profit aimed at providing one-on-one mentoring for at-risk youth. In 2003, she co-founded Cohen Lans LLP, now known as Cohen Clair Lans Greifer & Simpson LLP, where she focuses on mediation, arbitration, trial, and appellate litigation in both business and family law.
Ms. Lans has consistently received the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating reflecting the views of her peers in both legal skill and ethical standards. She has served on or chaired various committees, including the New York Supreme Court Departmental Disciplinary Committee and the City Bar’s Executive, Judiciary, Bioethical Issues, and Young Lawyers Committees. Additionally, she is a member of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.
She is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Columbia Memorial Health, a healthcare system serving Columbia and Greene Counties in upstate New York, and currently chairs its Planning Committee. She also chairs the Planning Board of Austerlitz, New York, and has served nearly a decade as Treasurer of PS 21, an arts organization focused on innovative performances and arts education for children.
Ms. Lans has contributed significantly to the Columbia Land Conservancy, serving three years as Chair and six years as a Trustee. She was also involved with Literacy, Inc., a New York City non-profit aimed at improving early literacy, and has served on the Claims Committee of Terrafirma RRG, which provides conservation defense insurance to over 400 land trusts nationwide.
Currently, she contributes to The Columbia Paper and previously co-authored a monthly column in Education Week with former New York State First Lady Matilda Raffa Cuomo. Ms. Lans has taught Continuing Legal Education (CLE) classes, authored chapters in publications like *Commercial Litigation in New York State Courts* and *Successful Partnering* (both by West), and written numerous articles for legal journals.
Her profile is featured in Nancy Carson’s *Believing in Ourselves: A Celebration of Women*, which highlights 38 women who have excelled in various fields while giving back to their communities. She is also included in *Who’s Who in America* and *Who’s Who in American Law*. Moreover, Ms. Lans has been regularly listed in *Best Lawyers in America* and *New York Super Lawyers* for her work as a business and matrimonial litigator.
