Attorney Profiles

TROY CHRISTOPHER SWANSON

Mr. Swanson is a 1988 graduate of the Valparaiso University School of Law located in northwest Indiana.  Mr. Swanson was selected as one of the school’s top students to be a member of the Law Review and authored the article Time Value Compensation as Adequate Protection Under 11 U.S.C. Section 361, 22 Val. U.L. Rev. 191, 1987.  

 Semmes, Bowen & Semmes (“Semmes”), a large regional law firm in Baltimore, recruited and hired Mr. Swanson for his knowledge in Bankruptcy Law.  At this firm, Mr. Swanson had the opportunity to work with some of the best creditors’ rights attorneys in the state.

At Semmes, Mr. Swanson started representing financial institutions on consumer collection and bankruptcy issues.  He continued this representation when he left Semmes to start his own practice two years later.  He continued with that practice for another four years before forming the firm now known as Cohen & Swanson, P.C. (“C&S”).

As Mr. Swanson’s practice evolved, he took on more commercial litigation and complex creditor bankruptcy cases.  Mr. Swanson has taken on and defeated some of the best law firms in the country in sophisticated commercial litigation.  In one case, Mr. Swanson successfully defended a three hundred million dollar breach of contract suit against one of the most feared law firms in the country.

In 2004, Mr. Swanson took on one of Maryland’s largest law firms and obtained a verdict in the bankruptcy court which saved his client hundreds of thousands of dollars.  This case was appealed and argued before the United States District Court and the Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.  Mr. Swanson briefed and argued these appeals successfully.

Mr. Swanson’s main focus is bankruptcy law, creditors’ rights, commercial collection, and commercial litigation.  He has successfully represented creditors in multi-million dollar bankruptcy proceedings.  Mr. Swanson has successfully challenged perfection and lien avoidance issues in bankruptcy cases.  He has also used his commercial litigation experience to challenge debtor’s fraud.  In one case, Mr. Swanson successfully used enhanced computer graphics to show how the debtor had defrauded his creditors in the bankruptcy court proceeding.

Mr. Swanson also designed the firm’s collection database which enables C&S to communicate more effectively with their clients and provide a superior and more efficient work product for C&S’s clients.

Mr. Swanson has been living in Harford County since 1999.  His office is located in Bel Air, Maryland near the I 95 corridor, within one hour from Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

Mr. Swanson is currently admitted to the following: (Maryland Bar - 1988) (USDC Maryland Bar - 1989) (Pennsylvania Bar - 1990) (U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit - 1994).

PAUL J. COHEN

Paul J. Cohen is a 1984 graduate of the American University Washington College of Law located in Washington, D.C.  Mr. Cohen was recruited by Semmes, Bowen & Semmes (“Semmes”), where he also worked in the creditors’ rights practice group, and began his association with Mr. Swanson. While at Semmes, Mr. Cohen assisted in the successful bankruptcy fraud prosecution of a real estate lender which resulted in a significant distribution to the bankruptcy estate’s creditors.  

After several years, Mr. Cohen moved on to the law firm of Gebhardt & Smith, where he worked with some of the best creditors’ rights attorneys in the state.  As a result of his hard work, Mr. Cohen became a partner at Gebhardt & Smith where he practiced for several years.

In 1994, Mr. Cohen joined forces with Mr. Swanson and formed the law firm which is now known as Cohen & Swanson, P.C.  Mr. Cohen handles the firm’s foreclosure cases as well as large loan workouts and loan originations for financial institutions, and assists Mr. Swanson in the large commercial litigation matters from time to time.  Mr. Cohen has represented both regional and national banks in his loan origination, workout and foreclosure practices.

Mr. Cohen has been living in Baltimore County since 1988.  His office is located in Reisterstown, Maryland close to his home.  His office is also conveniently located close to both Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Mr. Cohen is currently admitted to the following: (Maryland Bar – 1985) (USDC Maryland Bar - 1985) (District of Columbia Bar - 1990) (U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit - 1994).

OF COUNSEL
KEVIN KEENE

OF COUNSEL
STEVEN P. HECKER