Attorney Charles H. Cobb was born in Watertown, New York, and received a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in English and textual studies in 1997. During his undergraduate studies, Charles was active in the New York Public Interest Research Group and spent a semester studying abroad in London, England.
He went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University at Buffalo School of Law in 2001. During law school, he served as a chairperson for the Labor and Employment Relations Society. He also won first place in the Charles S. Desmond Moot Court Competition and won an award for best brief at the event. Charles also received his school’s Law Faculty Award upon graduation.
Rather than pursuing a legal career immediately after law school, Charles spent three years as Executive Director of Western New York Peace Center, a nonprofit organization. Charles has been involved in many grassroots activist campaigns directed towards improving the community. For example, in 2001 he helped organize one of the largest protests in Buffalo’s history which was aimed at economic policies that were hurting the region. He coordinated the legal team for that protest.
In 2004, he took the New York State bar exam and was admitted to practice law in state courts. He is also admitted to practice in U.S. District Courts for the Western and Northern districts of New York. He has had numerous jury verdicts. In 2018, Charles and his colleague Attorney Arienne Irving obtained a $1.2 million dollar verdict against the Cheektowaga Police Department.
Outside of the office, Charles is a founding member of The Clean Air Coalition of Western New York and served as the organization’s first Board Chairperson. The Clean Air Coalition was instrumental in exposing Tonawanda Coke as a major polluter in Western New York. The Clean Air Coalition was responsible for shining a light on Tonawanda Coke’s illegal behavior which resulted in a federal criminal trial where Tonawanda Coke was found guilty of multiple felonies. He is involved with the Coalition for Economic Justice.
In his free time, Charles enjoys spending time with his wife and two children and staying active in the community.
Practice Areas:
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
Education
- Syracuse University (B.A.), 1997
- SUNY Buffalo Law School (J.D.), 2001
Admissions
- New York State, 2004
- U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
Awards
- First Place, Charles S. Desmond Moot Court Competition
- Best Appellate Brief Award
- New York Super Lawyers® Rising Stars, 2013-2014
Community
- The Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, Founding Member and Former Board Chairperson
- Coalition for Economic Justice
Memberships
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association (Western New York Chapter)