Richards Layton Director Chosen for the 2010 J. Thompson Brown Award
October 18, 2010
Firm News
WILMINGTON, Delaware (October 18, 2010) – Richards, Layton & Finger director C. Malcolm Cochran IV has been chosen by Children & Families First to receive their 2010 J. Thompson Brown Award. The award, which will be presented on November 15 at the Wilmington Club in Wilmington, Delaware, honors Cochran for his advocacy for Delaware’s abused and neglected children and for his commitment to strengthening family life. Children & Families First is a long-time leader among human service agencies in Delaware, working to strengthen families through adoption, foster care, counseling, teen services, parenting programs, welfare to work services, support services for older adults, and programs to reduce infant mortality and expand quality child care.
Cochran is a director in Richards Layton’s Litigation Department. His practice is focused on the litigation and trial of complex civil cases. He has represented clients in a wide variety of cases, including complex commercial and business disputes, claims for injury and death, contract disputes, insurance, health care, products liability and civil rights claims. Cochran also handles administrative law issues and matters involving local and state government. Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, Cochran formed a pro bono practice group of lawyers at the firm in 2003 to represent children in Family Court through Delaware’s Office of Child Advocate. The group has represented more than 170 children to date, logging nearly 7000 hours in the process.
Since 2006 Cochran has served as chair of Delaware’s Child Protection Accountability Commission, which provides oversight and advocacy for Delaware’s child protection system. Cochran also serves as a member of the Delaware Child Death, Near Death and Stillbirth Commission, which reviews all child death and near death incidents in Delaware for system failures. Cochran is a 1982 graduate of the University of Delaware and received his law degree from the Catholic University of America in 1985.
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About Children & Families First
Children & Families First is a private, nonprofit social service agency that provides a continuum of quality social, educational and mental health services statewide in Delaware. Services are provided out of their eight offices, as well as in schools, clients’ homes and other community locations.