Education
Yale Law School, 2010, JD
Francis Wayland Prize for Litigation
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Yale Human Rights and Development Law Journal
Washington and Lee University, 2006 BA (Religion), summa cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa
Clerkship
Hon. Dolores Sloviter, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2011 – 2012
Hon. Jan E. DuBois, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2010 – 2011
Admissions
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York (inactive)
U.S. Court of Appeals:
Third Circuit
Federal Circuit
U.S. District Courts:
Eastern District of Pennsylvania
Middle District of Pennsylvania
District of New Jersey
Jon L. Cochran
Jon represents clients in a broad variety of complex litigations including those concerning partnerships, real estate, contracts, insurance, governmental investigations, defamation, and constitutional claims.
A former law clerk in both the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit, Jon co-chairs the Business Litigation Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association. His recent representations include:
- defending a member of Congress against speech-related claims;
- representing a founder/inventor in a bet-the-company membership dispute;
- defending a political action committee against claims brought by a former candidate for Philadelphia District Attorney;
- representing Pennsylvania state and county election officials in litigation concerning the 2020 presidential election; and
- helping obtain a watershed victory in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court holding that taxing authorities may not discriminate against commercial properties in filing assessment appeals.
In 2022, the Legal Intelligencer named Jon to its "Lawyers on the Fast Track" list, and he has been recognized repeatedly by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers magazine.
Jon co-authored and regularly updates chapters on discovery and summary judgment in Pennsylvania Civil Discovery, Pennsylvania Civil Pre-Trial Practice, and Ohlbaum on the Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence edited by the Honorable Daniel J. Anders and Bobby Ochoa, III. He also serves as a Hearing Committee Member for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and is a former member of Law360's Pennsylvania Editorial Advisory Board.
Jon is past president of the Board of the Homeless Advocacy Project, a legal services organization that provides advocacy and representation to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. In addition to helping HAP reach its strategic goals through his board service, Jon has represented HAP clients in dozens of matters ranging from veterans benefits to disability claims.
A graduate of Yale Law School, Jon was the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Human Rights and Development Law Journal and received the Francis Wayland Prize for litigation, which is awarded to the student showing greatest proficiency in preparing and presenting a case in negotiation, arbitration, and litigation. He earned his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Washington and Lee University.
Prior to joining Stapleton Segal Cochran, Jon was a shareholder at Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller.
Awards & Recognitions
Named a “Super Lawyer” by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, 2026
Named a Rising Star by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, 2015 – 2023
Lawyers on the Fast Track, Legal Intelligencer, 2022
Francis Wayland Prize for Litigation, Yale Law School
Leadership & Community Involvement
Co-Chair, Business Litigation Committee, Philadelphia Bar Association
Hearing Committee Member, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Board Member and Board President Emeritus, Homeless Advocacy Project
Advisory Board Member, Law360 Pennsylvania Editorial Advisory Board, 2024
Member, University of Pennsylvania American Inn of Court
Core Class of 2020, Leadership Philadelphia
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Yale Human Rights and Development Law Journal
Selected Speaking Engagements
Facilitator and Presenter
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Ethical and Practical Considerations for Attorney Separations and Law Firm Breakups
Pennsylvania Association for Justice Annual Retreat
August 1, 2024
Facilitator and Presenter
Defamation, Libel, & Slander with a Focus on High Profile Litigation
Pennsylvania Bar Institute
March 12, 2024
Facilitator and Presenter
Confidentiality Orders in Litigation: Why Every In-House Counsel Should Care
Greater Philadelphia ACC In-House Counsel Conference
February 4, 2022
Facilitator and Presenter
Attorney Client Privilege in Four Dimensions
Greater Philadelphia ACC In-House Counsel Conference
July 28, 2020
Facilitator and Presenter
Lawyers & Public Relations Consultants: Privilege and Work Product Issues
Greater Philadelphia ACC In-House Counsel Conference
October 22, 2019
Selected Publications
“Executive Orders on Law Firms and the Rules of Professional Conduct,” Legal Intelligencer, May 2, 2025
“De-Mystifying the Ethics of the Attorney Transition Process, Part 2,” Legal Intelligencer, January 31, 2025
“De-Mystifying the Ethics of the Attorney Transition Process, Part 1,” Legal Intelligencer, December 23, 2024
Co-author with Kali Schellenberg, “What 100 Federal Cases Suggest About Changes To Chevron,” Law360.com, May 9, 2024
Co-author, “Crafting Motions to Seal After Third Circuit Avandia’s Decision,” Law360.com, August 23, 2019
Co-author, “Addressing Increasing Uncertainty in the Law of Non-Competes,” ACC Docket, April 2018
Co-author, “Valley Forge Quashes School Districts’ Reverse Appeals,” Law360.com, September 21, 2017
Chapter Author and Advisory Board Member, Pennsylvania Civil Pre-Trial Practice and Pennsylvania Civil Trial Practice, LexisNexis (edited by the Honorable Daniel J. Anders and Bobby Ochoa, III) (updated annually)
Chapter Author and Advisory Board Member, Pennsylvania Civil Discovery, LexisNexis (edited by the Honorable Daniel J. Anders and Bobby Ochoa, III) (updated annually)
Chapter Author and Advisory Board Member, Ohlbaum on the Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence, LexisNexis (edited by the Honorable Daniel J. Anders and Bobby Ochoa, III) (updated annually)
Representative Cases
Secured complete victory for AM 100 law firm in a contract dispute with a former partner after a multi-day hearing
Secured preliminary injunction for major retailer in dispute over lease agreement
Secured preliminary relief for non-profit in complex litigation arising from board breakup
Advised Fortune 500 company on complex potential contract disputes with former affiliate
Defended investment bank and individuals accused of ERISA and related violations arising from sophisticated tax-advantaged financial transaction worth hundreds of millions of dollars
Defended progressive political action committee against defamation-like claims brought by former candidate for Philadelphia District Attorney
Represented major charter management organization in litigation against School District of Philadelphia for breach of contract and due process claims
Represented major medical device manufacturer in contract dispute with former supplier
Represented political action committee in connection with campaign finance violations alleged by the Philadelphia Board of Ethics
Represented Fortune 50 technology company in the defense of numerous personal injury claims
Represented Pennsylvania judges in a constitutional challenge to Pennsylvania’s mandatory retirement age
Represented individuals in claims related to funds diverted by computer fraud
Represented commercial property owners in a successful appeal before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of a school-district-initiated assessment appeals
Represented health management organization asserting defamation claims
Represented federal employee against work-related tort claims
Represented inventor of surgical technique in two-week patent infringement trial
Represented elections officials in litigation related to the 2020 presidential election