Charles S. Cohen

Charles Steven Cohen (born February 8, 1952) is an American real estate developer and film distributor.

Early life and education Cohen was raised in a Jewish family in Harrison, New York. In the 1950s, the Cohen brothers (Eddie, Mortimer, and Sherman Cohen) founded Cohen Brothers Realty & Construction Corporation

Career Real estate Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation is a private commercial real estate development and management firm with a portfolio of 12 million square feet of wholly owned and passively managed Class A office buildings and showrooms of over 300 companies across the United States. Signature projects include the revitalization of Manhattan's Decoration & Design (D&D) Building, the Southern California's Pacific Design Center and the Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) in South Florida, the largest design center in the United States.

Cohen's New York City properties include 623 Fifth Avenue, 622 Third Avenue, 135 East 57th Street, 750 Lexington Avenue, 3 East 54th Street, 805 Third Avenue, 3 Park Avenue, 475 Park Avenue South, and the D&D Building at 979 Third Avenue.

Lawsuits

In 2021 several lawsuits were filed against the business accusing Cohen of bullying and creating a hostile working environment for women. The company denied the allegations said it does not tolerate sexual harassment.

In early 2024, Fortress Investment Group sued Cohen for a default on a $534mn loan made in 2019. In August a New York Supreme Court judge approved proceeding with a foreclosure auction against properties owned by Cohen to recoup part of the value of the loans. Cohen disputed the claim, alleging that a restructuring agreement had been reached with Fortress. However, the court rejected Cohen's motion to postpone the auction. Fortress also acquired control of companies that control the Design Center of the Americas, and Le Méridien hotel in Dania Beach in Florida.

Hotels Representing his first venture into the hospitality arena, Cohen redeveloped and opened the Le Méridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport, a hotel located on the 40-acre DCOTA (Design Center of the Americas) campus.

Film

Cohen formed Cohen Media Group in 2008 as a film production and distribution company focused on independent and art-house cinema. The company later restored and released classic films through the Cohen Film Collection, which TheWrap described in 2022 as containing more than 800 films, and expanded into exhibition through the Quad Cinema, Landmark Theatres, and Curzon Cinemas. In 2022, CMG acquired the British international sales company HanWay Films.

Fashion Two UK fashion labels, Savile Row tailor Richard James and luxury shoe manufacturer and retailer Harrys of London, were acquired in 2016 and 2017. Cohen has a majority stake and serves as chairman at Richard James. Cohen, who serves as chairman, will facilitate the brands' international growth strategies, beginning with the recent Manhattan store openings on Park Avenue and East 57th Street.

Leather goods and luggage In 2018, Cohen acquired T Anthony, a 73-year-old luxury leather goods & luggage company.

Personal life Cohen has been married twice. He has four children from his two marriages. He is divorced from his first wife; they have two children, a daughter and a son who works at Cohen Brothers Realty Corp. In 2004, he married his second wife, Clodagh "Clo" Margaret Jacobs, a former marketing and publicity executive for fashion designer Jimmy Choo, in a Jewish ceremony at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan; they also have two children. The couple divides their time between homes in Manhattan and in suburban Connecticut.