Graduated with B.A. Political Science, University of Maryland
1972
Graduated with M.S.W. University of Maryland
1975
Graduated with J.D. University of Baltimore School of Law
1978
Clerkship, Supreme Bench of Baltimore City
1978-1979
Joined U.S. Navy: Served as Trial Defense Counsel and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and later served in the Navy Marine Corps Appellate Defense Division
1979
Received Navy Expeditionary Medal for service in Indian Ocean, Operation Eagle Claw (attempt to rescue hostages in Iran)
1980
Served as Assistant United States Attorney on President’s Narcotics Task Force, investigating and/or trying complex narcotics and public corruption cases.
1983-1985
Honored by U.S. Treasury Department for tax and drug prosecutions during “Operation Repent”
1983
1994: Lead Trial Counsel in month-long prosecution of four RICO defendants in Elkins, West Virginia. Obtained convictions and defended convictions in appeals before the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. (W. Virginia 1985.) (United States v. Schell, 775 F.2. 559 (1984).
1984
Left U.S. Attorneys Office and entered private practice with Dykhouse, Wise & Marsac litigating complex insurance coverage, employment and commercial cases.
1985
Steve became a single parent with sole custody of his daughter, Kristin and relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah to restructure his legal career and raise his daughter.
May 1988
Steve joins Hansen, Jones and Leta and expands his practice to bankruptcy litigation.
1990
Following acquisition of Hansen Jones and Leta, Steve joins Campbell Maack and Sessions, a boutique commercial litigation firm acting as Regional Trial Counsel for Honda Motors in product liability actions. Steve was part of a team that successfully litigated a trade secret case for the plaintiff in Sun-Glo of Idaho v. Ore-Dia, Heinz and Weight Watchers of America for theft of the trade secret of a frozen whole baked potato
1992
Steve wins verdict in a tax and insider trading case involving the President of Utah Medical Products, a manufacturer of pediatric medical products. U.S.A. v. Dean Wallace 5 TAX CHARGES DISMISSED AGAINST MEDICAL CHIEF – Deseret News Paul Moxley was co-counsel and got quoted in this article
1993
Steve was appointed to act as General Counsel and Chief Disciplinary Counsel of Utah State Bar. Tasked with trying cases in the district courts, Steve won a landmark case in the Utah Supreme Court establishing that attorneys who misappropriated trust funds would be disbarred. Utah State Bar v. Babilis, 957 P. 2d 1233 (1993).
1995
Utah Supreme Court cites Steve Cochell for his accomplishments as its Chief Disciplinary Counsel.
1997
Steve joins FedEx Corporation in Memphis, Tennessee and becomes its Senior Trial Attorney litigating cases in “high risk” states, including California, New York, and Florida and was honored with FedEx’s Star Award in 1999.
1997
Defense of an age/sex discrimination action (with state law torts) in Miami, assuming responsibility for trial from local counsel. Obtained summary judgment shortly before trial. (Florida 1998.)
1998
Defense of a race discrimination action in St. Louis, assuming responsibility for trial from local counsel disqualified by the Court for professional misconduct occurring during discovery. Obtained leave of Court to file dispositive motion and obtained summary judgment shortly before trial. Case affirmed by Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. (Missouri 1998.)
1998
Defense of a multi-plaintiff race discrimination action brought as a class action by and on behalf of all African-American managers at the Memphis Hub. Obtained favorable ruling from the Court denying class certification and summary judgment against four individual plaintiffs. (Tennessee 1999.)
1999
Steve is awarded Five Star Award, FedEx’s highest employee award, for successfully obtaining injunctive relief and prosecuting a trade secret action against Fritz Companies and United Parcel Service for threatened misappropriation of trade secrets of its then-$750 million dollar customs clearance process.
2001
Representation of FedEx in pending nation-wide Title VII class action brought by EEOC regarding alleged religious discrimination (the "Dreadlocks" case). Obtained summary judgment. (New York, 2002).
2002
Prosecution of trade secret action against Accu-Sort Systems, Inc. for theft and misappropriation of trade secrets and ownership of Mass Scanning and Dimensioning ("MSDS") technology. Settled for $18.5 million (Tennessee 2004.)
2004
Steve becomes a partner with Epstein Becker, Green, Green Wickliff & Hall in Houston, Texas.
2004
Steve successfully defended Johnson Controls, Inc. in a complex commercial case alleging fraud, breach of partnership agreement, breach of contract and misappropriation of proprietary information by former vendor seeking $21 million in damages and obtained summary judgment for Johnson Controls on all claims except portion of breach of contract claims.
2005
Steve won trial defense verdict in a copyright case for a record label.
2006
Steve leaves Epstein Becker Green Wickliff & Hall
2010
Steve successfully defends State v. Shilling, corporate director of finance for allegations obtains dismissal of three count indictment of alleged theft by fiduciary
2012
Lead civil counsel for R. Allen Stanford in matters relating to imposition of receivership on six billion in assets
2012
: Lead civil counsel for Jeff Baron in receivership imposed on his 5,000+ websites, claims relating to receivership and subsequent involuntary bankruptcy action, successfully defending against motion to sell websites to satisfy creditor claims
2015
Steve undertakes defense of Michael Brown and Credit Bureau Center in action brought by Federal Trade Commission for false, misleading deceptive advertising. Trial court rejects defense that FTC’s actions were unsupported under the FTC Act.
2017
FTC v Credit Bureau Center: Seventh Circuit reverses over three decades of precedent holding that Section 13(b) of the FTC Act does not allow for monetary relief to consumers. FTC v. Credit Bureau Center, 937 F.3d 764 (7th Cir. 2019)
2019
FTC appeals Seventh Circuit decision to U.S. Supreme Court, which grants certiorari and consolidated the case with AMG Capital Management v. FTC for oral argument.
2020
VPL-Medical granted oral argument against the FTC 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Watch recording for FTC v. Jason Cardiff, No. 20-55858 (uscourts.gov)
2020
AMG Capital Management wins 9 to 0 against the FTC in U.S. Supreme Court adopting reasoning of the Seventh Circuit in Credit Bureau Center case. AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC, 141 S. Ct. 1341 (2021) Court therefore vacated and reversed FTC v Cardiff.
2021
2021 VPL Medical wins against the FTC in the 9th circuit (Vacated and remanded) 20-55858.pdf (uscourts.gov)
2021
VPL Medical wins unprecedented order requiring receiver pay fees for claims process. Federal Trade Commission v. Jason Cardiff (Dkt. 598) (issue mooted by subsequent ruling of the court)
2021
Redwood Scientific wins its Motion for Summary Judgment as to monetary relief against the Federal Trade Commission v. Jason Cardiff (Dkt. 627)
