J. MICHAEL COCHRANE

Partner

Direct Line: (916) 669-3910
Phone: (916) 443-2011
Fax: (916) 441-7457
Email: Michael Cochrane
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J. Michael Cochrane is a California native and served three years as a Naval Officer in the Seabees (Civil Engineer Corps) between college and law school. In his second year of law school, he successfully passed the qualifications and examination as Professional Engineer in civil engineering in the State of California. After graduation from law school, he joined the firm of Johnson, Greve, Clifford and Diepenbrock as an associate attorney to assist the senior partners in defense of produce liability matters and defense of design professionals. After three years with the Johnson, Greve firm, he started his own law firm with a law school classmate, Montague, Cochrane and Viglione. For the next 17 years, he concentrated on defense of product liability claims for Porsche, Volkswagen, BF Goodrich and Uniroyal. In 2001, he “rejoined” the Johnson, Greve law firm (now known as Greve, Clifford, Wengel & Paras, LLP) as a partner, engaged primarily in defense of product liability claims and design professionals. He has had numerous trials involving commercial liability and personal injury cases. His trial experience extends to both state and federal courts. He also teaches part time at California State University Sacramento in the Department of Engineering and Computer Science. He also has been a Judge Pro Tempore for the Superior Court of Sacramento and Placer County since 1988, and an associate member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA).

Raised in the Central Valley of California on a ranch, Mike developed a keen interest in mechanical things at an early age. He graduated from Fresno State College with a degree in Civil Engineering, cum laude, in 1968. He joined the U.S. Navy as an officer in the Civil Engineer Corps (Seabees) and served as a naval officer from 1970 through 1973. Following the Navy tour, Mike enrolled in the McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento and obtained his J.D. degree in 1976 and General Engineering Contractor License (Class A) in the State of California. His interests extend to the engineering profession, family and friends, cycling and handball. He is proud to report that he was the lead trial counsel in a wrongful death product liability case in defense of Porsche in 1981. The defense verdict was the first time Porsche had ever gone to trial in the United States involving defense of one of its automobiles.