Our History
Since 1921, Clarke & Cohen has had one goal and has maintained it with conviction; advocating for individuals, families and businesses facing the devastating aftermath of fires, storms, and catastrophic property loss. Over four generations and more than 100 years, that mission has never changed.
Our Story
Clarke & Cohen was established in Philadelphia in 1921, specializing in managing and documenting complex insurance claims for policyholders. The firm was built on a singular principle: when disaster strikes, the insured deserves a dedicated expert advocate; someone who knows the process as well as the insurance carrier does and fights harder to assist the insured with their recovery.
Family Joins the Business
The family entered the business in the 1940s when Company President Rich Cohen's grandfather, Eugene Lerner, joined the firm. By the early 1960s, he had purchased the company outright, officially beginning what has now become four generations of family leadership. Clarke & Cohen first stepped into large-scale disaster response in 1971, with Barry Cohen, Rich Cohen’s father, handling Hurricane Gloria claims in Corpus Christi, Texas. Rich Cohen joined the firm in 1988 as a third-generation adjuster and by 1989, was helping expand the firm's footprint into Florida and the Caribbean.
Expanding the Reach
In 2005, Rich Cohen became the company's third-generation President. Under his leadership, Clarke & Cohen has handled some of the largest and most complex property claims in the region, including one of the single largest homeowner insurance claims in Pennsylvania history in 2012.
Landmark Work & Notable Claims
Over the last several decades, the team at Clarke & Cohen has successfully managed highly complicated insurance recoveries arising from some of the most significant catastrophes, including terrorist attacks, hurricanes and devastating wildfire claims. These assignments have involved large-scale property losses, sophisticated coverage issues, and the coordination of multiple stakeholders to maximize insurance recoveries for property owners.
National Reach, Local Roots
Clarke & Cohen is a charter member of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA), and members of its leadership team have been elected President of NAPIA on four separate occasions.
Headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, Clarke & Cohen is licensed to serve clients in 29 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While maintaining a national presence, the firm has extensive experience throughout Philadelphia, the surrounding region, and the Jersey Shore.
The Fourth Generation
Today, two of Rich Cohen's sons, Brett and Max Cohen, and nephew Blake Zucker, are working in the business and on a path to ownership, carrying forward a legacy now more than a century old.
"It's an incredible honor to carry on such a significant tradition." -Richard Cohen
For more than a century, Clarke & Cohen has been woven into the fabric of Philadelphia,
standing beside families and businesses in the moments they need us the most.
From a firm founded on a single principle to a fourth-generation practice now licensed across 29+ states, the mission has never wavered: professional advocacy for the policyholder, from the first call to the final settlement.
Philadelphia is not just where Clarke & Cohen started. It is where the firm's values were forged, tested by real disasters, and passed down from one generation to the next. Because when the unexpected strikes, the only question that matters is what happens next. Clarke & Cohen has spent over 100 years making sure their clients always have the right answer.