Anapol Schwartz merging with Coben firm

Anapol, Schwartz, Weiss, Cohan, Feldman & Smalley P.C., a prominent Center City plaintiffs firm, said Thursday that it would merge with Coben & Associates, a Scottsdale, Ariz., law firm focusing on product-liability lawsuits.

Coben & Associates is the firm of former Philadelphia lawyer Larry Coben, who has focused much of his career on cases involving brain and spinal-cord injuries resulting from helmet failure or the failure of seat belts, air bags, or other protective systems.

The firm said Coben would return to the Philadelphia area. One associate will remain in Scottsdale as part of the Anapol firm, which has 25 lawyers.

"Anapol Schwartz is thrilled to welcome Larry to the firm," said Anapol shareholder Sol Weiss. "In working with him for a number of years, we admire his trial skills and case results."

Coben has won several multimillion-dollar verdicts in his career. In August, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court let stand a $10.2 million verdict he won for a Bucks County high school student injured in an auto accident. Coben had successfully argued that the injuries stemmed from a defective seat design.