Cozen O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Cozen O'Connor P.C. is a large U.S. law firm
based in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The firm was ranked 99th on the AmLaw 100 Survey in 2011, ranked 114th on the AmLaw 200 Survey in 2008, and ranked 89th on the National Law Journal's list of the 250 Largest American Law Firms in 2007. Although it is one of the younger large firms in the United States, it has pursued a strategy of aggressive growth, and has expanded to 23 offices employing over 500 lawyer
s.
Cozen O'Connor is one of many large law firms providing counsel
to the detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
, intellectual property
, labor & employment
, environmental law, corporate
and securities law
, real estate
, bankruptcy
and creditors' rights, and many others. The firm also has practices in family law
and immigration law
.
In 2008, the firm founded a "Subprime Credit Markets Practice Group" to address clients' issues relating to the subprime mortgage crisis
.
The subsidiary operates out of the firm's Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware offices. Co-Chaired by Mark Alderman and Edward Hazzouri, the group also includes Howard Schweitzer, the first COO of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, David Girard-diCarlo, former U.S. Ambassador to Austria, and Rob Bickhart
, former finance director of the Republican National Committee
.
Court of Common Pleas
against the Philadelphia Board of Ethics in an attempt to lift campaign contribution limits for the 2007 Philadelphia mayoral election
. The firm had represented Bob Brady
in his efforts off a ballot challenge from Tom Knox
, and wanted to be paid for its work. City law limited campaign contributions to $2,500 for individuals and $10,000 for law firms, political action committee
s and unincorporated businesses. In February 2011, the court ruled that the firm has the standing to challeng the ethics board. In reversing the lower courts, Justice Max Baer said Cozen O'Connor sufficiently pled in its declaratory judgment action its own inability to forgive the total debt without violating campaign finance laws.
San Diego, California
San Francisco, California
Denver, Colorado
Wilmington, Delaware
Washington, D.C.
Miami, Florida
Atlanta, Georgia
Chicago, Illinois Santa Fe, New Mexico
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
New York City
(2 offices, one in Midtown Manhattan
, one in Lower Manhattan
) Charlotte, North Carolina
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Dallas, Texas
Houston, Texas
Seattle, Washington
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
based in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The firm was ranked 99th on the AmLaw 100 Survey in 2011, ranked 114th on the AmLaw 200 Survey in 2008, and ranked 89th on the National Law Journal's list of the 250 Largest American Law Firms in 2007. Although it is one of the younger large firms in the United States, it has pursued a strategy of aggressive growth, and has expanded to 23 offices employing over 500 lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
s.
Cozen O'Connor is one of many large law firms providing counsel
Guantanamo Bay attorneys
The Center for Constitutional Rights has coordinated efforts by American lawyers to handle the habeas corpus, and other legal appeals, of several hundred of the Guantanamo detainees....
to the detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
Practice areas
Cozen O'Connor handles virtually every area of law related to business, including tax lawTax law
Tax law is the codified system of laws that describes government levies on economic transactions, commonly called taxes.-Major issues:Primary taxation issues facing the governments world over include;* taxes on income and wealth...
, intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
, labor & employment
United States labor law
United States labor law is a heterogeneous collection of state and federal laws. Federal law not only sets the standards that govern workers' rights to organize in the private sector, but also overrides most state and local laws that attempt to regulate this area. Federal law also provides more...
, environmental law, corporate
Corporate law
Corporate law is the study of how shareholders, directors, employees, creditors, and other stakeholders such as consumers, the community and the environment interact with one another. Corporate law is a part of a broader companies law...
and securities law
Securities regulation in the United States
Securities regulation in the United States is the field of U.S. law that covers various aspects of transactions and other dealings with securities...
, real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, bankruptcy
Bankruptcy in the United States
Bankruptcy in the United States is governed under the United States Constitution which authorizes Congress to enact "uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States." Congress has exercised this authority several times since 1801, most recently by adopting the Bankruptcy...
and creditors' rights, and many others. The firm also has practices in family law
Family law
Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
and immigration law
Immigration law
Immigration law refers to national government policies which control the phenomenon of immigration to their country.Immigraton law, regarding foreign citizens, is related to nationality law, which governs the legal status of people, in matters such as citizenship...
.
In 2008, the firm founded a "Subprime Credit Markets Practice Group" to address clients' issues relating to the subprime mortgage crisis
Subprime mortgage crisis
The U.S. subprime mortgage crisis was one of the first indicators of the late-2000s financial crisis, characterized by a rise in subprime mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures, and the resulting decline of securities backed by said mortgages....
.
Formation of Government Relations Subsidiary
In September 2009, the firm launched the subsidiary, Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies.The subsidiary operates out of the firm's Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware offices. Co-Chaired by Mark Alderman and Edward Hazzouri, the group also includes Howard Schweitzer, the first COO of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, David Girard-diCarlo, former U.S. Ambassador to Austria, and Rob Bickhart
Rob Bickhart
Rob Bickhart is a former finance director for the Republican National Committee. He was appointed to his post by the current RNC chairman, Michael Steele. On May 7, 2010, Steele fired Bickhart and replaced him with Mary Heitman...
, former finance director of the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
.
Involvement in the Mayoral campaign of Bob Brady
Cozen O'Connor filed a lawsuit in the Philadelphia CountyPhiladelphia County, Pennsylvania
-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...
Court of Common Pleas
Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas
The Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania .The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state....
against the Philadelphia Board of Ethics in an attempt to lift campaign contribution limits for the 2007 Philadelphia mayoral election
Philadelphia mayoral election, 2007
The 2007 Philadelphia mayoral election was held on November 6, 2007 when Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States elected Michael Nutter as the Mayor of Philadelphia starting in 2008. The incumbent mayor, John F. Street was barred from seeking a third term because of term limits...
. The firm had represented Bob Brady
Bob Brady
Robert A. "Bob" Brady is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998, and the ranking Democrat on the United States House Committee on House Administration since 2007...
in his efforts off a ballot challenge from Tom Knox
Tom Knox
Tom Knox is an American businessman and politician. He was second in the Democratic nomination for Mayor of Philadelphia on May 15, 2007. He is notable for his pledge to spend up to fifteen million dollars of his own money in the race. After considering a run in 2008 for state treasurer, Knox...
, and wanted to be paid for its work. City law limited campaign contributions to $2,500 for individuals and $10,000 for law firms, political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
s and unincorporated businesses. In February 2011, the court ruled that the firm has the standing to challeng the ethics board. In reversing the lower courts, Justice Max Baer said Cozen O'Connor sufficiently pled in its declaratory judgment action its own inability to forgive the total debt without violating campaign finance laws.
Notable clients
- NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
- Taylor Nelson SofresTaylor Nelson SofresTaylor Nelson Sofres is a leading market research and market information group. Formerly listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, the firm was acquired by WPP Group in October 2008 for 1.6 billion pounds.-History:...
- HSBC Bank USAHSBC Bank USAHSBC Bank USA, National Association, the American subsidiary of UK-based HSBC Holdings plc, is a bank with its operational head office in New York City and its nominal head office in McLean, Virginia . HSBC Bank USA, N.A...
- Lucent TechnologiesLucent TechnologiesAlcatel-Lucent USA, Inc., originally Lucent Technologies, Inc. is a French-owned technology company composed of what was formerly AT&T Technologies, which included Western Electric and Bell Labs...
- Cott Beverages
- Continental AirlinesContinental AirlinesContinental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
- Full Tilt PokerFull Tilt PokerFull Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
United States
Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
Chicago, Illinois Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045, representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census...
Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(2 offices, one in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
, one in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
) Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
West Conshohocken is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,462 in 1880; 2,482 in 1950; 1,516 in 1980; 1,294 in 1990; and 1,320 at the 2010 census....
Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
External links
- Homepage
- Vault.com profile
- LawPeriscope profile
- Profile from LexisNexis Martindale-HubbellLexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell-History:The 140-year history of Martindale-Hubbell begins with two separate publications:The Martindale DirectoryThe Martindale Directory was first published in 1868 by James B. Martindale, a lawyer and businessman...