Most clients litigate reluctantly because it is costly, distracting, and unpredictable. Today, however, litigation is a fact of life. For countless legitimate reasons, suits must be filed and suits must be defended. Plaintiff or defendant, individual or corporation, local branch or national chain, when litigation becomes unavoidable, there is only one acceptable option: win.
Cozen O’Connor has been winning complex commercial trials for more than forty years. We represent public and private companies, startups, corporate boards and committees, directors and officers, nonprofits, trade associations, and government entities. Our practice areas include antitrust, intellectual property, products liability, securities, corporate law, professional liability, government investigations, criminal defense, tax, and bankruptcy disputes.
Our litigators have more collective trial experience than any other litigation group in the country. They appear in courts in various jurisdictions on a daily basis. This commitment to hands-on trial practice is unusual in the current legal marketplace, even among prestigious peer firms. When the time comes to go to court, Cozen O’Connor’s attorneys are exceptionally well prepared.
The trial skills of our attorneys were developed through direct experience. Excellent trial lawyers know the language and rhythm of the courtroom. They know when to press and when to hold back. They know how to assimilate new information and recalibrate strategy as events unfold. These critical intangibles are our stock in trade.
Our experience benefits clients not only during trial, but also during settlement negotiations. We are able to craft strategies based on realistic assessments of the relative strength of all parties’ positions. And our reputation for being trial-ready leads to more favorable settlements. Adversaries know that we settle only to serve clients’ best interests, not to avoid court.
In every endeavor, the firm prizes practicality and efficiency. While our attorneys have impeccable academic credentials, they understand that intellectual rigor must be coupled with practical, business-minded advice. We identify the truly determinative issues in each case and develop strategies that advantage our clients on those points.
Cozen O’Connor staffs litigations with tight teams of experienced attorneys. Although we have the capacity to add support as necessary, we are committed to a relatively lean staffing model. This has several benefits. Limiting the number of attorneys limits legal costs. It ensures greater accountability. And it means that senior litigators are close enough to the details of each case that they can engage with clients in peer-to-peer communication.
SERVICES
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Antitrust
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Intellectual Property
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Government Investigations & Criminal Defense
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Bankruptcy
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Securities & Corporate
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Products Liability
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Professional Liability
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Transportation & Logistics
CLIENTS
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Public and private companies
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Startups and closely held companies
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Directors and officers
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Trade associations
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Governmental entities
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High-net-worth individuals
TEAM
We are trial lawyers, first and foremost. Cozen O’Connor’s litigation department retains some of the most respected courtroom attorneys in the country. It includes eleven members of the American College of Trial Lawyers, more than any other comparably sized firm, four members of the American Law Institute, and more than a dozen Chambers and Partners ranked attorneys.
Over the last few years, as other firms have retrenched, ours has grown. Cozen O’Connor is a destination law firm for top litigators around the country. We have hired more than sixty new litigators since 2009, both veterans and rising stars. Among our recent additions are a former U.S. Supreme Court clerk, a senior official with the SEC enforcement division, the chair of an Am Law 100 antitrust department, experienced litigators from other prominent firms, and former federal prosecutors.
The litigation problems our clients face rarely come wrapped in neat little boxes. They are high-stakes, complicated, and multidimensional. That is why we have an internal structure that supports cooperation among practice groups, facilitates intra-firm communication, and rewards the mobilization of diverse resources to solve target issues. Complex legal problems require a well-coordinated interdisciplinary team. All of our litigators are members of a single department and are incentivized to leverage one another’s skills and experience. At Cozen O’Connor, turf is irrelevant – success is all that matters.