NEW YORK – June 2, 2020 – Cozen O’Connor today announced another of New York City’s leading corporate attorneys, Christian Moretti, has joined its fast-growing Corporate Practice Group. Moretti, who has helped structure, negotiate, and complete more than $25 billion worth of M&A and other transactions, both domestic and cross-border, joins the firm as shareholder and vice chair of its International Practice and will reside at its midtown Manhattan office. He is the 12th attorney to join the Corporate Practice Group in the past two months and follows on the heels of another prominent corporate attorney, Frank A. Pugliese, who joined the New York office this year in April.
Recognized by the Legal 500 as one of New York’s leading practitioners for cross-border M&A in the middle market, Moretti comes to the firm from Schnader, where he was a partner and co-chair of that firm’s International Group. He brings 20 years of experience advising domestic and multinational companies, as well as private equity firms in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and cross-border corporate and commercial transactions.
“New York is the business capital of the world and landing an attorney with the international track record Christian brings to the table is a major coup for our practice,” said Larry P. Laubach, co-chair, of the firm’s Corporate Practice Group. “He’s been the driving force in recent years behind a number of important cross-border M&A deals, many of which involve international brand names. Christian’s reputation and experience on a worldwide scale undoubtedly adds depth and geographic reach to our firm’s capabilities in global markets.”
As the primary U.S. outside counsel for many Italian and other foreign businesses and government agencies, Moretti handles a range of day-to-day transactional and commercial matters, including leases, licenses, technology, joint venture, joint development, collaboration and distribution and supply agreements.
“Christian is a major addition to our midtown office and I’m thrilled to welcome him aboard,” added Michael C. Schmidt, managing partner of the firm’s midtown office. “His client list is as diverse as his background, which includes advising domestics, multinationals, and private equity firms in M&A, joint ventures, and cross-border corporate and commercial transactions. Our clients are going to love working with him.”
Moretti’s client list encompasses a wide range of industries, including banking and finance, real estate and hospitality, food and beverage, fashion, life sciences, health care, new media/technology, manufacturing, and energy. His recent deals include representing a global manufacturer of swabs that plays a critical role in COVID-19 testing in a joint venture with a Fortune 100 tech company to develop technology to ramp up production during this pandemic; a European railway company in its acquisition of the leading distributors of train tickets and rail passes worldwide; and a global fashion eyewear manufacturer in a joint venture with a Canadian company and a Chinese company to develop an innovative eyewear equipped with brain-sensing technology.
“Cozen O’Connor has a vast national footprint and market-leading capabilities across practices and industries and will be the ideal platform to assist my global clients in their business expansion in the United States,” Moretti said. “Today’s international transactions often incorporate a range of practice areas, from finance to technology to regulatory compliance, and joining a full-service, cutting-edge firm gives me access to all of these legal resources— which will, of course, greatly benefit my global clients who are facing increasing business and regulatory challenges in these unprecedented times.”
A frequent speaker at various industry conferences and seminars, Moretti is on the Columbia Law School Alumni Association’s Board of Advisors, having previously served as its president, first-vice president, and director. He earned his J.D. at University of Padua School of Law and his LL.M at Columbia University School of Law.
Moretti is the 12th attorney to join the Corporate Practice Group in 2020. In addition to Pugliese in New York, he follows attorney Katheryn A. Gettman, who joined the Minneapolis office in early May, and nine attorneys from Baer Crossey McDemus LLC, who joined the Philadelphia office, also in early May.
About Cozen O’Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 825 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 32 offices across two continents.
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